I was having my headers installed and the exhaust place said that one of my manifold bolts were broken already and he broke one taking i off. This should be impossible because I bought the car from the original owner who I have known since before he got the car and any work that was done to it was done by me which was just basic maintenance. Is it possible for a bolt to snap off by itself or is this guy trying to blame one of his two mistakes on the car. I dont know any help would be great.

 

The stockers certainly do get pretty weak after the severe heat and rust.
But it does seem pretty unliklely that one could snap off on its own.

Don't think anyone here is going to be able to definatively help you on this one.

 

I've never heard of a header bolt being broken on its own. There isn't exactly alot of torque being exerted on those manifold bolts. He most likely broke it while removing them, which is pretty common. However, there's really no way to prove anything so you're kind of stuck. Sorry man.

 

i have sen plenty of manifold bolts break on their own. usually when this happens it will create an exhast leak. not unusual at all imo for a higher milage vehicle.

 

My 94 has been hardly used......and when I changed my spark plugs I noticed one of the passenger rear most exhaust manifold bolts was broken. It just managed to sit in the hole for who knows how long.

This is on a non-modded low mileage car. Aside from a new starter about 5 years ago, and an opti and waterpump I did myself a year or two ago, all is original and untouched. I think GM just used some weak bolts.

 

I don't even think it is a GM issue. I helped a buddy of mine put a set of stainless headers on his tundra and we had the same issue with it.

 

Yeah, pretty sure it's common for exhaust manifold bolts to break trying to remove them nowadays......but not neccessarily to just break without ever being touched. I can't remember for certain but I thought I read once about Caprice/Impala SS LT1s breaking manifold bolts at abnormal rates without being touched.

I'll ask some folks I know who run an exhaust shop next week what they see, but yeah I've been there multiple times when manifold bolts broke during removal on all sorts of different cars and trucks.

 

Well I stand corrected. I guess I haven't seen enough lt1s

 

I usually put Anti-Sieze on the threads. I haven't had one get stuck yet. Typically, I go through a few hot and cold cycles then retorque. They don't leak or back out.

 

I had a broken bolt and there was no evidence of anyone trying to remove it. It is almost always the rear on both sides.

 

I have heard of them breaking on their own. Then again, if he already broke off one, it is hard to fully believe that the didn't break the other.

 

Exactly and its not that Im stuck or anything because hes going to fix them all for free I just have to wait til monday. Its funny that you say mrmint69 that because it is on the rear pass side. And according to the guy one was broke and he broke the other one.

 

I had one broke off without being touched. It was the very front bolt on the driver's side. Then last week when i was removing the manifolds I broke two more, all on the same side.

The first and last manifold bolts won't be used on headers anyways. The manifolds cover up two holes that the headers will use.