Drilling out bolts in a vehicle's cylinder head should only be done as a last resort. It should only be done if the bolts have become so old and rusted that they won't come out any other way. The bolt head should have broken off first before you should even consider it, and then, any attempts with pliers or other gripping tools should be made. Be careful not to damage any part of the cylinder head.
Instructions
- 1
Choose the right size drill bit to use with your drill. Use one with a smaller circumference than the bolt you are removing, if only by a little, so you won't damage the interior threads on the cylinder. Use a drill and bits that can allow you to drill in reverse direction if possible.
2Punch a hole into the bolt head (however much is left of it) using a center punch and hammer. This will help you position and balance the drill bit so it travels straight down without swiveling to one side.
3Apply a penetrating lubricant such as WD-40 to the bolt so it penetrates down into the threads to break through the rust and loosen the bolt. If there is enough of the bolt protruding out, you can try using a vise-grip extractor tool to remove the bolt without drilling.
4Position the drill with a reverse-action bit onto the bolt and drill into it by about 3/4 of an inch; this might force the bolt out by itself. If not, remove the bit, apply more lubricant and insert a socket-type bolt extractor into the hole you drilled. Twist the extractor carefully to avoid breaking it.
5Continue drilling if the extractor won't work. Drill a little bit at a time, apply more lubricant to the hole to keep the drill bit from dulling. Whenever you remove the drill bit, use a magnetic wand or similar tool to clean metallic shavings out of the hole.
6Stop drilling and remove the bit should you drill all the way through the bolt without removing it. If it comes to this, you must try to drill repeatedly from different positions with the intent of completely grinding up the remnants of the bolt.
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