Broken bolt removal out of a sbf timing cover

[travis]

I’m cleaning up the remainder of the external bolt ons for my 351w, and as is typical on the timing covers on these things, most all the water pump bolts broke off upon removal. Typically I can get the broken off bolts out with some penetrating oil and working them back and forth with a pair of vice grips, but I have 1 that will not budge.

This is a ‘87 timing cover, which seems to be much more pot metal than aluminum. Before I try welding a nut to this bolt, is there any other methods I should try first? Maybe a small propane torch (typically used for sweating copper plumbing) and quenching it with some motor oil?

[mag2555]

Heat it up really good first in your oven ( like at 350) then melt some candle wax over the bolt, but before you do all of that grind A dip in the face of the broken bolt to guide / Locate the head of a punch.

Once coated with the melted wax take a big flat nose round punch and a good size ball peen hammer a beat on the broken bolt.
The beating will jar the threads loose and allow the wax to get in, then backing it out is a breeze!

Another way to go if the bolt is only 1/4" in diameter is to do as my buddy does in such a case when the timing cover has a flat enough back side and is not cast iron.

He first drils l out the back side of the broken bolt 1/16" bigger then the bolt itself if it's a blind hole then he uses his press to simply rip off the threads in the cover and push the bolt out the other side, then do the helicoil thing.

He gets bolts out in 5 minutes or less like this!