Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro diesel injector blown out of cyl head...

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...not all the way out, but the injector clamping bolt's head has come off, and the the 25mm of exposed bolt remaining seems very tight. At the side of the road we got a reasonable purchase on it with mole grips, but the bolt would not budge.
The van is a Renault Trafic long wheelbase, all four injectors were changed by a garage about 6 months ago. It's now languishing in a garage compound in Germany, having been towed-in. The garage are just about refusing to do the job, so one option is to go over there and a) recover its contents of tools, clothes, beer and wine, and b) try to remove the broken bolt, resecure the injector with a new clamp bolt, and drive it home.

My questions are:

1. What is the normal tightening torque of the clamp bolt? It has (had!) a 10mm A/F head.
2. Assuming this to have happened to others before, what's a good method to remove the remains of the bolt? It HAS NOT seized in the head as we found that the shaft can be moved a mm or so at its top end - but it won't turn!
3. What are the best tools for gripping this exposed bolt shaft?
4. The bolt seems very hard, and is resistant to cutting and filing.
 
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Stud removers?

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Nightmare.....:(
Are you certain the snapped off bolt is only 10mm? Theoretically that means a thread of 6mm unless its a rolled bolt without a conventional head size.....I've only come across bigger sizes.
Anyway, a stud remover as per Mottie -- I've had great success with the top one but I doubt if that would go in - never used the smaller tubular types.
If it was mine, and I was home, I'd MIG a nut on the end of the stud and try that, but wondering why the Germans wouldn't crack on with it?
John :)
 
Nightmare.....:(
Are you certain the snapped off bolt is only 10mm? Theoretically that means a thread of 6mm
Thanks John, it most definitely is a 6mm shaft size; and hard too. Working by torchlight we managed to get a good hard grip end-on with molegrips, but they wouldn't grip. What's more the bolt shaft was not marked at all.
If we have to go over there to do it ourselves I'd take a Dremel type grinder and grind a couple of shallow flats. Without those I doubt if even the stud removers would grip it. Of course a sensible thing would be to buy two new bolts and practice on one of those first!

.... but wondering why the Germans wouldn't crack on with it?
John :)
Sadly a catalog of errors.
1. Recovery man (at 1am, to be fair) took us to a Renault Stealership, and I think they were more interested in selling and servicing new cars than repairing old 'uns.
2. They have (so they said - see 1. above) a 4 weeks waiting list.
3. They said it would probably need a new cylinder head, and that would mean engine out, and that would cost more than the 2009 vehicle was worth (see 1. again)


So coming back to the suggested stud extractors, I can see that the top one has (probably) an eccentric knurled wheel and a hole to fit over the shaft - would definitely grip a shaft with a flat ground into it if there was enough room. That's one option, though I may have to dismantle a number of other parts to generate that space.

The second option looks like a concentric (and therefore slimmer) device; but how does it grip, and would grinding flats improve its grip?

Are these stud removers widely available from motor factors? What are their names? Brands if that's relevant?

I emphasise the gripping qualities because my suspicion is that the injector securing bolts were overtightened 6 months ago when all four injectors were replaced. There was also mention of a 'specialist' injector removal service being used as one or more were seized into the head (ironic, really!).
The details of which one was stuck are not available, and it's not my van so it's history is relayed from the owner, and he's not mechanically curious.

TIA

MM
 
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The second option looks like a concentric (and therefore slimmer) device; but how does it grip, and would grinding flats improve its grip?

Are these stud removers widely available from motor factors? What are their names? Brands if that's relevant?
I personally wouldn't grind anything off. Maybe warm the head around the stud area with a gas blowtorch. Just do a search on Amazon for 'stud extractors'. Plenty of different types on there. (y)
 
Roller extractors are individually sized....in your case 6mm as per a BGS 1883.
I hope it goes well....you did mention some movement in your original post?
The good bit about the MIG idea, the intense heat produced often helps greatly.
John :)
 
the engines in these vans are prone to the injectors seizing in the head also prone to the hold down bolts to snap and seize, and there are specialists that have the very expensive equipment to remove them. Sometimes the heads even break under the hydraulic pressure required to remove the injectors.

anyway back to the stud, warm it as mottie said and try to use a stud extractor etc.

or you can purchase this tool https://www.darwendiesels.com/injector-removal-tools/17663-m9r-injector-bolt-kit.html

the tightening torque is 35nm, its usually good practice to replace the bolts also when replacing injectors
 
I personally wouldn't grind anything off. Maybe warm the head around the stud area with a gas blowtorch. Just do a search on Amazon for 'stud extractors'. Plenty of different types on there. (y)

Thank you Mottie, I've just been doing that search.
The Sealey one that you pictured may be too bulky, but at less than a tenner well worth taking.
The socket types are slimmer, and 25mm diameter for a 6mm extractor should fit in the space. Because I can't easily see the method they use to grip I am reluctant to buy just any old Amazon brand - it's a 1400 miles round trip, and not worth buying a poor quality tool (or tools) if they fail when a bit of grunt is applied, eg I have seen one that looks like a drill chuck that is manually tightened; it just doesn't look up to the job.

As I said, the bolt is not rusted into the head, it has radial movement of about 1mm fore and aft when the mole grips are applied, so heat application should not be necessary (but I will pack a blowtorch for plan Z use)

Next stop, You Tube...maybe someone has a video showing these suckers in use....stand by.

MM
 
the engines in these vans are prone to the injectors seizing in the head also prone to the hold down bolts to snap and seize, and there are specialists that have the very expensive equipment to remove them. Sometimes the heads even break under the hydraulic pressure required to remove the injectors.

anyway back to the stud, warm it as mottie said and try to use a stud extractor etc.

or you can purchase this tool https://www.darwendiesels.com/injector-removal-tools/17663-m9r-injector-bolt-kit.html

the tightening torque is 35nm, its usually good practice to replace the bolts also when replacing injectors
Thank you. That torque figure is very useful, though we are not trying to remove the injector, merely trying to stop it escaping!
With a stud extractor that grips the exposed bolt shaft I should be able to gauge the 'loosening' torque, thereby knowing when I'm in danger of snapping the bolt further, and to know when a bit more grunt is safe.

Any recommendations on which brand of roller extractor...it's a long and expensive recovery trip, so a poor extractor would be a waste of money.

I've been on to Darwen Diesels, just as they were closing. Arranged to ring them in the morning...
 
An interesting job, MM.....
You may want to take an injector seal with you ( if the darn thing comes all the way out).
Did you notice any problems with the injector feed pipes?
John :)
 
Darwen diesels will also be able to supply you with a new injector seal.

I would ask them if they can also provide new hold down bolts.

Whilst you have the tools out I would advise changing the other 3 bolts just in case.

The Darwen tool is specifically designed for this application so would probably be your best chance.

You are correct to be wary of poor quality stud extractors they will make your job much harder.

I would also recommend packing a decent drill and drill bits that are tough enough to drill high tensile material.

As you have such a distance to travel I would pack for every eventuality (best and worst)
 
Looking at the first post, the injector is partially still in there.....hence my comment about the pipes leading from the common rail which are generally recommended to be replaced when disturbed or stressed.
I’ve no experience of this engine but with Fords and VAG there’s no way the injector reseals on its own :(
Within 5 mins there’s fuel everywhere :eek:
John :)
 
If all else fails weld a nut onto it through the hole in the middle, not only will this give you much better purchase on it but the heat will also expand the head round the bolt.
 
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