Click Click Boom!!!!!

25 years ago I broke 2 smooth and clean like that in the 8.2 10 bolt BOP rear in my ‘65 GTO. Both were oe original axles and both on rightside. The second one was a left axle from another rear that I put in the right side to replace the first broke one. It actually twisted at the splines but snapped about 2 inches away from splines. 4 speed stick, slicks, and a sticky dragstrip had a lot to do with it tho! Lol!

I have never personally seen a big truck axle break like that. Overheat and Grind down at the bearings or twist a little yes but snap in half. No.

 

In the words of Ron Burgandy,

I'm not even mad, I'm impressed!

 

While floating a excavator the truck drove nice on the way to the job site 45 mins away.

On the way back to the company, the truck was powerless while empty.

I open the hood to see what was wrong.

All four studs holding the small turbo to the manifold snapped off.

I removed both turbos.

Tried and failed to remove the broken stainless studs. Kept getting dull drill bits.



Took the manifold off



Drilled all four stainless studs out in the drill press.

 

Well it works and good job. I would have welded a nut to them first before removing. Works well in cast.

 

A little heavy on the throttle there b'y!

 

The four studs were 1/4 inch below flush.

The one stud I managed to drill far enough after several drill bits, I tried using easy out, torch, and water. They won’t budge.

So the manifold came off and into the drill press where I used a concrete drill bit.

 

Me? Lead foot? Ummmm.....

 

Try using an end mill, it leaves a nice flat surface to work with.

 

Use a washer first. Build the weld up to washer. Then weld nut to washer. Backs right out.

 

I do have end mill experience. We don’t have those bits here.

I decided to drill through and use stainless bolts from this point on, just like a lot of other trucks use.

Then if that snaps, just install a new one instead of removing turbos and buying more gaskets and fighting with broken studs. ​