[necdb3]

If you don't have a welder, X2 on removing the manifold and have a friend or machine shop remove it for you.

[getmygoat]

Thanks guys. Maybe once I get the rear main seal replaced (hope!) I'll just put the car back together and take to exhaust shop.

Tried a harbor freight "diamond impregnated" drill bits in a dremmel knock-off last night. Drilled for > 45 minutes and made a small impression, but I assume I'd have another hour or so before I might get the extractor out.

Even after I get the extractor out, I'd still have the bolt issue.

[mgarblik]

From your posts am I correct that your going to replace a rear main seal with the engine in the car? That's not impossible but is very difficult to accomplish. Also your chance of a leak free repair is just over 50% in my experience. Getting the old seal out, new seal in, oil pan sealed at the rear, it's all very difficult. If your removing the engine, dealing with the broken bolts becomes much easier. Please detail what your trying to accomplish and many folks on here can guide you to success.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

From your posts am I correct that your going to replace a rear main seal with the engine in the car? That's not impossible but is very difficult to accomplish. Also your chance of a leak free repair is just over 50% in my experience. Getting the old seal out, new seal in, oil pan sealed at the rear, it's all very difficult. If your removing the engine, dealing with the broken bolts becomes much easier. Please detail what your trying to accomplish and many folks on here can guide you to success.

Having been there, done this, at least twice on a Stratostreak Pontiac V8 in my lifetime, I'll echo Mike's advice that the likliehood of you getting the rear main to seal, leak free, in the car, is probably less than 50%.

You already have most of the work done to remove the engine, just keep going and put it on a engine stand, and do the rear main out of the car. There are a ton of people that have told their stories on PY, and removed the engine, and still had rear main seals leak with the engine out of the car. Inverted on a stand, in the best working conditions, and still had the seals leak. It's a delicate job to get one in with the crank out of the block, and have it seal, doing it upside down with oil dripping on you, with the crank in the block makes it almost impossible to get a leak free job.

At this point the seals are so old, that repacking the OEM seal with new ends is a futile task. It will likely leak worse than before. Using chinese fingers to pull a new top half in does not allow you to pack the upper half of the seal into the block properly either.

It may seem that you're saving time, but in all acctuality your making the job much harder. My advice is to pull the engine, put it on a stand, and work on it in much better conditions than under the car. You'll at least double your chances of success. I'm speaking from actual experience, not conjecture here. If your planning on using chinese fingers to pull the new seal in, abandon that idea, it won't work well in practice. I've spent a lot of time trying to do this job in chassis, only to have to do everything over again. Doing it twice really sucks, plus you'll end up spending more money/time doing it twice.

[getmygoat]

Well, maybe against the odds I was able to get the broken extractor out. Used a $14 dremmel bit as shown in pics. yay!

Now the question is how to proceed. Was wondering if I can use a 1/4 bit in the hole? Bolt is 3/8 so not a lot of extra room in case I'm off center. But I get the feeling the bigger the hole the better?

Don't have a file with detachable handle unfortunately or I would try that first.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and moral support ha ha!