The heads snapped off my transmission crossmember bolts

[MyExplorer03v8Lim]

so there are 4 bolts that go in vertically. Two left and two right. All four snapped off. The four horizontal bolts are intact.

I'm going to try drilling them out but I need a little info.

Are they threaded into the frame rails, or is there a nut up there? Does anyone have the spec for these bolts, or a part number so I can see what's going on up there? Its so rusted I can't tell what going on with them. Thanks!

If the frame rails are threaded I'll try to preserve the threads. If it's a nut it'll change my plan of attack and I'll probably start getting fancy with magnets and wire.

 

[imp]

so there are 4 bolts that go in vertically. Two left and two right. All four snapped off. The four horizontal bolts are intact.

I'm going to try drilling them out but I need a little info.

Are they threaded into the frame rails, or is there a nut up there? Does anyone have the spec for these bolts, or a part number so I can see what's going on up there? Its so rusted I can't tell what going on with them. Thanks!

If the frame rails are threaded I'll try to preserve the threads. If it's a nut it'll change my plan of attack and I'll probably start getting fancy with magnets and wire.

@MyExplorer03v8
Venturing a guess out in left field, the level of strength needed there prevents using simple threads in the frame rail itself; it's too thin. In the past, I've seen Ford use captive nuts, held in place by a funky spring clip, which slips over the O.D. of the clearance hole in the frame. Or, nuts peened in place, or even welded. Big question is, if nuts firmly welded in place, are they at all accessible (if within frame)? If not, is access good enough to drill out the broken off bolt shanks? Sounds like the vertical ones, probably accessible. Judging by the size of the bolt heads on mine (haven't tried getting one out yet!), they are about 12mm bolt diameter, right around our good old 1/2" size (12mm about 0.470"). If threads are so rusted and frozen that heads broke off, very unlikely a small-size drill-through, say, 5/16" and use of an EZ-Out extractor will dislodge the threaded shell left after drilling. Whatever the bolt diameter, use a drill about 1/8" to 3/16" smaller than the bolt shank diameter. Might get them out, then "chase" the original nut's threads using the appropriate tap. This method of broken bolt removal depends on starting the hole as close to CENTER of the bolt shank as possible, meaning get a good start with a sharp prick punch mark, and use a small, maybe 3/32" drill bit to start. Check the bolt heads; they are probably marked "10.9", metric terminology for high-strength, which is equivalent to our Grade 8 bolts, about 150,000 psi tensile strength. Drilling them will not a piece of cake. If 8.8, softer, equal to Grade 5, more easily drillable.

Are you certain you were not applying torque to those bolts in the tightening direction? imp