you could have masked the foam from heat with wet towels, wrapped completely around. 2. You don't say how the rod is attached on the other end. I assume it's also screwed in the end. The phillips-head screw looks a little light-duty to me, but this might work forever, depending on how rough the broken surface is. If you still have it out, I suggest welding it. Take it to a shop that does more sophisticated welding than a muffler shop.
