How to remove a broken bolt

[TrollGRG]

I don't know anything about mechanics but...

If it broke when you were putting it in and now it is ceased solidly in place - why bother to get it out. Leave it as is - it's what you wanted in the first place. If it works its way loose then you can get it out at that time.

Or am I just stupid? (no don't bother to answer that one - my GF lets me know all the time)

[rt01]

remove head , take to machine shop, pull out credit card, reinstall head,done

[Big Daddy Badger]

Sounds like its time to get a better drill bit...drill that puppy out and put in a heli coil.
Otherwise...its time for the dremel and a heli coil.

By the side...I use tobasco sauce to get things unstuck...it eats rust like a fat kid on an a candy bar.

Works better than WD 40 or most of the others.

[Dr. Phil A]

you are already half way to a new head....

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Dr. Phil A

you are already half way to a new head....

Huh?

Will my hats still fit?

[Dr. Phil A]

Originally Posted by pesky672

Huh?

Will my hats still fit?

Engine head.... you know that big chunk of iron that holds the valves.....once the intake is off the heads are easier to access. If the OP was replacing the intake gaskets for the usual GM antifreeze leak he might as well replace the head gaskets because he will be headed (pardon the pun) in that direction in less than a month.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by deanmc

I looked at your picture and you are indeed in a pickle. Not sure what all you have access too but heres what I would do now.

You have a drill hole started off center now(bad). lol I would use a torch and very carefully heat the center of the broken stud enough to get the easy out red hot. Then let it cool completely, this should soften it enough that you can drill it.
Then find a really good quality drill bit that fits tightly into the hole above the broken stud. Drill it just enough to remove the off center hole that you have now.
Now you have a hole with a clean bottom that you can drill EXACTLY in the center of the stud again. If it did not come out with the easy out you likely overtightened it and damaged the threads in the block anyhow so go buy a heli coil kit(they have drill bits in them) and drill it out and install the heli coil.

Buy all new intake bolts and use a torque gauge this time.

This is pretty much it.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Dr. Phil A

Engine head.... you know that big chunk of iron that holds the valves.....

Yeah...
I just couldn't resist...

[rwm1273]

I assume the easy out was one of those square ones?

The best way to get it out is to drill small relief holes around it, and try to remove it with a small pin punch. Once the screw extractor is out, you can use a bigger screw extractor, and I would use the short spiral kind sold by Mac or Snap on.

I have had to remove many broken screw extractors in some unpleasant places on aircraft. Most times you can't weld anything to the bolt, so you need top try to relieve the hardened tool steel in the softer screw or bolt. As was mentioned before, you may have to tap the hole larger if the threads get damaged.

[super7mag]

Originally Posted by deanmc

I looked at your picture and you are indeed in a pickle. Not sure what all you have access too but heres what I would do now.

You have a drill hole started off center now(bad). lol I would use a torch and very carefully heat the center of the broken stud enough to get the easy out red hot. Then let it cool completely, this should soften it enough that you can drill it.
Then find a really good quality drill bit that fits tightly into the hole above the broken stud. Drill it just enough to remove the off center hole that you have now.
Now you have a hole with a clean bottom that you can drill EXACTLY in the center of the stud again. If it did not come out with the easy out you likely overtightened it and damaged the threads in the block anyhow so go buy a heli coil kit(they have drill bits in them) and drill it out and install the heli coil.

Buy all new intake bolts and use a torque gauge this time.

This is the proper approach, for sure the only thing I may add is to have a good magnet to catch all your filings. Or a broken bolt will be the least of your problems.

[omega50]

I can get at the bottom of the bolt (barely) and cut a slot in it with the dremel. I can get a screw driver in the slot, but can't get enough leverage to turn the bolt.

Any suggestions?

ARG[/QUOTE]

Impact driver and a hammer

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...87&cat=1,43456

[krthegunslinger]

If you have drilled out the side of the bolt and into the threads and then jammed an easy out in there you must get the easy out removed first. They will break with a good punch but I have never found anything that would drill them. Easyouts are hard tool steel. I've used small stone bits to to grind them down but they don't last long. I bought a 16 HP engine where they had an easy out broke off. When I finally got it out it was drilled out the side of the bolt and biting the threads. No wonder it didn't work for the previous owner. Good for me. Fresh overhaul 50$ to buy and 6 hours to fix.

[southernman]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

You're in Calgary , Call Arctec alloys and get yourself a sample pack of Unichrome 1/16. get them to demo it if possible. Weld the top of the bolt head and build it up slowly .The flux will flowinto the threads protecting them fro spatter. once you get it built up above the hole get a nut and weld that to the built up area. now let it cool for a minute then slowly turn the broken bolt out . The welding shrinks the bolt and it sill come out . If you cant get from Arctec ,call Eutectic ,they have a similar product called 9598. the tensile strength of these rods is near 120 000 psi.

This does work trust me.

Ditch donkey and jungleboy have it right.

I have removed many hundreds of broken bolts, drill bits, easyouts, etc in the last 25years as a heavy diesel mechanic and this is the best way.
Do not weld out with a normal rod as the weld is designed to flow out towards the threads, unicrome/romweld rods are designed to protect the threads and weld to center.
I no longer use easy out on bolts, only on broken fittings as too often they arnt up to the task,
Cobolt bits are the only way to go. expensive yep.
Always use antisieze on any bolt not requiring threadlock.


good luck.

[fish_e_o]

if you can get me the head it would take less than 20 minutes to get that out.

if you don't want to disassemble your engine

soak it in wd 40 or whatever you have.
use a carbide endmill 4 flute and plunge into it. it will wander less than a pointed drill bit and it will eat up the broken easy out like butter.

then use this type of easy out they're much stronger and you can just keep hitting it in with a hammer if it comes out


enjoy beer and admire a job well done!

[fish_e_o]

Originally Posted by southernman

Ditch donkey and jungleboy have it right.

I have removed many hundreds of broken bolts, drill bits, easyouts, etc in the last 25years as a heavy diesel mechanic and this is the best way.
Do not weld out with a normal rod as the weld is designed to flow out towards the threads, unicrome/romweld rods are designed to protect the threads and weld to center.
I no longer use easy out on bolts, only on broken fittings as too often they arnt up to the task,
Cobolt bits are the only way to go. expensive yep.
Always use antisieze on any bolt not requiring threadlock.


good luck.

haha i have 10 pounds of that crap and it is crap!

[KBF]

Best easy out I find is thekind from Snap On, they have a reverse spiral in them so the more you tighten down the harder they bite, if it strips out just go to the next size. My set goes all the way from 1/8 to 1". Once you use these you will never use any other kind, especially the spindly ones that brake all the time.Nice thing is with these they are very forgiving,if your drilled hole isnt straight or is offset, these situations the pound in style brake cuz you cant turn it out square. Down side of the Snap on is doesnt allow for very deep applications.Set was about $90.Havent failed yet.

[Wile E.]

Left hand drill, then use a "drill out power extractor".

[Reeves1]

http://www.airflowresearch.com/chevy_dyno.php

[wolf308]

ninja kick

[deanmc]

Originally Posted by fish_e_o

haha i have 10 pounds of that crap and it is crap!

Unichrome? If it Doesnt do exactly as they say it does its you who needs practice. It is as good as they say it is.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

I don't have any suggestions, but I'd sure like to know what works for you when you get it out. Good luck.

Well it took a while, but the winner is drilling it out; mostly because my welding skills suck!

Drilling through that easy out was a challenge. It took two people -- one hand holding the drill plumb N/S one holding the drill plumb E/W one hand operating the trigger and one hand heaving on the lever that provided the necessary downward force to make a dent in that hardened steel.

Hopefully it will be a long time before I do anything that stupid again

ARG

[Tyangelo]

As a machinist, I guarantee that's how a machine shop would have approached it. Also, carbide nowadays isn't near as brittle as people think it is. Coating only helps prolong wear, it has nothing to do with the properties of the carbide itself. In the future, try running a ballnose endmill into it, and then following it with the appropriate tap drill size, and then tapping a left handed thread into it. A little more work, but bombproof as hell.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by rt01

remove head , take to machine shop, pull out credit card, reinstall head,done

X2.

A machine shop could fix the problem in about 15 minutes.

[TRAPPER92]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

You're in Calgary , Call Arctec alloys and get yourself a sample pack of Unichrome 1/16. get them to demo it if possible. Weld the top of the bolt head and build it up slowly .The flux will flowinto the threads protecting them fro spatter. once you get it built up above the hole get a nut and weld that to the built up area. now let it cool for a minute then slowly turn the broken bolt out . The welding shrinks the bolt and it sill come out . If you cant get from Arctec ,call Eutectic ,they have a similar product called 9598. the tensile strength of these rods is near 120 000 psi.

This does work trust me.

Done this many times! The worst part about getting a job like this is when the customer tried to do it himself first! Makes the job twice as hard!

[TRAPPER92]

Originally Posted by fish_e_o

haha i have 10 pounds of that crap and it is crap!

If you have ten pounds of that "crap" I'll be happy to take it off your hands!

[Mekanik]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

Well it took a while, but the winner is drilling it out; mostly because my welding skills suck!

Drilling through that easy out was a challenge. It took two people -- one hand holding the drill plumb N/S one holding the drill plumb E/W one hand operating the trigger and one hand heaving on the lever that provided the necessary downward force to make a dent in that hardened steel.

Hopefully it will be a long time before I do anything that stupid again

ARG

Glad it worked out for you man! People seem to have missed the point of it being fixed LoL

[Redfrog]

I knew you'd get it. Congratulations and thanks for the update.

[Tactical Lever]

Good for you; I was going to tell you to forget drilling.... I know from experience that it's a real challenge getting a straight hole and unbroken bits.

Did that trip recently, and was making a royal mess with the drill. Switched to a chainsaw sharpening stone and a dremel, which still was a pain but managed to work through it.

[petew]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

I broke a bolt while torquing down the intake manifold on my GMC Safari. I said "gosh darn, that is not good!" or words to that effect

Drilled into the bolt and tapped in an easy out and it broke off in the bolt when I tried to turn it! 2X I tried drilling the easy out, but I'm not making a dent in it.

I can get at the bottom of the bolt (barely) and cut a slot in it with the dremel. I can get a screw driver in the slot, but can't get enough leverage to turn the bolt.
Any suggestions?

ARG

If you can ge a dremmel in there you can get a stinger in there too. Weld a black nut on this side, not a plated nut, let it cool and back out the broken stud. Put the weld on the inside of the nut and fill it up. If it twists off do it again.
Pete

[couleefolk]

we have had a few situations like this at work. we find that a carbide bit in the die grinder with a steady hand helps get the hole in center of the bolt. then its hard to beat the left handed bits that were mentioned, they usually help turn the bolt out once you start drilling, but if that fails the squared easy outs and a little heat solve the problem. hardly ever have to put helicoils in. the welding idea is asking for more trouble. at least you created your own problems, we usually have to fix something someone else screwed up.