I feel like a BIG idiot (Broken bolt removal)

I volunteered to work on my Dad's OT car replacing the thermostat. One of the bolts that holds the thermostat and radiator hose neck to the intake manifold broke off flush with the aluminum!

I managed to drill the bolt and insert a piece of **** extractor but that broke off as well!

I picked up some cobalt drill bits to try and drill it out but they couldn't get very far.

Any suggestion on how to get the bolt out?

 

Lay a flat washer over the broken bolt....mig weld the washer to broken bolt...weld a nut to the flat washer...go easy turning back and forth...it should come out

 

Got a mig welder handy?????

Drop a nut over the broken bolt, and weld it to it, filling the bore in the bolt fully..........Rock it back and forth GENTLY, whilst warm, and judge from there, of the force you need to remove it.

 

I do got a MIG handy but I am afraid of frying the electrical stuff like the ECU.

 

disconnct the Battery. I've never had a problem...or am I stupid and running on borrowed luck?

 

Disconnect the battery before welding and use plenty of penetrant spray on the bolt after.

 

Disconnect the battery and you be fine.

 

Didnt mean to be the last of three saying the same thing in the same minute. :0

 

Somtimes it's easier to weld a big *** washer first then the bolt from that. But you'll get it, the heat from the weld also helps break it loose. Oh yeah, and you are not an idiot. It happens to even Einsteins.

Tim

 

Should be ok as long as you unhook the battery.

 

doncha hate it when that happens?

 

Apply some of the magic mixture: 50% acetone 50% ****** fluid to the bolt after you weld to it.
This magic mixture will penetrate better and faster than anything else on hte market today.

 

Oh, Don't feel like an idiot. We used to say you only know what you broke!

 

Please heed the warning to use penetrant spray AFTER welding- had a good friend over heat some penetrant, which then turned into a gas about 10X more lethal than cyanide (that's what the ER said)!

 

In a forty year career I have never known a mechanic that didn't break a bolt off in an imposable spot to get out, we can't all be idiots. altough you feel that way when you hear it snap, do what they said^^^^.

 

Try heating the extractor to dull red and let it cool slowly.This may soften it so you can drill it.If you weld to a extractor and bust that off you will never drill whats left!

 

The dead chunk of extractor could be the 'new' problem...as Rusty said, try to heat the broken piece to a dull red color and do what you can to get it out first. From there you might need/want to just continue with increasingly larger drill bits until most of the bolt is gone and then try a left hand tap.


.

 

let the old man work on it

 

I had that same thing happen on my water pump. broken extracor and all. I couldn't seem to get it with the welder so I ended up getting a solid carbide straight flute drill bit for like 13$ from the shop I worked at. yhat bit was like magic. managed to get the bolt then retap and not ruib the threads. I think it was my lack of skill that kept the weld method from working properly. I hate extractors

 

If its not too tight you might try some left handed drill bits. A buddy of mine usually has good results with them, I have yet to invest in any myself. Might be worth a try before welding on it. Probably won't help in this situation but as dabirdguy said, 50% Acetone 50% ATF is some of the best penetrant you can use, and cheap!

 

The best way to get it out since you broke off the extractor is to get a carbide drill. They are a littlt pricey but they cut thru hard steel.Drill the Extractor out. then Make sure your drill hole is centered and drill the hole in the bolt as large as possible and use a good extractor ( EZ Out) or drill the hole to the size of the internal thread and the reats of the threads should just fall out. Its a Pain in the as@!

 

hahahahaha!!!1

 

I think I will try the carbide bit deal before I burn the car down with my welder anyone got a picture or link to the type of bit I should buy?

The bolt stuck in there is a 5/16" what size bit should I get?

Oh and I forgot to say Thank you guys for your help I was really stressed and didn't know what to do.

 

Dude, you can weld a washer and a nut on it before you can drive to town to HUNT for a carbide bit! It WORKS! Nobody's pullin' yer leg, and you won't burn your car to the ground

 

if you do decide to weld just make sure your ground clamp is next to what your welding, clamp it right onto the motor next to the broken bolt, disconecting the battery will not protect the ECU or any other electrical part, as oters have said its best to start with a washer, and then a nut, or i use a piece of flat bar with a hole at one end, about 10" long then i have a built in handle, i use 1/8"X3/4" flat bar, i drill a hole just one size smaller then the bolt, DIA.

 

I used the weld/washer/nut method over the holidays to remove a broken extractor and bolt from a Chevy 6 block. It was one of the larger oil pan bolts. I didn't break it off nor did I break off the extractor. I had no idea the extractor was even in there. It took 4 attempts but everything came out in the end. The extractor came out on try number 3 and the bolt on number 4. I also melted candle wax after the welding was done to try and get some extra penetration inside the threads. Like everyone has said, wiggle it back and forth until you feel like it's starting to move. Good luck!

 

left hand drill bit on a 18V hammer drill might work

 

True, but it is in a tight place and welding on a washer and then a nut isn't exactly easy. And if the welds fail I will have an even harder piece of metal in there that would be seemingly impossible to drill out.

 

Man you're getting some good advice here. Don't feel like an idiot, feel like someone who is about to acquire some knowledge. I used to work for a guy that would look at mistakes I'd make and say "looks like you got yourself another fu*%ing learning experience". He was always right but I still hated hearing him say it because I knew that it was true.

 

heres the thing, if you do a washer or a piece of flat bar trick, if the weld fails there is a good chance the weld will remain on the bolt and tear clear of the washer or flat bar, it usely for me anyway makes it easier the next time you weld onto the bolt, the area of weld on the bolt will be greater then the area of weld on the washer.