Okay...so my brother and I tried to use an "E-Z-Out" (Bolt extractor) on what would hold the harmonic balancer onto the crank in his '64 Impala. So we drilled a hole...yadda yadda and then we went to use the extractor and guess what, the fucking extractor broke. So now it is stuck in the crank and we cant get it out, so being impatient we attempted to drill that out too. So we decide to go and buy another extractor and guess what, it breaks off in the crank too. Now we are at a loss and both quite frustrated. There is room to make another hole and try another, hopefully stronger extractor, or...?? We could just use increasingly larger drill bits and drill out the entire bolt...but then we'd ruin the threads, and, is it possible to re-tap threads in the inside of a crank like that? What shall I do? Thanks in advance...this whole shenanigan is quite upsetting. Yes I used the word shenanigan.
Drill the bolt out to as close as you can get to the threads without hitting them. Then heat the inside of the hole with a butane torch (not a cutting torch) and then spray it good with penetrating oil,the oil will cool the bolt and make it contract and allow the threads to get some oil on them. Those ez outs are a bitch to get out when they break off.
Drill it with a left handed drill bit. The heat and vibration from drilling will probably loosen the bolt/extractor up, and it will back out all by itself. Just be careful, slow and steady, so you don't break off the drill bit!
Chopolds, by drilling "it" do you mean that the extractor will come out, or what is left of the actual balancer bolt?
[ QUOTE ] Drill the bolt out to as close as you can get to the threads without hitting them. Then heat the inside of the hole with a butane torch (not a cutting torch) and then spray it good with penetrating oil,the oil will cool the bolt and make it contract and allow the threads to get some oil on them. Those ez outs are a bitch to get out when they break off. [/ QUOTE ] Excellent advice, but I think we may have managed to hurt the threads already. Also, I dont have have a torch or know how to use one. So I guess the question again is are you able to re-tap the threads inside the crank?
This is NOT a good place for a heli-coil, JB Weld, or duct tape. I'd make damned sure I could trust it before I fired that thing up again.
I NEVER use extractors they always break. And they are near impossible to drill because they are hardened steel. I hate them. I have removed them by drilling hammering and just about any other means I can think of, but its usually a mess after that. Sorry to hear
Thanks for all of the advice (and the condolences, satinblack)... I'm getting more and more frustrated sitting here at my desk just thinking about it... grrrrrr... Maybe the motor needs to pulled anyway... *sigh* *sigh* *sigh* That'll be a learning experience in itself! Well, please feel free to offer any more advice... we'll be beating on it and pulling out all the stops in the meantime...
Longroof, can you get a camera in there to take a picture of how badly you may have messed up the threads already? Would it be ok for them to drill/tap another hole? Would it need to be too precise of a hole than someone could do with a hand drill? You didn't dig my welding idea? If you can get your hands on a 110 V machine or have access to 220 we could weld a nut onto what's left and possibly turn it out.
If the threads are already messed up, it isn't that bad YET... but hey, give us more time, I'm sure we can REALLY fuck 'em up good! I've been pondering the welding idea, the problem there is that the bolt broke off pretty deep inside the hole, so I don't think we'd be able to get a nut and the welder in there and not accidentally weld the damn nut onto the crank itself... plus where it broke down was close to my Dad's apartment, thus leaving us in a place with NO 220 plug... were it in my carport, different story... *SIGH*
[ QUOTE ] Is it possible to re-tap the threads inside the crank? Someone has to know the answer...!! [/ QUOTE ] Sure it is. Drill the sumbitch out and tap it over size if you need too. I'm going to let you in on a little secret here. On some early Chevy engines without a hole in the crank at all, I've tack welded the balancer onto the crank if it fit too loose.
I guess I'm not picturing it correctly, but I would imagine that if the balancer was not on in the precise spot, wouldn't it be out of balance? I have SOME taps, but probably not big enough for what you guy's will need, let me know, though.
The Jalopy Journal
