Tips to remove broken screw extractor (1 Viewer)

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Jun 1, 2011
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So I sheered a bolt off in the frame flush with the inner part. Drilled it out and then snapped the screw extractor in the bolt. Tried to drill out the extractor with a cobalt bit but it's barely made a dent. Anyone have any tips for getting these SOBs out?

Pic of before I broke the screw extractor off in it.

Om3x6fQ.jpg


Life pro tips I learned this weekend:

Don't reuse old rusty bolts
Don't use Harbor Freight screw extractors.
 
Try using a tiny drill bit to make a pilot hole, and that creates some heat..... so go slow. Otherwise you'll just keep breaking things off. Once you have a tiny hole, you can drill one step larger and eventually you can pick the pieces out. Or, drill the first pilot hole and then a LEFT handed drill bit one size larger than your pilot hole, at may grab the whole piece and back it out .

I never have any luck with extractors/EZouts.

Remember that when using the tiny drill bit, to secure it deep in the drill head, otherwise it will break off right away.
 
Hold a new steel nut onto the frame with a magnet. Weld the nut to the remaining stud. Then extract with a socket/ breaker bar as per usual. I've done this many times, and welding is the best bet. It takes a while (sometimes a few welds), but it works!
 
Is this the bolt that holds the swaybar mount to the frame? I sheared that off on one side too, tried the EZ-Out, and ultimately just welded the mount to the frame.
 
It's the bolt right behind the DS front tire that holds the TJM skid plate on.

(Not my truck, but good picture of the bolt)
image-4185591452-jpg.805739
 
If it's suspect it's rusted in place you may consider heat to break the bond formed before the next easy-out attempt.
 
They will last a long time if you take care of them. I have seen them drill through extractors, broken taps, and hardened still locks. They drill through mild steel like butter
 
I heat them red hot with an oxy acetylene torch and then cut off the acetylene and burn them out with the oxygen. It takes longer to get the torch out than to burn the EZ out out.

A carbide or diamond burr with cut them too.
 
I've had success with what Pin_Head suggests. Care must be exercised to avoid collateral damage, but the same is true of any technique at this point. The tricky bit is to get the bolt out without damaging what its threaded into. Also, to build on what CanadianRockyCruiser and traveldud have to say, if you have access to a mig and a steady hand, you can carefully build up material onto the broken bolt one zap at a time, patience will be key here, you are looking for a column of new metal the same diameter as broken fastener without fusing to anything around it, and without getting things so hot they get droopy. By the time you get a stack of material you can weld a nut too, or get a good solid grab onto with a vice grip that stubborn fastener should have gotten nice and hot, probably cherry, helping to break things loose. Good luck.
 
If none of the previous ideas work, all are good but still may not work in your situation, drill out the area with a hole saw about the size of a 50 cent piece (drill the center slightly off to the side of the broken nut to avoid the hard metal). Prepare a repair piece of metal with a new nut welded in the proper orientation and weld into the drilled out area. I have found that sometimes it is easier to side step the problem and replace the damaged area.
 
Hold a new steel nut onto the frame with a magnet. Weld the nut to the remaining stud. Then extract with a socket/ breaker bar as per usual. I've done this many times, and welding is the best bet. It takes a while (sometimes a few welds), but it works!
Cool YouTube video out there showing how to do this

I have the same issue. Broke off a Snap On extractor in a rusted in bolt. Now can't drill the thing out
 

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