Rusty bolt removal (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter kkt
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Dale Sr
You Rock!!! I've not laughed that hard in a while. I've always wanted to put a bumper sticker on my truck like,"#3 He's dead get over it" or "Drive like an a******, Die like an a******". Problem is I'd get run off the road and shot!
good to see someone with a good sense of humor!
You Rock!!! I've not laughed that hard in a while. I've always wanted to put a bumper sticker on my truck like,"#3 He's dead get over it" or "Drive like an a******, Die like an a******". Problem is I'd get run off the road and shot!
good to see someone with a good sense of humor!
I usually soak in PB blaster for 3 days or more before attempting removal. And the hammer tapping trick as mentioned.
If it's a stud, I have used the chuck from an electric drill on the bolt body (tightened down as much as humanly possible and then some). Also works with busted off bolt heads if you have access to the back side.
Also do your self a favor and buy a nice set of metric taps and dies for chasing threads. Then you don't have to go through this scenario again.
If it's a stud, I have used the chuck from an electric drill on the bolt body (tightened down as much as humanly possible and then some). Also works with busted off bolt heads if you have access to the back side.
Also do your self a favor and buy a nice set of metric taps and dies for chasing threads. Then you don't have to go through this scenario again.
KKT seeing as how you asked which easy outs work best, I'll put in my 0.02. Reverse drill bits are good, but the best easy out kit I have seen is from Snap-On and Mac. I think Hansen sells them too. They fit in a 9/16" socket. The closest thing to a P/N on it is 10SE (Mac), Mac calls it a 'Screw Extactor Set'. I paid $40 for the 10 piece one from Mac about 8 years ago which I think is quite reasonable, and I think they work well. You can get more pressure on the head of a ratchet than a tap handle. Before you snap the head off, hand held impact drivers work well too. Sorry the camera isn't working otherwise I'd post a pic.
Snap on makes a kick ass set of screw extractors. Little spendy but worth while.
Impact hammer solution.
After tearing two 40's down to the bare frame I have found a novel approach to backing out a stubborn bolt. I cut off the end of one of the bits for my air hammer so that I have a straight shaft about 3/8 diameter. When a bolt seems seized I apply penetrant, let soak, and then apply pressure with a wrench while I pull the trigger on the air hammer with the shaft on the head of the stubborn bolt. The vibration almost always allows me to back out the stubborn bolt without breaking it off. It uglies up the bolt head but that's a small price to pay. I just used the technique a couple weeks ago on a seized water pump bolt and it worked like a charm. It's always good to run a tap (bottom tap if you can find one) into the block to clean out the threads and then use anti-seize during reassembly.
After tearing two 40's down to the bare frame I have found a novel approach to backing out a stubborn bolt. I cut off the end of one of the bits for my air hammer so that I have a straight shaft about 3/8 diameter. When a bolt seems seized I apply penetrant, let soak, and then apply pressure with a wrench while I pull the trigger on the air hammer with the shaft on the head of the stubborn bolt. The vibration almost always allows me to back out the stubborn bolt without breaking it off. It uglies up the bolt head but that's a small price to pay. I just used the technique a couple weeks ago on a seized water pump bolt and it worked like a charm. It's always good to run a tap (bottom tap if you can find one) into the block to clean out the threads and then use anti-seize during reassembly.
Depends on size of bolt... Best tip is last paragraphs.
...larger bolts w protruding head or neck like being welded to and extracted. I weld a nut or junk bolt to it and turn it out. Make sure you weld in short quick snaps or you may fuse the bolt to everything else. Ground to the bolt, NOT the thing the bolt is in.
PB blaster is awesome stuff. Use it followed by a heat soak followed by more PB blaster each day for several days.
If the bolt is straight up and down, I have used plumbers acid over 2 -6 hours, making a surrounding trough of Vaseline. Then I wipe it all away, hit with PB blaster and heat and have at it.
On large or mid size bolts I use a Dremmel tool to grind a straight line across the top that is at least 2-3 mm deep. I make sure the walls of the groove (on profile) are angled towards each other so they grip the screwdriver rather than allowing it to slip out. Then I use a tempered expensive sears craftsman type screw driver w/ a vice grips on the side to twist it out (after hitting w/ lots of PB blaster). This simple tip save me 2-3 times per year! If you break the screw driver so what, its a craftsman w/money back!
Vibrations from hammers can't be stressed enough as a way to break rust.
Best,
T
...larger bolts w protruding head or neck like being welded to and extracted. I weld a nut or junk bolt to it and turn it out. Make sure you weld in short quick snaps or you may fuse the bolt to everything else. Ground to the bolt, NOT the thing the bolt is in.
PB blaster is awesome stuff. Use it followed by a heat soak followed by more PB blaster each day for several days.
If the bolt is straight up and down, I have used plumbers acid over 2 -6 hours, making a surrounding trough of Vaseline. Then I wipe it all away, hit with PB blaster and heat and have at it.
On large or mid size bolts I use a Dremmel tool to grind a straight line across the top that is at least 2-3 mm deep. I make sure the walls of the groove (on profile) are angled towards each other so they grip the screwdriver rather than allowing it to slip out. Then I use a tempered expensive sears craftsman type screw driver w/ a vice grips on the side to twist it out (after hitting w/ lots of PB blaster). This simple tip save me 2-3 times per year! If you break the screw driver so what, its a craftsman w/money back!
Vibrations from hammers can't be stressed enough as a way to break rust.
Best,
T
Rusted Bolts
Kroil is king! This stuff works miracles!. Be patient! You may also want to hit the bolt on the head a couple of times after soaking. the small movement will allow the penetrant to get into the spaces more easily. Never had to use anything else using this technique.
Gary
Kroil is king! This stuff works miracles!. Be patient! You may also want to hit the bolt on the head a couple of times after soaking. the small movement will allow the penetrant to get into the spaces more easily. Never had to use anything else using this technique.
Gary
If the bolt is busticated in a blind hole, then welding on them gets them out. I prefer TIG welding because you can control the weld better, but any kind of welding gets them out. The reason is because the bolt shrinks when it cools.
X100 on step away from the EZ outs.
X100 on step away from the EZ outs.
John McVicker
SILVER Star
Tools that can really help :
1) 6 point wrench/socket as opposed to 12 point.
2) breaker bar as opposed to just a rachet.
3) long drifts to pinpoint the hammer blow & to reach those in hard to reach areas.
4) Vice Grips
5) square shafted screwdriver as opposed to normal round shaft. Put the Vice Grip or wrench on it to increase torque.
John
1) 6 point wrench/socket as opposed to 12 point.
2) breaker bar as opposed to just a rachet.
3) long drifts to pinpoint the hammer blow & to reach those in hard to reach areas.
4) Vice Grips
5) square shafted screwdriver as opposed to normal round shaft. Put the Vice Grip or wrench on it to increase torque.
John
stuck screws
Many good tips above. In addition clean all paint off around the head and clean the threads if you can get to the threads and it is stripping try turning it from the back side with vice grips. breaking the paint can make a big difference
applying slow turning torque makes it more likely to snap than vibration or an impact wrench
A johnson bar works great if another screw hole is nearby
sometimes if it is not too stuck using a chisel to cut straight in a little then angle it to rotate the bolt will sometimes do the trick
My personal favorite is the left hand drill bit though
Many good tips above. In addition clean all paint off around the head and clean the threads if you can get to the threads and it is stripping try turning it from the back side with vice grips. breaking the paint can make a big difference
applying slow turning torque makes it more likely to snap than vibration or an impact wrench
A johnson bar works great if another screw hole is nearby
sometimes if it is not too stuck using a chisel to cut straight in a little then angle it to rotate the bolt will sometimes do the trick
My personal favorite is the left hand drill bit though
Coolerman
SILVER Star
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I use a coarse wire wheel to strip off all rust and paint, heat it if possible with a Mapp gas torch (Oxy/Acet is MUCH better) let it cool, give it a shot of PB Blaster, THEN try to get it loose with either an impact gun set on a low setting, to just bang the crap out of it without actually breaking it off, or this thing that I built from parts laying around. It is great for small bolts and especially Phillips screws. Set air pressure low, attach your bit of choice, grab the handle, push hard, pull the trigger, let if vibrate for several seconds to break the rust bond, then start turning the handle while still pulling the trigger. Works really well on windshield screws!
You will develop a 6th sense about whether or not a bolt can be gotten loose.
You will develop a 6th sense about whether or not a bolt can be gotten loose.
I've used left-handed drill bits and simply managed to drill it through. I could never get it to catch to extract. Am I missing something?
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Yeah, you're missing the part where just as the bit breaks through, it catches, binds and snaps off the drill bit in the frozen bolt....
But seriously, ever since I got an oxy-actelyne outfit and get things good and hot... soaking with pb blaster (gotta try this kroil) as it cools, breakage is at a minimum these days. Switching from propane to mapp gas is a good alternative too. When you do get one snapped off, my favorite method is welding a flat washer to the stud, which is pretty easy access for welding, then weld a nut or short bolt to that. Now you've heated it twice and it's much easier than welding a nut on.
But seriously, ever since I got an oxy-actelyne outfit and get things good and hot... soaking with pb blaster (gotta try this kroil) as it cools, breakage is at a minimum these days. Switching from propane to mapp gas is a good alternative too. When you do get one snapped off, my favorite method is welding a flat washer to the stud, which is pretty easy access for welding, then weld a nut or short bolt to that. Now you've heated it twice and it's much easier than welding a nut on.
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rusty bolts
Heres one I found out by accident. Working on hinge removel on my lower rear doors, I was ready to grind the head off and drill. This was after all other efforts where exhausted. I took my 4" angle grinder with a super thin metal cutting blade and cut a slot in the head of the bolt. This now allowed me to use a large screwdriver or hammer
screw driver removal tool I have. The heat generated from grinding the slot in the head was enough to heat up the threads and I saved from having to drill and tap. It worked on 9 of 12 bolts! The bolts were original phillips drive and you know what little it takes to strip the drive on a rusty old bolt.
Heres one I found out by accident. Working on hinge removel on my lower rear doors, I was ready to grind the head off and drill. This was after all other efforts where exhausted. I took my 4" angle grinder with a super thin metal cutting blade and cut a slot in the head of the bolt. This now allowed me to use a large screwdriver or hammer
screw driver removal tool I have. The heat generated from grinding the slot in the head was enough to heat up the threads and I saved from having to drill and tap. It worked on 9 of 12 bolts! The bolts were original phillips drive and you know what little it takes to strip the drive on a rusty old bolt.
heat the area with a torch then get a old candle and let it melt on the top side, the wax will run down into the threads while the metal is hot and expanded and get into all the tight places, kinda messy, but when your in a bind it works, an old caterpillar mech. showed me this trick
Hello...you need to contact one of the major tool companies ASAP and get patented or in production before I do
I've read about using this method to get out frozen fastners for years and never tried it. I finally tried it about a month ago, and it worked like a charm!
Many other great ideas above as well, and then [as mentioned] use antisieze - messy stuff, but worth it.
