Screw extractor broke in side bolt (1 Viewer)

[masonbarnard]

pain. in. the. ass.

replacing my lower thermostat housing gasket, left side bolt came
Off no problem. Right side bolt snapped flush with the head.

Screamed and drowned in my sorrows before Removing everything in the way. (radiator, fan, belts, etc) Got the extractor perfectly centered and very snug on the bolt, Then it snapped flush inside the bolt after very much effort to rotate. The Bolt did Not budge.
It should of worked. Now I have a broken siezed Bolt with an extractor stuck in it.

What are my options?

Can i drill it all out. Essentially boring it to a new, slightly larger hole? then thread that and use appropriate bolt.

- what drill bits are strong enough to go through an extractor. Mine wouldn't even make a dent in it?

 

[cruiserpilot]

Post a pic. But an idea is to take a steel nut and lay it over the top of the sheared bolt. Then weld straight down
over top and weld the nut to the broken bolt. The heat generated should break the threads free and you should be
able to turn the bolt out with the nut.

 

[masonbarnard]

Post a pic. But an idea is to take a steel nut and lay it over the top of the sheared bolt. Then weld straight down
over top and weld the nut to the broken bolt. The heat generated should break the threads free and you should be
able to turn the bolt out with the nut

The only reason I haven't done this is because i don't know how to weld nor do I have access to it. I'll show a pic tomorrow. I have a friend that welds but he's busy a lot and across the city.

Is boring out the hole to a new size then threading it a horrible idea?

 

[Spike Strip]

I would heat it and kroil it a few times then:

Walton Tools 10374 - 3/8" (9/10Mm) 4-Flute Tap Extractor - Threading Tap Extractors - Amazon.com

 

[45Kevin]

I had the same problem this summer.
IIRC I used a MAPP gas torch to heat it and used a punch to get it turning.
And lots of good penetrating fluid. I use a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone.

 

[3_puppies]

you will not drill out the extractor. did you drill all the way thru the bolt? if you did, remove housing and punch out from below. last 1 I had issues with, I ended up breaking the housing at the block as I was getting frustrated and got alittle over zealous with the hammer.
I've got spares so replacement was easy for me.
other option is to get another lower housing and replace. use antiseize on bolts or use studs and nuts versus bolts.

 

[Elbert]

yes ...I had a close encounter with a broken extractor......the extractor won, near impossible to drill out given the hardness of the metal and the inability to keep whatever drill bit/drill centered on what is left of the extractor. I would look for replacement parts.

welding a nut to whats left might work (i'm no expert) along with heat. But as noted ....its almost mission impossible dealing with a broken extractor unless you can remove the assembly in question and potentially work on it in a controlled environment.

Far easier and less painful to get a good used replacement part if available.

I guess pictures will be a good guide too, once posted.

 

[4Cruisers]

yes ...I had a close encounter with a broken extractor......the extractor won, near impossible to drill out given the hardness of the metal and the inability to keep whatever drill bit/drill centered on what is left of the extractor. I would look for replacement parts.

welding a nut to whats left might work (i'm no expert) along with heat. But as noted ....its almost mission impossible dealing with a broken extractor unless you can remove the assembly in question and potentially work on it in a controlled environment.

Far easier and less painful to get a good used replacement part if available.

I guess pictures will be a good guide too, once posted.

A photo would help - the way I read the situation is that the bolt (and now extractor) is broken off inside the cylinder head.

 

[masonbarnard]

A photo would help - the way I read the situation is that the bolt (and now extractor) is broken off inside the cylinder head.

yup

 

[cruiserpilot]

Take a pic to your welder friend. It is only a few seconds with the welder. IF you can remove the extractor and save the hole, then yes, something called a helicoil is possible and you may even be able to restore to same size. But if you don't want to spend the money then you could drill the hole out and re-tap to larger size.

 

[DirtRoads]

Weld on nut is a good option depending on the location. Using a punch and a hammer to rotate the bolt could also work, chance of success is relatively low since it broke off flush. You could try to grind a notch in it with a dremmel first, but I wouldn't spend much time.

Otherwise your only other option is to drill it as best as you can to an oversized dimension and install a heli coil to get it back to the correct size. Drilling the extractor itself is going to be tough, if not impossible. I would soak it in penetrating oil for a few days beforehand. You could try to drill on it with a left hand drill bit, sometimes they catch and remove the bolt by themselves. Either way, a heli coil is a good repair once you get the old junk out of the way.

I'd be tempted to take my chances with one mounting bolt

 

[45Kevin]

Here is a pic of what you had... and then the extractor broke flush with the block. Same situation as most of us here I expect.

The large flutes on the extractor make good spots to tap with a thin punch. A finish nail punch works good or a flat punch with a good sharp corner.

If you tap it clockwise, there is a very good chance that the broken extractor will come out.

 

[Mace]

I hate EZ outs..

 

[doug720]

I would bet that somewhere around Chicago is a company that does tap removal. They use a machine called an EDM, that electronically melts the broken bit out.

Look for a company name similar to: Tap-Ex, etc, Also Google broken drill bit and tap removal, etc. If you can't find a company, another option is call a couple of machine shops near you and ask them who they use for tap removal

The company I use here in Los Angeles charges around $35 for the first hole.

Just another option.

 

[3_puppies]

my mistake I was thinking it was the bolt broken in the lower housing, not broken in the block.

 

[Mace]

May actually be easier to pull the head lol

 

[masonbarnard]

JUST FIXED IT. mostly. could be better. but thank god. 6 hours of work, two extractors, 3 drill bits later and 5 anger management therapy sessions later.

long story short: first extractor broke. got the first one out with a drill and chisel, tried again with a bigger one, and that one broke also. Although the 2nd one was easier to get out.

Due to the excess of aggressive drilling the edges of the hole aren't pretty (drill bit hitting edges of hole) The threads also don't go all the way around in one section where the drill got a little to deep. So my questions are.

Should i.
1) make a bigger tap in order to reach the sections the smaller one couldn't. Is it bad to make a bigger thread over one thats already made...
2) buy a stud bolt instead, because i feel like i could get it tighter this way when installing.
3) If i did install a stud, would it be bad to coat it in JB weld before screwing into the head...... (that way it would address the area where there is no thread contact, as well as being able to make the outside of the hole a little cleaner.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

How about none of the above? haha.

Get a heli-coil, Time-sert or whatever flavor you prefer and follow the kit instructions. Thread repair tools exist, but they won't recreate thread that has been drilled out.

 

[masonbarnard]

Yeah none of the above happened. There's a time sert in there now, it pops out a tiny bit but im going to grind it down, or bore bolt hole on the housing to accommodate JT