Thread: Need Help Snapped off bolt

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Anyone have any ideas on how to remove snapped off bolt ...with a ez out snapped off as well inside bolt. I've tried several types of drill bits nothing even makes a dent in the ez out.. Looking for any suggestions or tips

Only thing that may drill the easy out might be Carbide bit expensive .

you are not going to drill out the ez out with just a drill.if a big bolt drill a long the side of the ez out .do this on both side of the ez out. now take a punch and try to loosen the ez out if this will not move it drill some more and drill deeper till it bust out. when you get it out center up on the bolt and drill thru the end of the bolt. go to the biggest ez out you can .if it can be put on a mill sometimes you can cut the junk out with a carbide ball mill they work better then a drill or find a tap blaster cut it out. it will burn up alot of time and will eat up ball mills and drills. you want to try not to bust any more stuff off in there like a drill i done some of this stuff from time to time when other shop bust them off in heads. i get the ez out out of the hole. i used a carbide ball mill in a hand drill them out if it can not go up on the mill

I've had this come into the shop several times and depending
on the location of the bolt, I have used the wire feed welder to weld a flat
washer to the broken bolt then used a vise-grip to turn out the bolt.
sometimes it has taken 4 to 5 trys. Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by randywrench

I've had this come into the shop several times and depending
on the location of the bolt, I have used the wire feed welder to weld a flat
washer to the broken bolt then used a vise-grip to turn out the bolt.
sometimes it has taken 4 to 5 trys. Hope this helps!

yes randy that works to. i do this on oil pan bolts 1/4 to 5/16 bigger stuff i use a ez out or get dead nuts up on it in the mill and drill it all out and just hook the threads out or clean out with a tap .if he has or knows someone with a tig thats what i use. if not busted in to deep in the hole. then heat it up and use wax on it let it wick it thru if that will not work get out the TNT

You can forget getting it out with another easy out, in the unlikely event that you get the easy out .. out.

For future refrence: the only time you want to use an easy out is if the bolt snapped off due to stress shear or over tightening. If it broke during removal, then the threads are too bound up to get it out with an easy out. In that case, you only real hope is to drill it out completely, then chase the threads with a tap. As you probably realize, this requires a PERFECT center on the drill. If you're off even a tad, then you will bugger up the hole with your final size drill.

AS for what to do now.. heat the easy out with acetylene torch, get it cherry red. Let it cool slow. This will soften the easy out, and you will be able to drill it out with a Tin coated bit.

Another way to go, is to use a wed rod, and arc weld the easy out to something, and spin the easy out .. out. In other words, turn it righty-tighty, and the easy out will pull out. Then you can finish drilling out the bolt.

Now, occasionaly when I try to drill out a bolt, I get a perfect center, and life is good. Usually, the drill is off center despite my best efforts and diligently applied center punch. In that case, often I can use a punch to pop loose the last smidgeon of the bolt, when I have drilled to ( sometimes thru ) the threads on the off center side.

Another good tip to try.. after you drill thru the bolt, before you step up to the larger size ( always start with a 1/8" or smaller ) put some heat to the little bast. Apply your favorite penetrating oil. Then step up to the next drill size, but use a left-handed drill. Often, before you completely drill out the bolt, the left handed bit will grab the bolt and pull it out. And if it doesn't, then grab the tap and chase the last of the mess out of the threads.

that i see that comes in the shop is some one using a 1/4 ez out to get out a 1/2 bolt and only 1/4 in . you drill it out with a 3/8 drill all the way thru the bolt . drive a ez out in. the deeper the EZ out is in the better it works in time you will know what is the best way to get busted stuff out. drilling all out and tapping. welding a nut on it. or a ez out last job had more then a ez out busted off in the hole .the tip to get dead center is a 4 flute end mill when the top of the bust bolt is flat not as hard to drill on center i drill studs out in the new alum heads the road salt rust them in for good so i dead center up on them in the mill .i drill to tap size for that bolt and tap them

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the great tips, Here is some more info... the bolt is a water pump bolt that is snapped off in block and motor is in car it's a straight 6
there is a very tight tolerance.... on the left bolt is into the water pump and water jacket area. The right side is to the edge of block.

The ezout is of course to the right side of bolt center due to trying to rush the repair. I'm going to try and drill under the ezout on the lower left with some small drill bits which brings me to my next question either I have the dullest bits known to mankind or I'm using the wrong type of bit, what type of bit should I be using to drill out bolt and part of block just to make room to get ezout - out

I was also considering drilling or cutting into the side of the block just enough to drive out ezout then weld up hole?

Thanks for your help

if you cut in to the block and weld it less you weld alot of iron you can make the iron around the weld like glass you will never drill or tap it . try to slow down on your speed or you can burn up the drill bits. if you hit the ez out with the drill bit the drill will dull very fast carbide ball mill 4 flute is your best bet but is ez to chip

A high speed die grinder with a carbide burr.....peck at the broken EZ(not)-out using a wax base lubricant...Not easy or fast, slow....patience....work it carefully...It can be done. I've pulled broken 1/4 " taps from aluminum this way and still had threads in tact, but it will take alot of time....And it's no fun.

I seem to do this a lot and a friend of mine showed me a trick but I don't know if you have any part of the bolt sticking out. He just put a nut over what was left of the bolt and welded it on, while it was still hot he just unscrewed it using the new nut.

Sean

Unfortunately the bolt snapped off pretty flush and it snapped off on while reinstalling water pump then ezout snapped due to being impatient on my part.

I've picked up some 1/8 " carbide burrs as per a suggestion by another member and give it a try, see if I can't hog out enough room to wiggle ezout.

As I was leaving my local auto parts store the manager said wait a minute and he pulled down a small dusty rack off a top shelf and said he knows some guys who have had pretty good luck with a product from Helicoil and it's an ezout extractor it has like a tiny broach style cutter on one end and a stubby little like 1/4" extractor on the other end. Basically you drill in left handed and then thread in other end and back out ezout...... Well that's what it claims I'm going to try that next.

You can still weld a nut on it, even broke off flush. They offer special weld rods for it, but it's more the technique that counts, not the rod. Just use any good rod ( arc weld ) and build up on the bolt, a little at a time. Of course, you will probably get the EZ out , not the bolt, but just as good. After you have a nice dimple built up on the bolt, then set the nut over the dimple and weld the nut to the dimple. First, I'd suggest to try righty-tighty to see if the ez out will pull out. If not, then lefty loosie and see if the fastener might decide to let loose ( lots of heat from the weld )

Sweeeeeeeeeet

Finally got that sucka out........ used a couple of 1/8" carbide burrs a ball type then a tree type dug around outside of ezout took about a 1/2 hour then tapped on it with a drift and wallla pulled out with needle nose!!

I want to thank everyone for all the input and great ideas

In cast iron a small tip in a torch will blow a bolt out without hurting anything. Chase the threads with a tap and you're done!