broke screw extractor in a broken bolt

yelbigbirdlow · May 20, 2004

i have a broken bolt that i am tring to get out of my crank shaft ( balancer bolt) so i tried to drill it and then use a screw extractor on it. once i got the hole big enough for the extractor i put the extractor in and it broke off in the hole that i drilled in the broken bolt

. How do i get it out, i tried to drill it out but the drill won't even dent it?

Legendary · May 20, 2004

What type drill bits are you using?

yelbigbirdlow · May 20, 2004

im uncertain at the time. what type of drill bits should i be using?

Draginmadd · May 20, 2004

theres no way your gona drill it out.there very hard steel.your going to need a good punch and beet the crap ota it till it brakes apart.VERY IMPORTANT!!Make shure u have safety glasses on.u dont want that stuff shootin in yer eye.

Michael Yount · May 20, 2004

I wrote this paragraph about my own experiences a while back when I was thinkin' about the 'tools' we use. Seems appropriate.

"E-Z OUT EXTRACTOR TOOL: This tool is made of a space-age metal that is ten times harder than any known drill bit (they NEVER make the drill bits out of the same stuff, go figure!) and cleverly designed to snap off just after it has permanently imbedded itself in any bolt or stud that you were trying to extract. Some feel that the name of this tool is oxymoronic, or at best misleading. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If you foolishly attempt to actually use this tool, you must be moronic for you will surely EAZE out from under the vehicle in search of something with which to EXTRACT the tool. Alas, that search will be fruitless because no one has been able to invent the E-Z OUT EXTRACTOR EXTRACTOR…….yet."

You've got a real challenger there. You want to be careful as you're dealing with the crank. And yet getting broken off extractors out is really difficult. You may simply have to keep drilling slightly larger holes until you drill the whole bolt out. Heat may help free it up depending on how/why the bolt broke off. How'd you break it off?

tmoss · May 20, 2004

You've got a huge problem. If you try to drill around it like Mike said, your gonna hose any chance of re-using the stock threads. You might get it to come loose by using a drift punch and attempting to drive the extractor in the reverse rotation. I've never had luck with an "easy out" - junk imho!

Ranchero5.0 · May 20, 2004

Yeah, I deal with this every day at work on the printing presses. Operators take to much upon themselves sometimes. Had to tear a set of knife cylinders out of a folder to repair some stripped out boltholes and a broken off extractor. Took about 30 hours for three guys to remove and replace, plus a few hours for the machine shop to repair the threads.

In all honesty, I recommend that you stop what you are doing and pull the motor and remove the crank for a machinist to repair. They have drill bits that will eat a EZ out, but they are fragile and need chucked in a lathe or mill to work correctly, a hand drill will only shatter them. A reman crank is only $225 in a worst case scenario, must less than what a loose harmonic balance can cost.

Jamie

razzz · May 20, 2004

I broke an EZ-out in a bolt once. I could not drill it with anything. I even tried a titanium bit, no luck. I heated it red hot with an oxy-acetylene torch, then let it cool. It drilled like butter with a regular bit.

91lxvert · May 21, 2004

now i may be completley wrong but i believe you can drill them out with a cobalt drill bit, but they arent cheap, also remember i may be wrong so dont blame me if it doesent work!

Asha'man · May 21, 2004

razzz said:
I broke an EZ-out in a bolt once. I could not drill it with anything. I even tried a titanium bit, no luck. I heated it red hot with an oxy-acetylene torch, then let it cool. It drilled like butter with a regular bit.

This actually kinda makes sense. I bet the heating destroyed the hard temper of the EZ OUT and allowed you to drill into it. Might be worth a try.

Ash

yelbigbirdlow · May 21, 2004

HELP FIX MY CAR

the bolt broke off in the crank while i was driving, alowing the balancer to slide off. but where can i get one of these torches/ and does it have to be this kind of torch or can it be a regular propane torch?

millhouse · May 21, 2004

Thats happend to me a few times...which is why if I need to use an easy out, I will only use the square fluted ones. They are a much higher quality steel, and much, much stronger. I've yet to break one.

Anyways, there were a few ways I managed to get them out. One was already mentioned above. Get some heat on it and tap it loose with a punch or screwdriver. Just remember it's a reverse thread.

Another way I've gotten them out is by drilling a small hole in them with a carbide tipped drill bit. No need to buy them new, as you'll eat them up fairly easily. I just bought a handfull of used ones from a pawn shop for a buck or two apiece. After you get a small hole in there, you should be able to get a sheet metal screw in there, and tighten it up.

The last way was a last resort, and I basically chewed through a couple of bits and drilled the whole damn thing out. I ended up with a pos hole that I had to heli-coil, so this is probably not an option for you.

Rick 91GT · May 21, 2004

A propane torch will never get it hot enough, a oxy-acetylene torch set-up will cost you a coupe hundred dollars, you can rent a cylinder (a little B tank would work fine)

I use mine a lot...nice tool to have.

I also have never had much luck with easy outs but sometimes they do work.. I have used a carbide tipped bit to drill them out, lots of cutting fluid to keep the bit cool and you have to go slow. Jamie is right, a good machine shop should have the tools to get them out with out any damage to the crank.

The big issue you have is where it is, not a really good place to have to try to hold a hand drill steady and straight.

rdksek844 · May 21, 2004

I would try a carbide drill bit. I've seen carbide go through cobalt and other extremly hard nickel alloys. Carbide should eat the hardened steel away rather quickly.

BarnStang · May 21, 2004

I can see where heating the crank snout will help free up the bolt and/or possibly soften the metal. Is there a concern that the amount of heat induced will reach the number one main cap and damage the clevite bearing material? At a minimum, you will need to pull the timing cover (PITA) so the front main seal doesn't melt...
I think if you are extreamly careful, you can get some smaller bits and drill arount the easy out. Assuming you don't have a bit break off in the hole too...the carbide bits would probably be your best shot. THe broken bolt has to come out intact. I would not want to heli-coil the crank bolt either. You would need to get at least two heli-coils in there and get them in with super loc-tite or JB Weld and use a tap to clean up the threads before it hardend completly-but that's still a huge compromise.
If you pull the crank you might as well order that cool stroker kit you've always wanted...

Legendary · May 21, 2004

Just take it to a shop and let them get it out. Seems very complexed and there is a high risk for screwing up.

Legendary · May 21, 2004

This might help when you get the bolt out.

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=465552

yelbigbirdlow · May 21, 2004

yeah as legendery knows there is a broken bolt removal shop down the street from where my car is now. The only thing is the shop wants to charge $150 to remove it. so i thought i would give tring to take the bolt out my self a try. and use the shop as a last resort. I don't think pulling the bolt is worth 150 but at least i don't have to pull the motor for him to pull the bolt. Any one know of a bolt removal shop in Los Angelos County?

tmoss · May 21, 2004

No need to remove the timing cover to save the seal - it's about $14, so just pull the old one out and put the new one in when your done.

broke screw extractor in a broken bolt

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