OH me OH my!

stangdriva67 · Mar 12, 2004

Well i was torq'n down my oil pan when one of the bolts broke off. The top of the bolt broke off. I know what your'e thinkin " the dummy was overtorq'n the bolts. BUt I wasn't if you think 13lbs is too much let me know. BUt anyways whats the best way of getting the bolt out without me taking off the pan.

Ozsum67 · Mar 12, 2004

The 1/4" bolt must have had a crack in in. You could center punch it, drill it a bit enough for an eazy-out to help you.

stangdriva67 · Mar 12, 2004

whats an eazy-out?

Ozsum67 · Mar 12, 2004

stangdriva67 said:
whats an eazy-out?

It is a screw type device that when applied to something you want to take out, the reverse threads take it out instead of in and it seats itself tighter during the process.

stangdriva67 · Mar 12, 2004

thanks a lot ozsum. appreciate the tip. probably saved me the trip to a machine shop. or something outlandish like that.

Timmy · Mar 12, 2004

The trick to using one is to drill the hole in the bolt as big as you can. I have broken off easy-outs in what was left of bolts before because I used too small an easy-out. I have yet to find a way to get the bolt out once an easy-out is broken off inside of it. I could not drill out the easy-out.

You may want to TRY using a hammer and a screwdriver/small chisel. Placing the screwdriver on the bolt and then tap it with the hammer going counter-clock-wise. I have has success with this method before.

Jut my 2 cents

BC_Ace · Mar 12, 2004

I broke one once as well. Just take the pan off and unscrew the broken stud with plyers or vice grips. If you dirll, you'll risk getting filings in the pan.

Edbert · Mar 12, 2004

Heh, and I felt stupid for paying for ARP connectors on my oil pan. I feel for you man!

Spanish Dave · Mar 12, 2004

I was in a similar situation recently when a bolt broke fastening the clutch cover plate to the flywheel ... I was only torqueing it to 28f/p so it must have been a *metal fatigue* type problem like yours was. I just drilled it and used an *easy-out* type extractor, but drilled the hole quite small and the bit wouldn't come out ... I then drilled a bigger hole, used the next size up *easy-out* and there was no problem.

6Stang7 · Mar 13, 2004

I did that to one of the main cap bolts. Took me and a buddy of mine to get it out. I was drilling a hole in the bolt for the easy out, while my buddy was holding a vacuum by the bit so no shaving got into the motor. I just hate the feeling of tighting a bolt, then all of a sudden it gets lose. It's either byebye bolt, or byebye threads!

-Shaun

Swede958 · Mar 13, 2004

Easy-outs are made of hardened steel, dad works at a maching shop and when they break off a tap or easy out in a part, they usually scrap it. About the only way to get it out is to burn it out.

That being said, if you use a cheap easy out and it breaks, you my be able to grind through it. If you don't want to risk it, you might look into drilling it and heli-coil it back to 1/4-20... It's an idea

The Swede

351carlo · Mar 13, 2004

Alright....

My suggestions.

If there is any piece of the stud left that you can grab, save yourself the risk and drop the pan to remove the stud using either vice grips or the old 'turn the stud into a flathead screw technique.' I've found it's quite easy to turn a stud into a flathead screw by dremmeling a groove in it and taking it out with a screwdriver. Hammer and chisel method works for this as well.

Second, try an easy out. If you haven't used one before, it's not a bad idea to get someone who has to help you out. It's not a hard thing to do, however you want to make sure you've got the sizing right. Too big, you're screwed. To small, risk the chance of losing hardened steel inside the stud.

Now, it IS possible to drill hardened steel...on occasion. Using a carbide tipped bit, and the proper settings (based on bit size) you can drill out a piece of hardened steel. Problem is it's rarely ever able to be done with a hand drill.

So, take it all for what its worth. These guys pretty much said anything I could think of.

1320stang · Mar 13, 2004

Well, another method is to use a MIG welder. Get an old nut that is smaller than the bolt and weld the inside of the nut to the broken off bolt, then just wrench it. This works if there's enough sticking out , but you can't grab it with pliers, or its flush. If it's slightly sticking out, you could try to dremel a slot with a cut off wheel and use a screw driver.

Ozsum67 · Mar 13, 2004

Guys, he said he broke it off at like 12 lbs. of torque. It ain't like it is welded in there. Probably finger tight at best.

bifs66 · Mar 13, 2004

I think that the bolt was over-torqued. Didn't the oil pan gasket get funky after tightening the bolts up around 13 ft lbs? IIRC, the pan bolts were about 7-9 ft lbs; although I like to tighten them by hand/feel anyway.

1320stang · Mar 13, 2004

Ozsum67 said:
Guys, he said he broke it off at like 12 lbs. of torque. It ain't like it is welded in there. Probably finger tight at best.

Okay, but he said the head broke off and he doesn't want to take the pan off. The only part of an Easy Out I've ever owned is sitting in the broken off distributor bolt hole of a EFI SBC manifold in the aluminum scrap pile on the side of my house. I have a welder and I would weld a nut to it to get it out as opposed to driving 8 miles into town to get a Easy Out. Maybe he's not equipped with a welder as I am, and maybe the parts store is across the street, I don't know. Carlo gave the best solution of grabbing it with vise grips or slotting it (free), the easy out was the second option (viable), my solution was for if he had access to a MIG welder and that it wasn't broken off too far down in the hole. If it is, then an easy out is the only option, but if it is just the head, the slot is the best option IMO.

mustangdave · Mar 13, 2004

You could also try a left handed drill bit; when drilling it is fluted the other way and creates a lot of heat and will often back out a bolt. B.t.w. I always thought oil pan bolts were specced out in inch lbs., not foot lbs.

6Stang7 · Mar 13, 2004

Ozsum67 said:
Guys, he said he broke it off at like 12 lbs. of torque. It ain't like it is welded in there. Probably finger tight at best.

Are you saying 12ft/lbs is finger tight!?!?!?!?!?!?! I can see it being finger tight because all torque was released when the head broke off, but if the bolt is still under 12ft/lbs of torque there is no way in high hell we will get it out with just his hands.

-Shaun

HistoricMustang · Mar 14, 2004

My dad always told me these kinds of things help us "mature". Well we should all be very mature after being around these things on a daily basis.

Good Luck with the "project".

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

Ozsum67 · Mar 14, 2004

6Stang7 said:
Are you saying 12ft/lbs is finger tight!?!?!?!?!?!?! I can see it being finger tight because all torque was released when the head broke off, but if the bolt is still under 12ft/lbs of torque there is no way in high hell we will get it out with just his hands.

-Shaun

I was speak figuratively. People are talking like welding and generally making a big deal out of it. I am saying that at 12, it isn't like it is rusted in or frozen up. It really should be a peice of cake getting it out.

OH me OH my!

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