When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
This is how I removed a 4mm bolt from a casting ear. This technique also works with almost any broken bolt.
First, I build up the bolt with welding rod. Then I weld on a nut. Then, I turn the bolt out and clean up. This literally took ten minutes.
First pic, the broken bolt, shown with a pointer:
This is the bolt remnant, after welding to a nut and removal.
The end result. The ear did get a bit nasty, but this is not a gasketing surface, it just holds a TPS. Plenty of meat for that. Had this been a gasketing surface, I would have to build up with aluminum by welding.
I can't say how many ease-out's I've seen snapped off in bolts stuck firmly like that. Heating the outside of the ear with an ease-out ready for gentle back-and-forth twisting can also work. But steel/aluminum is always tricky. Great job!
I use to work on Mack trucks and they were notorious for snapping off exhaust manifold bolts like that, flush or a little less than flush in the head.I used a similar approach after getting tires of breaking "easy" outs and drill bits. But I would weld a washer to the broken stud, it gave me something to fill to, then i welded a nut to the washer to get a wrench on it. Usually worked out well. It also works good for larger broken bolts because you can get a real good weld between the washer and broken bolt/stud, and then a good weld to the nut you will use to crank broken piece out. I started doing that after welding a nut to have it snap off the stud. Especially on the broken stuff that isn't at least flush with the housing it is in. I've used the washer approach in aluminum housings a few times, seems to work pretty well.
Nice tutorial!
