Drilling out broken bolt extractor
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: stafford va
Drilling out broken bolt extractor
I am trying to drill out a broken intake manifold bolt in a 360. In the process, I broke about 1/8" to 1/4" of the tip of a #3 screw extractor. Now, I seem to have dulled out 5 new Cobalt drill bits trying to get past the tip of the broken screw extractor. Is there any other drill bit stronger than Cobalt that will penetrate the screw extractor? The Cobalt did pretty well into the intake manifold bolt. I feel my only hope of extracting this broken bolt is to drill all the way through it and bore it out, hopefully not ruining the cylinder head threads in the process. Any suggestions?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 5
From: Lancaster County PA
Good luck, man. That is the worst when you break a bit, tap, or extractor off.
I have had limited success using a chisel to try to turn the ting around enough to start to back it out. I have also drilled a series of smaller holes around it to make room enough for it to be wiggled loose.
I do not know of a bit hard enough to cut through an extractor. If there was one, I am not sure how you could keep it from wandering off the extractor and just drilling the surrounding metal.
I hope someone else here knows the trick. I'd like to learn how to get out of a situation like this myself.
I have had limited success using a chisel to try to turn the ting around enough to start to back it out. I have also drilled a series of smaller holes around it to make room enough for it to be wiggled loose.
I do not know of a bit hard enough to cut through an extractor. If there was one, I am not sure how you could keep it from wandering off the extractor and just drilling the surrounding metal.
I hope someone else here knows the trick. I'd like to learn how to get out of a situation like this myself.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
Try taking a punch and large hammer, drive the extractor in and hopefully you can break the extractor into small pieces. I have had good luck doing this with broken off taps, never tried an extractor. only other way that I know of is use a torch. Greg
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 482
Likes: 2
You can try the punch thing but I don't know if it will work with an extractor. It sometimes works with taps but taps have the flutes that give some"work" room for the punch to fracture the tap into. An extractor does not have this advantage. welding a stud onto the extractor may work. I had this problem and friend who is a tool maker said they send their problems out to a specialist shop that has a metal disintegrator. But the part has to be taken into them and be able to be submerged in some working fluid.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
From: Lubbock or Houston
If enough is sticking out, you can cut a + into the top like a phillips head with a dremel tool or such. Then use a heating torch to heat it up and unscrew it with a drill. This is what i've done before it rounded off bolts, so it could work for you.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 0
From: PHOENIX
Carbide. Is the head still on the block in the engine compartment? I have used carbide to burn out many broken taps. The only problem is you need very high RPM's, like 3 to 4 thousand for it to burn. It is easy on a mill if you can put the part there, but I don't know if there is a hand drill that goes that high, or if you could hold it steady enough.
The disintegrator that midlf is talking about is an EDM. Uses electricity to burn the metal out.
steve
The disintegrator that midlf is talking about is an EDM. Uses electricity to burn the metal out.
steve
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
As a last resort, there's an industrial process that can electronically destruct a hard part inside a soft one. Used it years ago to remove a broken off cam chain adjuster in from a motorcycle engine case. The threads in the aluminum even survived. This was ~20 years ago, but I bet any decent machine shop could steer you in the right direction.
Trending Topics
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
There is an old thread here in the archives about removing a broken tap that may have some good ideas also.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 0
From: PHOENIX
Originally Posted by krehmkej
As a last resort, there's an industrial process that can electronically destruct a hard part inside a soft one. Used it years ago to remove a broken off cam chain adjuster in from a motorcycle engine case. The threads in the aluminum even survived. This was ~20 years ago, but I bet any decent machine shop could steer you in the right direction.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
Likes: 48
From: Lyndonville, Vermont
Ok here's what Iv'e learned about broken studs. First of all I try not to use extractors any more for the reason you describe...The best way hands down and you may still be able to do it is to mig weld onto the broken stud and grab it with a pair of vise grips. Its a slow process but it will work even if the stud is corroded. I just did exhaust studs that took me 20 plus hours for 2 of them. I think I had to weld on them 30 times or so. The heat causes them to be loosened and break free from the corrosion if any.
You may still be able to weld to the one you are working on.
On another note there are diamond drills and plasma gizmo's that can vaporize the material. I worked so hard on mine cause I didn't want to take the engine apart.
Good luck
Dick
You may still be able to weld to the one you are working on.
On another note there are diamond drills and plasma gizmo's that can vaporize the material. I worked so hard on mine cause I didn't want to take the engine apart.
Good luck
Dick
New User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Canada
you can try concrete drill
resharpened the tip in a V shape positive rake
use a lot of coolant ... if the carbide bit overheat they will melt the brass and scrap the tool.
It the way i use to drill hole in 55rocwell tool steel at the shop i work
Good luck
resharpened the tip in a V shape positive rake
use a lot of coolant ... if the carbide bit overheat they will melt the brass and scrap the tool.
It the way i use to drill hole in 55rocwell tool steel at the shop i work
Good luck
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: stafford va
Thanks for the input
Thanks to all for the above techniques! The offending tip is 1/2" into the cylinder head. Looks like I will have to get mentally prepared to pull the cylinder head and let a machine shop unscrew me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> I feel my only hope of extracting this broken bolt is to drill all the way
> through it and bore it out
I assume it broke below the surface. Most are shaped like a triangled flute. You can usually get a set of needle nose in there and back the drill bit out because it broke when it was angled in the hole. Having right angle ones work best.
The other thing that works is backing it out by rotating it with a pin punch and 32 oz hammer. Just find the high point on the broken piece.
> through it and bore it out
I assume it broke below the surface. Most are shaped like a triangled flute. You can usually get a set of needle nose in there and back the drill bit out because it broke when it was angled in the hole. Having right angle ones work best.
The other thing that works is backing it out by rotating it with a pin punch and 32 oz hammer. Just find the high point on the broken piece.
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: stafford va
bored it out
It was a 3/8" wide bolt, with 1.5" into the cylinder head. After the consensus from everyone that I was wasting time & effort trying to drill it out, I gave up on that and today I was able to bore it out using narrow dremel grinding stones and a steel cutter. After several more hours of working with it, I was able to bore it out. The cylinder head threads were OK, I re-tapped them so this weekend I should be able to put the manifold back on. Thanks to everyone for their help! This forum saved my butt again.