I was trying to re tap the bolt holes on the skid plate and the tap broke of in the hole. how do i remove it? Any ideas
Thanx
Corbin

 

Trinitrotolulene?

A tap is made of very hard steel. It will be near impossible to drill out. There might be a tool that will engage the flutes like a screwdriver that could back it out but I've never seen one. I've also heard of burning them out with an electric arc. Takes special equipment and training.

Wish I could offer more.

 

When that happens at work, we send it to a machine shop. Sorry

 

Try putting a nut over the broken tap and take a mig welder and weld inside the nut to attach the tap to the nut. Then try backing the nut up to remove the tap.

 

Several high end tool companies make broken tap extractor sets ie. Snap On.
I have also used the weld a nut method with good results

 

Sounds real crazy but I have had 50/50 results with carbide masonry bits. Your drill has to turn some pretty good rpms. Drill bit has to get really hot before it starts cutting. An old now retired machinist where I work taught me this.

 

Check the archives here. There are a number of threads on this topic.

 

A left-handed drill bit might coax the tap out...

 

I have some luck with a Oxy/Ac torch. Heat the tap red hot and just tap the Oxy boost to blow the molten tap out.

 

The torch trick works great for getting broken bolts out of cast iron too- I have used this on through holes and blind holes before. It takes a real delicate touch, though, and you have to be just about perfectly in line with the tap. Also, get a GOOD tap, and re-chase the threads.

 

This is called burning the tap out. You will probably need about 4000 rpm's. This is easy if you can get the part with the offending tap onto a milling machine. If not, they make tap extractors. For a two fluted tap you will need a two fluted tap extractor of the appropriate size. The tap extractors have fingers that go between the flutes to engage the tap by the body. If you are doing this on the cheap, and it is not a blind hole, take a punch that is a little smaller than the thread size and wack it with a hefty hammer so it will come out the back. The threads will get marfed up but you can drill it out and tap it the next size bigger.
If you have the option, always use a two fluted tap, they are stonger and less likely to break.

 

I have taken needle nose pliers and removed them before took a punch and tryed to backout first This has worked for me a couple times and I have done the torch thing before also but you must be very careful

 

go and buy a tap remover tool.

 

Yep, tap remover.It works pretty well. It'll have 4 rods on it that go down in between the flutes of the tap, just back it out and it should come right out. Maybe a lil lube'd help, too.

 

ball bearing, bubblegum and a hammer...
Find a ball bearing a lil smaller than the tapped hole. Pop some gum in yur mouth, chew it, place it over the ball bearing on top of the tap.. whack the heck outta it with the hammer. The ball bearing will, in most cases, shatter the tap, you can then take a pick and get it out in pieces. The gum keeps the ball bearing in place while you swack it and also keeps anything from flying around and hitting you.