Broken bolt removal

[glenyoshida]

Hopefully you don't ever end up with a broken head on a bolt but if you do there are a few ways to remove the broken shaft. Here's a helpful link with more info Broken bolt/stripped nut link (http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Removing_rusted_and_broken_fasteners)


In my case the bolt broke below the face of the host metal and that made it a little more interesting. You can see how it is rusted and recessed about 1/8th". To start the little chore I whacked it a bunch of times with a hammer and punch hoping to loosen up the dirt and rust in the threads. Oh and BTW it was some yahoo before I bought the 4Runner that broke off the bolt.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/Misc/Broken%20Bolt%20Removal/IMG_2767.jpg


I chose to weld on to the bolt. So here I'm cleaning the rust and dirt off to get a good weld.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/Misc/Broken%20Bolt%20Removal/IMG_2768.jpg


It definitely takes a little finesse welding something like this you want as much area on the broken bolt to weld to but if you let the puddle stray you may end up welding the broken bolt in place. I recommend TIG or gas for something like this. Here's the piece of scrap welded on.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/Misc/Broken%20Bolt%20Removal/IMG_2769.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/Misc/Broken%20Bolt%20Removal/IMG_2770.jpg


After it cooled I spayed it with PB Blaster and let it sit for a few minutes. I've run into bolts that were thread locked with locktight and one thing I've learned that really helps is to work the bolt in both directions. Tighten it as well as loosen it. Work it in clockwise and counterclockwise directions until you start to sense the movement and that may take quite a few cycles and some elbow grease. As you are working it, change direction when you feel the bolt resisting the rotation. I've been dreading and putting off trying to remove this thing for a long time but got very lucky with this and it actually came out. I really thought that I would have to drill it out and rethread it but here it is removed. I cracked myself up because I'm Atheist and I still muttered "It's a small miracle" when it worked free. Oh and it's worth noting that you want a high tensile strength metal for your weld. Every little bit helps.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/Misc/Broken%20Bolt%20Removal/IMG_2771.jpg

[YotaFun]

Kind of on topic, anyone have or try this?

http://www.4grabit.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

[Seanz0rz]

i have a set of bolt out and screw out extractors, but they would be not so great for something like that.

avy, i am going to buy a set of those one of these days, cant count how many times ive needed them and ended up using a pair of visegrips instead.

[Bob98SR5]

glenn, et al:

great advice. and i see you're gettin' all surgical with that welder, huh??!? :D man, when you say you like to be precise, you mean it. i wouldve cut a hole big enough for the tips of a needlenose vicegrip to fit and clamp the stripped bolt.

you are absolutely right about technique and getting off rusted bolts. i'm dealing with this myself. i've seen alot of different ways to get off rust. you have to try them all, depending on the rust severity as well as the location. here's some methods ive used:

- cup brush on a drill to strip off the rust off threads, bolts, etc. this is one of the best steps you can take as you can be assured that the rust won't accumulate and stop the nut while your backing it off

- heat + cold + pb blaster: where there's room and not any fuel lines or other flammables present, i use a benzomatic torch (thanks, lance) and/or a butane pen torch to heat up the nut until its almost red. I'll spray it with pb blaster (it'll smoke like mad but douse it) and let it cool. the heat expands the metal and allows the pb to get down into the threads. after letting it cool further, i'll spray it with that cold gas product to constrict the bolt onto the threads. then if there's enough room, I'll tap the bolt head or nut. that serves to break the rust bond. then i repeat the above once or twice more (same day or next day) and usually the nut/bolt comes right off using...

the back off, back on technique: as glenn said you want to back the nut off and tighten it. one guy who wrote a good writeup on this technique said that you should not focus on backing off the nut/bolt, but breaking the rust's bond as your first goal, its akin to pulling out your loose tooth: you dont pull it straight out, you wiggle the beotch back and forth until its loosened and then you pull it out when its hanging by a thread. this is a very important concept that every first timer does not do, and because of it, they make the problem worse by roudning off the bolt or the nut or like on glenn's car, breaking it right off!

now if you have a rounded nut, sears sells a great little bolt head tool that works wonders. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_12605?keyword=bolt+removal&gobutton.x=0&gobutton.y=0&gobutton=find

buy the complete set. trust me...or ask me how i know :hillbill:

[glenyoshida]

Kind of on topic, anyone have or try this?

http://www.4grabit.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1



Seems like it would work often enough to make it worth while for stripped screws in wood. I think a screw seized in metal might be more than it could do. If it's a really stubborn screw I bet taking a piece of pipe so you can hammer lightly (tap) on the Grabit to get it to bite deeper might help. I just bought a set so I'll post back up when I get a chance to play with them. One thing I can see about them is that once they slip and the edge is lost on the grip side it's time to throw it away and buy another.



...and i see you're gettin' all surgical with that welder, huh??!?... lol I try. The key word is try. I have plenty of those days workin' on my rig when I just have to say muck it.

I'm still waiting for the day when someone invents the undo button like on my computer.

[YotaFun]

Yeah Just a thought, really.
I tired to take off the gas tank skid to dent it back out and I broke off to bolt heads so I stopped.
When I get some money I will get these.

[glenyoshida]

Yeah Just a thought, really.
I tired to take off the gas tank skid to dent it back out and I broke off to bolt heads so I stopped.
When I get some money I will get these.

That's good to know. I'm planning on replacing my gas tank skid before summer. I might be the unwilling participant in that test.

[YotaFun]

Well living in the rust belt sure makes it fun to try to do anything on the outside of my truck.

[DHC6twinotter]

Not sure I want to admit this, but you can do what I've done and leave the broke bolts in. :hillbill: Off the top of my head, the 3 bolts holding on my lower timing cover are all broke, resulting in a timing cover that is being held on by the upper cover, and the crank pulley. I've also got a broke bolt on my tranny pan. I broke one of the bolts on the water inlet, but I was able to fish that one out. lol...:hillbill:

Man, I need one of those bolt extraction kits....