Snapped bolt???!!!!!

weejimmy · November 12, 2007, 10:13:45 PM

well inside the socket its like a spiral and its sharp so when you put it over bolt it twists and tries to go down the bolt. but it cant so it gets stuck and the harder you turn it the more it bites in to the nut and eventully the nut gives in and turns,
........... mmm may have made that even more complicated

adib · November 13, 2007, 12:54:29 AM

easy outs are good, but you have to drill a hole in it to get it in

Martiny · November 13, 2007, 06:23:51 AM

wee jimmy.

So, you need some of the bolt sticking out.

This might help smbfd3s, but my bolt is snapped with nothing exposed - i cant see how it helps me :-(

I\'m pretty sure the bolt is corroded in there, so I think easy out might just snap in there, then I\'m really in a mess.

I think I need to try and drill it out as much as possible, and then try helicoil.

SmbFD3S · November 13, 2007, 10:52:21 AM

Quick update, i\'ve just welded a nut to the exposed bolt and it held and the bolt is now out woohoo!!!

Martiny,

After having a word to a mate who is a machinist, he said if the bolt you have snapped is flush with the housing or even slightly deeper, find or make a washer with the hole slightly smaller than the bolt and then weld a nut to the bolt, this should then be able to come out. The heat from the weld should "break" any corrosion set in the threads also. If you can, also heat up the surrounding area and then cool the bolt (ice cube on there maybe)

Hope you get on ok and thanks for the advice from others anyway,

Scott

David Nock (RIP) · November 13, 2007, 11:27:46 AM

Quote from: weejimmywell inside the socket its like a spiral and its sharp so when you put it over bolt it twists and tries to go down the bolt. but it cant so it gets stuck and the harder you turn it the more it bites in to the nut and eventully the nut gives in and turns,
........... mmm may have made that even more complicated

That\'s what I was saying when I said it tightens up.

rx jamie · November 13, 2007, 11:50:39 AM

you could get some small stiltson on that.

yogibear · November 13, 2007, 11:59:45 AM

Just seen this thread, been down this road a few times. Good job getting it out, ive ended up drilling most of mine.

There was a pretty good artical in Practical Performance Car a few issues back about getting nuts/bolts/studs out, worth getting just for the in my opinion.

The last time it was on the turbo manifold which had to sheered studs. No matter what I did they wouldent come out and couldent be drilled as they drill bits just melted as the studs had been heated up and cooled down so much over the years. Ended up having to get a new manifold.

grinder · November 13, 2007, 12:28:56 PM

i would have gone with the welding method to be honest

i suppose it depends on how tight it is

and why use a washer aswell - what does that do ??

could you not have cut a grove in it and used a flat screwdriver to get it out ??

Grizzly · November 13, 2007, 02:43:29 PM

Another vote for welding a Nut on.

I personally think it will come out quite easily, There is some tricks to the "Welding a nut on a snapped bolt" the main four are, if there is any threads stuck out find a Nut that will screw on a Turn or so so its a Nice fit, Clean the end of the Bolt up as best you can with a Grinder to get weld to take as best you can, Don\'t just Stick the Welding torch in and Hit the button spend a bit of time running beads of weld up a big bolt and play with the settings until it makes a nice Pur, Most important is Let it all cool down well before you try and Undo it (people think heat will help, but on a Steel bolt in an Ally Casting the Bolt will expand with heat and make it tighter)

In my opinion if the Broken Bolt is too tight to turn with Pliers the Welding method is the only way to go, I have used lots of different types of extractors and none work as well as a Properly welded on Nut.

BTW if you are welding on or around the engine i would suggest ether a Surge protector or Unplug the ECU, i\'ve seen an Audi Ecu get fried by a welder

Ricco_04 · November 13, 2007, 04:59:01 PM

Used the welding method before - Ususlly on grubby bolt\'s, as the welder pretty much super heats the bolt it tents to help shift any crap in the thread\'s too (as Grizzly says, needs to cool after though!)

Martiny · November 13, 2007, 09:05:41 PM

Thanks for all the help, Guys, will give it a wirl this weekend.

Hayward North · November 13, 2007, 09:59:49 PM

think id weld somthing onto it then soak it in wd40 over night then heat the surrounding area up whilst turning it

weejimmy · November 15, 2007, 06:33:24 PM

if its corroded on
i know this sound weird but, if you can soak it in coca cola or even soak a rag in it and hold it against nut it will loosen it off.
in a piston engine if its siezed i just fill up the bores with cola and let it sit over night and 9 times out of 10 itll move in the morning