[e3silversurfer]

Hi everyone, I need experience and advise on this issue:

I have broken a hed off a bolt and the rest of the bolt is still stuck in. How can I remove the headless bolt?? Is there a tool which is able to extract the broken bolt??

Thanks in advance guys,

Elvin

[BenF]

depends on where the bolt is - can you drill into the remaining part of the bolt screw a self-tapping screw into the hole, then use the screw head to unscrew the bolt?

This post has been edited by BenF: 21 March 2008 - 06:10 PM

[Midnight Blue]

Wouldn't the screw, being more lightweight, just unscrew again?

[BenF]

depends on how much stress there is on the bolt - that is why I asked where it was

[3Ddunk]

I use these Clicky

This post has been edited by 3Ddunk: 21 March 2008 - 06:29 PM

[Midnight Blue]

They're cheap!!

[warrenpenalver]

also use loctite when you scrw in the self tapper!!

last time i did this i cheated and as the bolt was quite bit i drilled a hole and tapped a thread for a smaller bolt then loctited it in placethen unscrewed.


if you have a tap and die just drill it out then clean the old thread using the tap and die kit.

[Pumasparky]

TNT

[dancer]

What bolt have you sheared off Elvin?

[BOK]

What bolt have you sheared off Elvin?

Didn't know he had piercings (sorry, I'm in one of those moods)

[dancer]

The one through his neck maybe

Sorry Elvin, no offence intended

[e3silversurfer]

no problem. Update, I got one of those screw extractors and that broke as well.... the point where the bolt broke is flushed flat, same level as the surface. and after drill a hole and spraying half a can of WD40 and leaving it for about 3 hours before starting, the bolt extractor broke and now there is no way of getting anything out except using a diamond headed drill bit.....

or maybe someone down at the garage might have a far more powerful tool which can drill through High speed steel???

[BenF]

how did you manage to break the extractor, Elvin?!

exactly where is this broken bolt, Elvin?

[happy-kat]

intrigued as to where this bolt is

[e3silversurfer]

it is located in the floor pan of the pum unfortunately managed to break on of the bolts holding the base of the seatat the rear where there are two bolts holding the base. passenger side

will be bringing it down to a garage on friday. see if the body shop has a way of removing it. otherwise it will be using a plasma cutter... I got the bolt extractor from halfords. i didnt use too much force and the extractor just broke...

failing that, i think the best option would be to weld the seat onto the floor pan

[Dogsbody]

The only way I have ever got one out from the situation you are now in, is to Weld a bit of metal that you can turn, onto the broken bolt.
The heat when you weld helps free it and then you cut unwind it with an adjustable / pliers.
Holding onto what you welded on.

Having a MIG and ARC welder at home does help though

Be careful with the carpet as well!

With the easyout broken in the bolt, you are very limited on options.

[e3silversurfer]

I bought some diamond discs for the dremel. Hope I am able to cut a groove into the easy-out and use a screw driver to extract it out. after that I am going with the slow painful method of using a grinding stone or engraving bit to "friction" the remaining bolt out.

I am getting confused as to which way to turn... anti or clock wise.... have to think for a good 30 seconds everytime I am doing this...

[mort666]

Elvin,

this may not help and a couple of mates have laughed when I have told them this, but one way to remember is to think of it as having the spanner (or socket) in a 12 o'clock position and turning it right or left instead of clockwise or anti-clockwise. Then use the little phrase:

righty tighty...lefty loosey

that might just confuse you even more though lol

If you manage to grind or cut the slot in the stuck bolt, try something made by loctite called 'freeze and release'.


You should be able to get it from Halfords for about £6. I've found it better than just WD40 for freeing up siezed bolts. You spray it onto the bolt and it's supposed to very quickly lower the temerpature. As the cooling is so quick, the theory is that microscopic cracks are fomed in the rust and allows the fluid to penetrate deeper than just WD40 alone. I haven't done back to back scientific tests, but it does seem to work better IMO.

[e3silversurfer]

Thanks for the advise If i am not wrong freezing metal to a very low temperature will cause the metal to shatter... I guess thats not possible in that can otherwise the can would have shattered

By the way I am confused about the clock wise and anti clock thing because the easy out operates in an inverse direction to the bolt. so instead of clockwise I have to turn anti -clock wise to tighten and vice versa. and after a while I get confused if I am doing some other normal screw or bolt tightening ie the dremel and drill

[Murphy]

Righty tighty for a normal bolt. You have the reverse bolt thingumyjig in, so you your righty tighy should loosen it!