Steel bolt in Al. block. I'm aware of EZ-Outs & such but have never had the pleasure of using one. Any tips or warnings of pitfalls would be appreciated. Thanks.
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June 6, 2011 9:43 p.m. M2Pilot Reader
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June 6, 2011 10:31 p.m. Ranger50 HalfDork
If any part of said broken bolt is sticking out, weld a nut to the stub and turn it out carefully.
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June 6, 2011 10:46 p.m. RexSeven SuperDork
Left-handed drill bits. You can get them at Harbor Freight. Start with a small diameter, run the drill in reverse, then go up in diameter. Usually, the bit will dig into the broken bolt and take it out of the hole.
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June 6, 2011 11:40 p.m. RedS13Coupe Reader
I have never had a good experience with an ez out...
If there is a head you can grab on to, no matter how rounded go get these:
They are basically sockets (with a hex to get a wrench on if you want), but inside they have tapered helical teeth to grab on and pull in.
Force it onto the bolt as you turn, or tap it on before with a hammer. These have worked very very well for me the couple times I have had to use them.
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June 7, 2011 12:14 a.m. jhaas Reader
these have worked EVER SINGLE TIME for me!
drill a good pilot hole then pick the right size. they bite when the drill is in reverse. gotta have a good 18v cordless to do this right...
i just used them on a 13mm tensioner bolt in an engine block.
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June 7, 2011 6:25 a.m. blizazer Reader
Not to rain on parades, but I've never had any luck with easy outs or similar left handed drill accessories. I'm blaming that on michigan salty roads, not on user errors.
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June 7, 2011 6:59 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork
EZ Outs are grossly misnamed, in my opinion. I prefer the cheap chinese junk ones because when you snap them off in the stuck bolt, they are easier to drill out.
Left handed drill bits have worked for me. I've tried the screw out things jhaas hotlinked to with mixed results and done the welding thing. Most of the time, I can get them out with a punch and a hammer.
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June 7, 2011 7:09 a.m. tuna55 SuperDork
EZ outs are really EZ to get in and break off and then even harder tog et out than the bolt in the first place. I haven't even had much luck with the "welding something to the stub" approach. No super easy answers. Try some of the "grab a stub" sockets mentioned here first, then go nuclear.
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June 7, 2011 7:13 a.m. TRoglodyte HalfDork
Never an easy answer for this problem. No two situations are the same and experience and patience are the best tools you can have. If you have no experience but an abundance of patience, spray it with a nut buster rust dissolving weasel pee solution and start looking for a buddy to give you a hand. Is it broke off flush? is it accessible ? is it mobile? is it replaceable?
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June 7, 2011 8:14 a.m. Wally SuperDork
I've had fairly good luck with lefthanded drill bits and easy outs. Are you guys applying enough foul language to the broken bolts, as that often seems to be important.
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June 7, 2011 8:24 a.m. Brett_Murphy HalfDork
Whatever method you use, go slowly. You don't want to rush it, botch and screw up your block.
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June 7, 2011 8:53 a.m. JeffHarbert Reader
If you're going to drill it out, it helps to center punch the bolt. This helps keep the drill bit from wandering.
