[RedOctobyr]

The MIG contact tip would get hot for sure (the contact tip is absolutely electrically hot) but that's a lot of cross sectional area and the tips are copper, not steel. So it won't weld together in any kind of way that would be able to provide much - if any - force transmission. That is a stick welder only method.

The MIG might make a good bolt heater though - it would avoid the problems involved when using a torch (burning or melting anything even remotely close to the area).

Sorry, yes, that was what I meant. Use the MIG tip to just heat the bolt. Not to weld to it.

I've used the welder conventionally to weld to the broken bolt. But using just the tip, no wire, could be a way to provide heat-cycling, for instance, to try and loosen the rust bond.

 

[Naplesjoe]

I read most of these posts but not all. Just a note about extractors that I haven't seen mentioned. Find the square type extractor with four sharp edges. They are far superior to the reverse twist types most often used. Drill the appropriate size hole, tap the extractor into the hole just as any other EZ out and turn. The difference is the square type does not expand the screw nearly as much as the spiral types do. With them, the harder you turn the more pressure is pushed to the remaining bolt making it all that much harder to turn. The Square type does not rely on this as the sharp edges bite into the screw. I would say I had 90 percent success removing hundreds of broken screws wit this type. Other than that, just live with the missing screw. It certainly wouldn't be the only Kohler running with missing screws.

 

[kklowell]

Certainly some food for thought in all these responses!
I'd really rather not live without these bolts...that side shroud must really rattle when the top too bolts are not there.

 

[TUDOR]

The last EZ I drilled out , I used a 3/16 masonry bit sharpened an much oil. I've drilled around a busted bit to get a grab. I sheared 3 out of 4 Y pipe/exhaust manifold studs. Taking the manifolds off didn't enthuse me. I rigged 4 drills with 1/8, 3/16,1/4, and 3/8 and a pump oiler. 10 mm studs

For Y-pipe exhaust manifold studs, Heat up the manifold to cherry red with a torch and use an impact to back the studs out before you break them.

Unless the stud is badly corroded, it usually backs right out.

Learned this at a muffler shop. I figure the guys doing it day after day know how. When I tried it at home, it worked like a charm.

 

[Tractor-Holic]

One of my late friends worked at Midas for years doing exhaust systems..

He got so proficient with the cutting torch,he could blow out a broken stud in an exhaust manifold without enlarging the hole,9 times out of ten he could simply blow the remains of the stud clean thru,and run a 3/8 tap thru the hole to chase the threads and have it ready to re-assemble in less than 2-3 minutes..

The only ones that defeated him sometimes were some manifolds that had a stud in a blind hole ,but he often was able to blow out the broken stud deep enough to re-tap the hole,without having to pull off the manifold to drill the stud out..

I have attempted to do this--rarely had much success though..

 

[Mark in Portugal]

I've done it; the rust insulates the parent metal just enough to get away with it.
Usually.
When it works, it's very satisfying.

 

[Steve Urquell]

I've done it; the rust insulates the parent metal just enough to get away with it.
Usually.
When it works, it's very satisfying.

Yep, you can see the little tiny sparkles blow up and out around the threads in a blind-threaded hole barely sticking to the rust in the threads when you hit the O2 lever.

Man, I was an Air-arc/ark-gouge master when I was a mechanic. You would be amazed with what you can do with one of those after you have burned >1000 carbon rods. :tango_face_grin:

 

[Gary R C]

Yes, back in the early 70's, I burned up a few carbon arc rods cutting stainless steel . Noisey with the air though. Ear plugs and ear muffs together, cumbersome with the welding mask on.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Yes, back in the early 70's, I burned up a few carbon arc rods cutting stainless steel . Noisey with the air though. Ear plugs and ear muffs together, cumbersome with the welding mask on.

Earplugs definitely to also keep slag out of your ears. Later on I started wearing a dust mask under my welding hood.

I could cut steel apart so well with the gouge it didn't need grinding before welding.

A fleet sent us a trailer another shop put a bottom rail on with steel huck bolts. On this trailer the collars were inside the wall below the floor and impossible to split with an air hammer chisel.

They wanted buck rivets instead. I cut 750 steel huck bolts off the aluminum bottom rail with the gouge and didnt leave a mark on it. Scotch brited it to buff off the smoke.

 

[Gary R C]

Just like anything, " practice makes perfect" the more you do it the better you get. I'd be terrible at using one now, I haven't use one in over 30 yrs.

 

[Mike Hunt]

I do know that a good rule of thumb is to mix acitone & dextron transmission fluid 50 50 it has to be shaken up every time before use but it works really good I bought a bolens 1476 with the front end frozen up on it I shook the mixture & applied it to the spindles & other stearing components within 15 or 20 minutes it turned I was really happy about that for with these older riders things can be easily damaged getting them apart, The other thing is to use a welder & try to weld a nut onto the broken bolt the wire will go through the hole in the nut & will not stick to the cast iron so with the idea of cleaning the bolt & nut before you weld it try to make a good hot held & fill the hole in ps some of these 120 volt welders just don't penatrate the bolts or steel.

The one nice thing is if your unsuccessful at drilling out the broken bolt depending on where the bolt goes like in a shroud you could step up to the next size bolt use the proper drill & tap for the bolt then drill out the shroud I hope your successful ps this is just my opinion & the acitone trick really works ps be sure to clean the parts after applying the mixture I hope you have a good sunday .