TIP: Removing broken studs / bolts

WI_Jeff said:

and all the swearing worked.

Click to expand...

See, cursing does work!

I'm glad you got it out.

Red

Its a good method,but dont always work as good when the busted bolt is in steel or cast iron,its pretty easy to end up welding it to the peice that it broke off in,if its iron or steel..--in aluminum heads and engines it works really well though,because the weld wont stick to anything but the bolt...

I have put a thick washer over a busted bolt ,then filled in the hole in the washer with the welder,using fairly high heat to ensure good penetration into the busted bolt,then I'd weld a nut to the washer--and let it sit several minutes ,till the heat from welding has soaked into the surrounding metal and expanded it,before attempting to use a wrench on it to loosen it...its easier weding a washer ,than trying to weld inside the deeper hole in a nut most of the time....

Our shop teacher showed us how the most important part is waiting until the broken bolt and the washer & nut you welded had cooled enough,so the heat would expand the peice they broke off in...he'd put a wrench on the nut,hold firm pressure,and within a minute,it would suddenly go "sqeeeeeeeeak" and turn free..get impatient,and you'll twist them right off,usually leaving a much worse "mess" to fix,and a second attempt dont always end sucessfully...

I hate using E-Z outs,more often than not I snap them off and end up ****** and create a worse problem than I had before!...

I never have much luck drilling busted bolts out either,especially if they are in aluminum...I can never get the drill centered,or if I do,it always drifts off into the casting instead of drilling the bolt...if I think my skills aren't good enough,I bring parts to a local machine shop to get things "disintegrated" with a special machine they now have...its costly,but cheaper than buying a new head,etc,if your going to end up ruining it trying to get busted bolts,taps,or E-Z outs out of them..they can litteraly vaporize the busted parts out without damaging any surrounding metal...

I've had some luck with easy-outs and more luck with the stubby screw extractors Sears sells.
Welding a nut on reminds me of back 40 years ago. I was working in a machine shop and at morning coffe break one Friday I was livid. I had spent the week on one part and in the last operation, I broke off an 0-80 tap.
Geno, the welder asked why I was so peed and I told him my sad tale
He told me, after break, to bring the part and the rest of the tap to the welding shop.
10 minuted later I showed up with the part and the tap. He went in a cabinet and came out with a helmet he kept in a wooden box and in a felt draw string bag, sat at the welding bench, fiddled with some settings and welded the tap back together. He clamped the part to the bench and handed me a tap key and a loupe. The sucker came right out!

Here's something that works in situations where you can heat the area and there is a way to grab onto the broken bolt/stud . When you have the area heated up apply a candlestick on the area where the bolt/stud threads in to melt some wax and allow it to cool . Many times it comes out like butter .

Mike