in a pickle any machinists?

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72ScampTramp

72ScampTramp

Scamp Tramp
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So I broke a valve cover bolt off in the head. So I went out and bought a screw extractor and followed the instructions. But.... now I have a broken screw extractor. its down below the head so cant weld to it. Ive tried... using a chisel to break it up no luck. Anyone got any ideas? Thinking about a carbide burr but hate to spend the money if it dont work.
 
Perhaps a left handed bit and carefully drill it out? Lots of penetrating oil and with a bit of luck it might back out depending on why it broke.....
 
Thats just it it wasnt a grade bolt just a regular bolt. I was running it in and it snapped. Though trying different stuff ive managed to booger the hole Im assuming a left handed drill bit wont touch hardened steel
 
see if you can get the exstractor out , put something in the hole and weld it , and use a little heat , one of those self lighting torches.
 
been there done that. i snapped a exhaust stud off in the head then tried to get it out with an easy out. snapped the easy out off in the hole. at that point i cut my losses and pulled the head and took it to a machine shop. took them 15 min to have it out. only cost me $25.
 
its not going to be easy with a soft bolt and a hard extractor the drill will want to follow the softer metal. good luck
 
sucks, but I would just take the head off and run it by a machine shop. if you use an aluminum cover you could probably get away with out that bolt , but im sure you don't want to do that.
 
OK i got you covered. Tickle the side of the head where the bolt goes through with some heat. A home depot self igniting torch with the yellow can of fuel (burns almost as hot as oxy/acetylene) will do just fine. Get yourself some paraffin wax (some crayons are made with it) and melt it into the hole where the bolt is. The wax will be attracted to the heat and sink down into threads of the bolt, lubing them. Get yourself a small left hand drill bit and slowly try to drill it out as centered as possible. It should walk its way up out of the hole.

Worse case scenario, it doesn't walk its way out of the hole and you just drill it out til you start to see the threads in the head and use a correct size tap to slowly clean the threads. When I say slowly, I mean SLOWLY. Turn the tap a half turn to 1 full turn at a time and remove to clean out the filings.
 
ouch that sucks, been there done that, at this point pull the head take it to the machine shop. what i do when i brake something off i will take a smaller nut hold it up as tight as i can an weld it on then heat the out side up with torch and normally they come right out
 
i like 71 scamps idea, if you get it all out and the hole or threads are gone if it is just a valve cover thread you can put a helicoil in to it and it should be fine
 
I read a few places that carbide will work. Just ran to town and bought an 1/8 carbide bur. Gonna try and get the extractor out atleast.then i think i can drill the hole hole.
 
I know You can drill out the extractor, as I like to break off a drill bit inside of the extractor thats broke off inside of the broken bolt.:banghead: Then I do the walk of shame into the machine shop and have them fix the whole mess. After I got it back they repaired the hole with what looks like brass.
 
I drilled out six exhaust studs on my truck with *wait for it*.....a concrete drill bit. Because they're carbide tipped...actually cut through the busted out screw extractor pretty easily.
 
rlevs said:
i like 71 scamps idea, if you get it all out and the hole or threads are gone if it is just a valve cover thread you can put a helicoil in to it and it should be fine
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Thanks. Must of used this method a hundred times.
 
If you have a Tig Welder you can most likely weld to it and get the extractor out. After you get the extractor out put a nut over the broken stud and start to build up material into and weld to the inside of the nut......... Use your wrench now on that nut and your broken bolt will come out. Wrench on it while it is still hot, not RED GLOWING HOT but right after it stops glowing.....Be sure to build the weld all the way to the top of the nut.

I had this happen to me a few months ago and the above worked perfect, I was all panicked like a mo fo and this process above made it cake..... Mig Welder won't do it though you need a TIG!
 
You can blah blah this and blah blah that, but Louis is da man here. That's the only sure fire way to do it and get it done.
 
So which of these suggestions was by Louis?
C
 
RustyRatRod said:
You can blah blah this and blah blah that, but Louis is da man here. That's the only sure fire way to do it and get it done.
Click to expand...

So your saying he's the only one that knows what he's doing? I've been at this for 20 years now buddy. If you read the initial post from the OP he states the bolt is too far down the hole to weld a nut to. Its also cast heads so trying to build up weld inside the hole will just fuse the nut to head and make a worse situation.
 
71Scamper said:
So your saying he's the only one that knows what he's doing? I've been at this for 20 years now buddy. If you read the initial post from the OP he states the bolt is too far down the hole to weld a nut to. Its also cast heads so trying to build up weld inside the hole will just fuse the nut to head and make a worse situation.
Click to expand...

Not true with a Tig Welder even if it is busted off past the flush point. You have so much control over the weld puddle/heat that it can be done without fusing it to the cast material...... the tungsten tip will fit right down in the hole easily . Just something to think about is all. Every situation is different. Location etc plays a big roll in how to approach it.

I have done it the way I have explained and it works perfect. The ez out busted off just like the OP's situation and everything. No reason to get all hostile over it........:D
 
Masonary bit worked! slow but worked. though drilling and monkeying around the hole got a bit wobbled but the heli coil fits and seems to hold.
 

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