Broken Bolts, It's Always Broken Bolts That Get Me

[Conquistador3]

Not strictly model or even chainsaw specific but I'd like to know how in the world you people deal with broken bolts. They have been driving me crazy for decades.

Over the years I've tried (with zero success) various prupose-built extractors, hacksaw and screwdriver, monkey wrenches, drill them out... whatever you can think of. I've never managed to extract a single broken bolt.
Once upon a time it wasn't a big deal: there was a nice machine shop ten miles away: just drop off the parts and they'd take care of them. But then the shop changed ownership, their job quality went off a cliff and deservedly went out of business two years later.

Yes, I know: try not to break any bolts while undoing them, no matter how stuck solid they are. But it happens sometimes. And it's d be nice to have a fighting chance instead of simply throwing parts in the scrap metal heap and heading off to eBay or the dealership.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

 

[foeke]

Check on youtube my guru. Ave channel.

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[foeke]

Enter to soon. Manly man skills. He also explained several ways to get out broken screws

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[Sepia]

Check on youtube my guru. Ave channel.

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A link would be helpful. I can't decipher exactly what/who you are trying to point to on utube.

 

[foeke]

And maybe

And for stuck bolts in impractical places
https://youtu.be/I3PdxUvhgTw

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[foeke]

Watching his videos is like petting kittens while meditating. It's just improves your life in general.

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[foeke]

I'm not a workshop master, but I am very lazy. (Bill Gates ones said, always hire lazy people, they will find the most efficient way to do the job. or something in that direction). I find starting of with a big temperature difference always helps. So get that bolt really hot with the grinder, if you want to use the a counter rotating drill technique. If you can weld somepiece of metal to it, make sure to heat the bolt more than the scrap metal. Percussive maintenance also works great.

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[Sportfury70]

I've dealt with this many, many times on vehicles. Latest was an AWD BMW, the steering knuckle bolt seized and had to drill it out. Took 4 hours and every drill bit I had.

I've never successfully used an extractor, ever. The only luck I've ever had was multiple applications of PB Blaster overnight and alternating with heat while tapping the item with a hammer.

The key to winning is patience to avoid snapping the bolt in the first place. Put it back together with antiseize or locktite. Locktite does a good job protecting against chemical welds, I always keep a big tube of it.

 

[Sepia]

Watched the last video first. Some good info. All the swearing adds nothing for me, but might impress the kids.

I must be getting old

 

[Mad Professor]

torque wrench or don't be a gorilla

Never seize

Don't use cheap hardware.

Don't use cheap/wrong tools to try to fix what is broken, you might make things worse.

 

[foeke]

Oh yeah, don't use powertools or air powered tools to unscrew dogdy bolts. All they energy you put in, converts to heat. And by heating a bolt up, it expands and locks up complete.

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[Sepia]

I will add one method of rusted bold extraction I have used with some success.

Soak the bolt with your favorite penetrant. Apply light torque to the bolt with a wrench, while at the same time hitting the center of the bolt head with a ball peen hammer. Then apply torque to the bolt head, but in the opposite direction, while again striking the bolt head with the ball peen hammer. Work back and forth, and be patient. Don't apply excessive torque to the bolt, and repeat the application of penetrant. The idea is to shock the rusted bolt, allowing slight amounts of penetrant to enter the threads, while at the same time breaking up the rust/corrosion that is binding the bolt. At first you will sense no movement of the bolt, but many times it will begin to move after a minute or two (or longer) of working on it.

If you can't grip the head of the bolt, cut the head off, remove the part that was being held by the rusted fastener, and work on the shank of the bolt in the same manner as above.

 

[Jeff Lary]

I will have to toss a piece of metal in a jar with Alum I need to try that out looks cool. But maybe I have already made a mistake already, didn't he use the Alum on a broken tap and not a broken bolt ? maybe for some reason the metal used in tap making would react differently than just a piece of bolt steel?

 

[Sepia]

I have seen the alum method on youtube on a broken stud and the results were the same.

 

[Van462]

The use of antiseize and "loctite" has ended most of my broken bolt issues. but you aren't usually the one who has assembled the item you are taking apart. but I do find a set of left twist drill bits very handy. Run your drill in reverse and drill the bolt. Often as the drill is drilling, it will just unwind the bolt. If I am working on an item I suspect will have bolts that shear, then a preapplication of PB blaster as stated above seems to help.

 

[Stihl 041S]

The use of antiseize and "loctite" has ended most of my broken bolt issues. but you aren't usually the one who has assembled the item you are taking apart. but I do find a set of left twist drill bits very handy. Run your drill in reverse and drill the bolt. Often as the drill is drilling, it will just unwind the bolt. If I am working on an item I suspect will have bolts that shear, then a preapplication of PB blaster as stated above seems to help.

Yup. Left hand drills
Square ez outs
50/50% acetone/ATF. Be careful it burns well

 

[Sepia]

+1 on the square eezee outs - forget about the spiral jobbies.

 

[Rob Stafari]

Yes the square ones are the only ones that I've ever managed to make work, but of course I've still broken them as well.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Yes the square ones are the only ones that I've ever managed to make work, but of course I've still broken them as well.

Yeah.......
I guy came over A while ago from assembly......
HELP!!!!!!
I just broke off a 1" tap in a mounting plate!!!!!
I was impressed.....
Told him to get it on a fork and we'll fix it.
A Dr Pepper would be needed also.
Now when I see him rolling a cart toward me with a Dr Pepper on the front I know it will be interesting

 

[Okie]

I will add one method of rusted bold extraction I have used with some success.

Soak the bolt with your favorite penetrant. Apply light torque to the bolt with a wrench, while at the same time hitting the center of the bolt head with a ball peen hammer. Then apply torque to the bolt head, but in the opposite direction, while again striking the bolt head with the ball peen hammer. Work back and forth, and be patient. Don't apply excessive torque to the bolt, and repeat the application of penetrant. The idea is to shock the rusted bolt, allowing slight amounts of penetrant to enter the threads, while at the same time breaking up the rust/corrosion that is binding the bolt. At first you will sense no movement of the bolt, but many times it will begin to move after a minute or two (or longer) of working on it.

If you can't grip the head of the bolt, cut the head off, remove the part that was being held by the rusted fastener, and work on the shank of the bolt in the same manner as above.

I use the hammer technique, but I also have a air chisel rigged up with a blunt head punch and a air regulator right at the input to the air chisel/hammer. I take a 6 point open end wrench so as I can see the end of the bolt, not a 12 point wrench and not a socket. Set the air hammer on a piece of metal first, push hard and adjust the regulator air pressure so as the metal is singing, sound like a wood carpenter Bumble Bee and the air pressure is very critical at around 20 lbs and if you place a finger on the metal you can feel it stinging and vibrating and making a singing noise. Do this and if possible add a thread penetrating lube, like a mix of 50.50 acetone and xmission fluid, and try to move the bolt both ways little at a time. If you ever see it move just little bit stay patient and it will give up using the air hammer.
I've also welded a nut onto the end of a twisted off stud.
I think main thing to keep from twisting them off is be aware of what you are doing and use smaller wrenchs until you get them loosened. (don't use a 1/2 inch ratchet or a long 1/2 inch breakover when you could be using a 1/4 inch drive, etc)