Broken bolt

[74 Bronco Billy]

So I have my salvaged explorer timing cover with a broken off bolt in it. Drilled hole for easy out, but it won't budge, even with my miracle mix of 50/50 acetone/ transmission fluid. Never tried heat on Aluminum parts, ideas?

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[MonsterBIlly]

Heat always works...its science

 

[tirewater]

Nothing wrong with using heat. Get it nice and hot and try the easy out again. Just don't break the easy out in the bolt.

If heat doesn't work, start drilling the bolt out little by little until you can chisel & pick it out.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, can you grab it with a small vice grips? That may work better.
If that hole goes all the way through I would keep drilling.
Good luck

 

[langester]

You can also try to clean up the bolt and weld a nut to it. That will heat it up as well as give you a place to put a wrench on it. Let it cool before you try to remove it.

 

[phred]

You can also try to clean up the bolt and weld a nut to it. That will heat it up as well as give you a place to put a wrench on it. Let it cool before you try to remove it.

X2. This has been the best method I’ve ever used. Broken ez-out, off center drilled holes, and ruined threads all suck. Weld and let cool then it will come out. Another thing to do while the bolt is hot jam a candle against the bolt. The heat will wick the wax down into the threads and help lubricate it.


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[pcf_mark]

X3 on welding a nut to the broken part.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Weld a nut works great. Usually go through several nuts, not a problem. Keep welding new ones on. Usually works best for me is unscrew while hot. I have also put an ice cube to them.

 

[Apogee]

Aluminum expands much quicker than steel, so heat works better with a steel fastener in aluminum than steel in steel in my experience. I would hit the timing cover with a torch, and then hit the fastener with an EZ Out installed in an impact driver.

 

[Bronco4x4]

A good last resort would be to keep increasing drill size to make bolt weak (thinner wall) for easy out or collapse into itself. Also try left handed drill bit. Sometimes you can jam a larger LH bit to reverse out.

 

[svastano]

Like others said: Heat and a wax candle. It will come out every time!

 

[sanndmann3]

After welding nut on, I would mount in a vice and clamp down hard on nut. take a propane torch to the aluminum casting to warm it up and expand it. start wiggling the timing cover back and forth. it will come loose eventually (unless threads are stripped).

 

[sanndmann3]

p.s. I lover easy outs when they work but totally hate them when they snap (most of the time they snap on me)... really hard stuff. tough to drill.

 

[Broncobowsher]

After welding nut on, I would mount in a vice and clamp down hard on nut. take a propane torch to the aluminum casting to warm it up and expand it. start wiggling the timing cover back and forth. it will come loose eventually (unless threads are stripped).

Too much work.
weld the nut on
Once it cools below glowing red, hit it with the impact.
Weld another nut on and repeat.

 

[Pa PITT]

THEY beat me to it but .. I too say heat it up torch . Then put a birthday candle on it . Let it cool . & I'd also use the left handed drill bit.
.........
.... I'LL Ask the others here .. about using the Hammer drill ..
That vibration like the impact has is good. I just don't have any experience with a hammer drill.

 

[Bronco4x4]

Never tried the hammer drill but it sounds like an option.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Hammer drill is for poking holes in concrete, not metal. Materials that chip, not bend.

 

[Bronco4x4]

A light impact action might help.

 

[CopperRanger]

Never heard of using a candle with heat, can someone explain?

 

[JT58]

I usually keep drilling one size up at a time until the wall is so thin the bolt comes right out or you pick the rest out of it out of the thread. Then I would run a tap through to clean out the threads. Had to do this for the brackets in the hard top that go into the tail gate posts. The bolts were so rusted and/or the heads stripped so I drilled them out.