HowTo: Removing a broken bolt.

[wagonist]

Shane: yes it is beyond my fixing now, though I do have almost a screamer pipe at the mo...

The stud can't be replaced as such. It's a special longer bolt with flanges & stuff on it to allow for a spring to be installed over the top. ie this flange is where the flex joint is in my exhaust.

[takai]

Time to get it cut out and a new flange welded in.

[wagonist]

not quite that desperate yet.
I can still remove the dump pipe off the turbo to get at the remains of the bolt. Which I'd have to do to get a new flange welded one anyway, at which I may as well get a new dump made that's better (but my bank balance can't afford )

[boshy]

Is it possible to just drill out broken bolt out of the flange & fit a longer bolt through the flange. Also jumping on thread an even quicker way to remove broken bolts/studs is using left hand drill bits. Just as simple as putting your drill in reverse & when the drill grabs it will wind bolt out....

[IAN20V]

bunnings also sell screw extractor sets for $30 ish, they work wonders

[wagonist]

Is it possible to just drill out broken bolt out of the flange & fit a longer bolt through the flange. Also jumping on thread an even quicker way to remove broken bolts/studs is using left hand drill bits. Just as simple as putting your drill in reverse & when the drill grabs it will wind bolt out....

Not possible unfortunately.
Not normal bolts
Exhaust bolts shown at top

[camshere]

Well seeing as i wrote this up for PF i thought i may as well copy it over:


Of course there are other ways of getting bolts out, my favourite if that method doesnt work is to put a tack weld between the torx bit and the bolt.
If that doesnt work then ill drill out to 4.5mm and try an ezybreak... ooops ezyout.... and if that doesnt work ill drill out further and retap/helicoil.

You are a dead set hero. I unfortunately snapped the bolt holding my crank angle sensor onto the block of my magna when doing the timing belt. Very close to the chassis rail (transverse mounted engine) and no room to work - i snapped TWO easyouts and was just about to snap myself when i thought i'd try your suggestion - 2 minutes and a $2 torx bit later and its out.

You are a legend, massive +rep

[cambelt]

So what happens when the ezy break snaps in the bolt and is stuck , Ive never been able to drill them as there too hard.
Dave

[petergoudie]

You get a guy with a 'Spark Eroder'. It is a sort of transformer with a set of points that makes a spark like a dizzy although it sparks with 'amps'. On the end is a hollow brass electrode with water running through it to cool everything. It just slowly sparks the broken esybreak out. I imagine there are carbon electrodes also.

[The Witzl]

in case you missed it... i added this guide to the FAQ.
Unforunately i dont have the ability to copy the thread in there, so had to copy your post and post it myself.

Hope you dont mind Takai.

[takai]

Dont mind at all mate, happy for the information to be shared around.

[thechuckster]

So what happens when the ezy break snaps in the bolt and is stuck , Ive never been able to drill them as there too hard.

you swear like a trooper and randomly throw tools around your workshop? then you weld something to the back of the easyout (and hopefully the bol) and try to wind the little bastard out. This is promptly followed by discarding your other annoyingly-fragile easyouts into the landscape via a ballistic trajectory... and more swearing.

[87lux]

You can also buy left hand drill bits. You start drilling and if the bit bites enough the thread comes out with the drill bit. It's probably no good for those stubbon ones though

[big wad]

another way that works well is to put a thick washer over the broken bolt and weld the washer to it through the hole then weld a larger nut to the washer and just use a socket to remove. cheers bigwad

[The Witzl]

Just need to add - this guide saved me on the weekend. Had one the clutch cover bolts snap off when being done up (not that tightly either!), and just used a 1/8" titanium nitride coated drill bit and a 1/8 torx bit, and out she came!

Was really really easy - i even used a cordless drill