drilling it out would be my last option to take. I would weld on a nut and back it off. This also heats up the stud. Youtube search it. Drill and easy outs aren't that easy.
Broken bolts and headaches
- Thread starter Kinetic
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That's always my first choice. then advance to more ugly methods (including using nitric acid once)
But not everyone can weld or has access to a welder unfortunately.
Teaching apprentice automotive techs to weld a nut on without damaging things can be fun.
As have been mentioned already. Hiring a mobile service tech may be the best option if you don't have the tools and experience.
Some comments on the comments:
EZ Out is a commonly known name for a screw extractor, kind of a colloquialism - notice how everyone knew what it meant.
The only EZ Outs that tend to break are the really small ones - use your judgement when applying force.
Welding on a nut is about 10 times the degree of dificulty of using an EZ Out (first step: get welding equipment on the boat).
EZ Out is a commonly known name for a screw extractor, kind of a colloquialism - notice how everyone knew what it meant.
The only EZ Outs that tend to break are the really small ones - use your judgement when applying force.
Welding on a nut is about 10 times the degree of dificulty of using an EZ Out (first step: get welding equipment on the boat).
Well....if you don’t have a welder then it’s not a option but a 120volt 130amp wire feed isn’t anything to get on a boat. We will have to agree to disagree on the difficulty.
That's cool - you're comfortable with welding, I've never done it. For someone with your skills, sounds like a good option. I'm comfortable with EZ Outs
Fully agree. It also depends on the grade of steel used in their manufacture and their design. Too many of them are "junk grade" now
Pros usually have good quality ones of various styles chosen for that task at hand (and threadcerts, helicoils, left handed bits etc)
To me an EZ-Out is specifically the straight fluted screw extractor type sold for decades by companies like Snapoff, as opposed to the spiral fluted type that are not as effective.
(i just went down the rabbit hole trying to find out who's trademark EZ-Out is.. with no luck)
Your last point there is truly the crux of it. Use judgment when applying force.. or heat.. or acid.. or whatever.
Unfortunately that judgment often only comes with experience.
I have had to help more than a few who have broken extractors of various sizes.
My thoughts more or less. 10 times ? Maybe not.
But someone who could do that, wouldn't post in a forum, asking how to solve the problem.
Or they post after they damaged/melted the housing the broken bolt goes in .
FWIW: My current fave tool is an induction coil heater. No flames. Just heat to work with the expansion of the 2 different metals to get it loose.
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Not to call you out but how then did you come up with 10x if you have no experience?That's cool - you're comfortable with welding, I've never done it. For someone with your skills, sounds like a good option. I'm comfortable with EZ Outs
Not trying to be argumentative but using EZ Outs is pretty basic (though not always EZ): drill a hole, put in the extractor and and unscrew the bolt - most mechanically inclined people have these skills. Welding takes training and knowledge of what you're trying to weld and you can burn up your boat. Ok, so 10 times is maybe a bit hyperbolic but it's definitely more difficult to weld in the small confines of a boat - how about 3 times
Before drilling for the easy out try beeswax and some heat. after a few cycles of heat and beeswax drill the whole and use the easy out. you will be amazed how this breaks up rust weld. I would only use the square type easy outs. I never had much luck with spiral type. read below for more info.
this is from acprevious post of mine
A Mapp Gas torch will get it hot enough, maybe to hot. The trick is to use heat and beeswax. Beeswax can be bought at hardware and marine stores and has thousands of uses. Heat screws with a torch and then touch the beeswax to the screws. The trick is to heat the screws add some wax and then use heat add more wax. That way you don't have to overheat anything. The wax will penetrate much deaper the PB or any petroleum based penetrant. Look up using beeswax to remove rusty bolts on YouTube for more info. This works great on aluminum and stainless hardware.. I used this process on my c-22 mast to remove stuck screws and the Clevis pins in the mast head. It worked great no damage to the mast, masthead or the pins. Pins were original from 1974 and very stuck! A small hammer beeswax and a mapp gas torch was all that was needed. Then use Marelube Tef-45 to keep them from corroding on reassembly. You can find Marelube at west marine or Catalina Direct. You don't use much so a small sysringe goes a long way.
The linkbelow has more detail on beesway
www.garagejournal.com
Good luck, Dano
this is from acprevious post of mine
A Mapp Gas torch will get it hot enough, maybe to hot. The trick is to use heat and beeswax. Beeswax can be bought at hardware and marine stores and has thousands of uses. Heat screws with a torch and then touch the beeswax to the screws. The trick is to heat the screws add some wax and then use heat add more wax. That way you don't have to overheat anything. The wax will penetrate much deaper the PB or any petroleum based penetrant. Look up using beeswax to remove rusty bolts on YouTube for more info. This works great on aluminum and stainless hardware.. I used this process on my c-22 mast to remove stuck screws and the Clevis pins in the mast head. It worked great no damage to the mast, masthead or the pins. Pins were original from 1974 and very stuck! A small hammer beeswax and a mapp gas torch was all that was needed. Then use Marelube Tef-45 to keep them from corroding on reassembly. You can find Marelube at west marine or Catalina Direct. You don't use much so a small sysringe goes a long way.
The linkbelow has more detail on beesway
Who has bees wax in their tool box ?
Recently I retired from going to sea for 30 years. I sailed deep sea as an engineer. Every ship had blocks of bees wax in the machine shop. It is for sale in the Mariner's Catalog. Steam engineers, even before the Cival War, melted wax on hot stubborn nuts and bolts. It would seep into any...
www.garagejournal.com
Good luck, Dano
The most impressive thing I've ever seen with Kroil was I had a snowmobile engine that was siezed up and would not turn over. I tried everything from leverage to pounding on the top of the pistons with a hammer. I periodically soaked the top of the piston with Kroil about once a week. One day I went out to try to spin it again and found the moved fairly easy. Just some minor rocking back and forth by hand and then it spun completely free. Time can be your biggest friend.
The spiral flute type puts outward pressure on the bolt on more places.
Square type only touches at 4 spots so it exerts outward pressure in just those 4 areas. A better design. .Often left handed drill bits work best in my experience.
Great info ! I have never heard of that method.