Broken Bolt On Block - Options?

[Rabbi]

Hello i picked up a shortblock from a guy here locally last week for pretty cheap.

The internals all look pretty dam good.


The only problem with the block is one bolt that holds the oil cooler assembly to the block is broken off inside the block.

The previous owner had tried to drill the bolt out without much sucess, He said he broke an EZ-OUT inside of the hole he drilled inside the bolt.


Now ive called a few machines shops here locally and they all tell me the same thing, They wont touch if at all if anyone has tried to drill the bolt out before.

So im wondering what are my options?


Here is a picture of the bolt that is broken BEFORE the previous owner tried to drill it out, it Doesn't look TOO Bad but it doesn't look exactly good either .

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[david-b]

You just have to drill it out and re-tap it. Get a good set of metal drilling drill bits and start small. Try getting different size Hexes inside and then un-screw it out. Just take your time and try not to hit the threads. If you do, retap.

 

[Rabbi]

ive broken atleast 10 drill bits attempting to just create a starter hole in the ez-out that is broken.


I Really am about to just give up and trash the block and give up, What a nightmare this is becoming.

 

[jrohner]

I've always had the best luck just welding a nut on the bolt and then screwing it out. EZ Out's have never worked for me -- either don't grip and do nothing, or grip and break off.

 

[toofast82]

I've always had the best luck just welding a nut on the bolt and then screwing it out.

Yeah i would give this a try, it should work if executed properly

 

[kahl23]

Breaking an EZ-Out is the worst. I don't know what they're made of but they're f***ing impossible to get out. I sheared the head off the bolt that holds the water pipe to the block and then got part of an EZ-Out broken off in it. The only thing that worked was high speed steel drill bits, a lot of them. Since the engine is out of the car, just take it to a machinist if you feel defeated. Shouldn't be much more than $50 or $75 to get that out.

 

[Rabbi]

I called a few machine shops and they all told me they wouldnt touch it "if anyones tried to drill it out" already.

I Found that VERY hard to believe!

I Guess i will try calling a few more, Im going to be quite pissed if i have to make a roadtrip to get this ez-out out.

 

[kahl23]

Huh, that is interesting, I didn't realize that. Good luck with that, maybe try welding a nut onto it then?

 

[crimsondragon]

If push comes to shove, you maybe have to gradually step drill it. You'll have to destroy the old original threads, retap it and Heli-coil it. But before doing that, I would definitely try the weld. If that doesn't work, go to the last option.

 

[kahl23]

Personally I would use a Time-Sert over a Helicoil, I think that it's a stronger option.

 

[Rabbi]

I Broke a few more drillbits trying to get this thing out, Not looking so good.

Im definantly going to have to pickup some heavy duty bits and attempt to drill and tap this thing for a bigger bolt.


God i hope i can fix this problem =(

 

[turboglenn]

I litterally not 10 minutes ago JUST finished removing a broken tap AND 4 heli-coils that were nhot put in right on a head i got recently (machine shops try and avoid other people;s headaches,but you can fix it! )

First get some safetly goggle and some round punches (the kind that are sharp for marking bolt holes to be drilled) and a 2 or 3lb sledge hammer, take the punches and just chip away at the easy out, it will take time, but piece by piece you'll find it's going to come out. THEN, drill the hole he started until it's all the way through the bolt, the go larger and larger on the drill bit untill you're nearing the threads in the block then you should be able to take the punch, knock what's left of the bolt loose from one edge and pick it out with small screwdrivers and a pick set.

If not, then drill it over for the apropriate size heli-coil.

It just takes patience, the reason the machine shop said no if some one already tried is because they are thinking the hols is off center in the bolt or any other host of issues that will take them more time than removing one bolt is worth... I do bolts all the time our local shops won't touch...just gotta want to make that dollar, and machine shops cna stay bussy enough ussually with out the menial work that's drilling out stuck bolts


EDIT concernging drill bitsIF you choose to drill it out with teh easy out in it...do yourself a HUGE favor and go spend the couple of bucks on a cobalt drill bit. They are hard to find but most industrial fastner places sell them. They are the only thing i'll use when drilling lots of holes in stainless because SS and hardended tool steels (easy out material) tends to dull regular bits like cutting concrete with a pocket knife


And the big hint... GO SLOW AND USE CUTTING OIL, not wd-40 or 3in1 but a good cutting oil, i prefer mystic metal mover for steels

 

[Rabbi]

Meh im done with this crap, Ive broken about 50 bucks in drill bits today.

Going to call a bunch of machine shops locally and if none of them will drill it out im ripping my internals out and trashing the block and buying another bareblock.

Its become a nightmare, If my camera was working id take a picture of the shit#### of a job this has become.


The ezout is refusing to drill so whats happening is the sides of the hole are actually being drilled and distorted to hell,So much that the threads of the original hole are probably LONG gone anyway. Its actually almost so distorted now that's it just not even savable.


One bolt pretty much just ruined my entire shortblock, What a great day

 

[kahl23]

I litterally not 10 minutes ago JUST finished removing a broken tap AND 4 heli-coils that were nhot put in right on a head i got recently (machine shops try and avoid other people;s headaches,but you can fix it! )

First get some safetly goggle and some round punches (the kind that are sharp for marking bolt holes to be drilled) and a 2 or 3lb sledge hammer, take the punches and just chip away at the easy out, it will take time, but piece by piece you'll find it's going to come out. THEN, drill the hole he started until it's all the way through the bolt, the go larger and larger on the drill bit untill you're nearing the threads in the block then you should be able to take the punch, knock what's left of the bolt loose from one edge and pick it out with small screwdrivers and a pick set.

If not, then drill it over for the apropriate size heli-coil.

It just takes patience, the reason the machine shop said no if some one already tried is because they are thinking the hols is off center in the bolt or any other host of issues that will take them more time than removing one bolt is worth... I do bolts all the time our local shops won't touch...just gotta want to make that dollar, and machine shops cna stay bussy enough ussually with out the menial work that's drilling out stuck bolts


EDIT concernging drill bitsIF you choose to drill it out with teh easy out in it...do yourself a HUGE favor and go spend the couple of bucks on a cobalt drill bit. They are hard to find but most industrial fastner places sell them. They are the only thing i'll use when drilling lots of holes in stainless because SS and hardended tool steels (easy out material) tends to dull regular bits like cutting concrete with a pocket knife


And the big hint... GO SLOW AND USE CUTTING OIL, not wd-40 or 3in1 but a good cutting oil, i prefer mystic metal mover for steels

I was just about to say, you need a Cobalt drill bit. It will get it out. Don't worry about destroying the threads. Time-sert will provide you with a new set of threads and you have to overbore it to begin with. Use the cobalt drill bit to get the remnants of the EZ-Out... out and then switch to a regular cutting bit. Once the EZ-out is gone, the rest should be simple.

 

[Cesar]

what material are screw extractors usually made from?

 

[turboglenn]

what material are screw extractors usually made from?

Well, without naming off the possible and typically used alloy numbers and just confusing people the easiest name it's known by is "high carbon tool steel"

 

[Defiant]

You'll never drill an easy-out. Breaking it up might work, if you can find a tough enough punch. Hosing it down with a can of computer keyboard air, turned upside down to blow out fluid instead of gas may help to embrittle it.

You may be able to grind it out with a Dremel. It still won't be easy, and it will take many bits. You see now why machinists won't do sloppy seconds. A lot of the trouble is that the easy-out has expanded the screw so that it's now wedged in, whereas it probably could have been chased out with a marking punch if he'd not snapped the easy-out off inside it.

If you can find an old and crusty enough machinist, he could take it out with a gas-axe. You use a cutting torch with a fine tip, heat up the screw nice and red, and give it a quick blort of air. The steel will burn out, the iron will carry off the heat quickly enough to not even damage the threads. The left-over slag -if there is any, and often there isn't- will flake out like bits of cold chocolate.

 

[kahl23]

Defiant, I agree that with a usual drill bit, you'll never drill out an EZ-Out. However, I used a Cobalt drill bit to get one out just two weeks ago. If you use machine oil and go slow, it will work.

 

[Defiant]

You have the hands of a surgeon.

 

[turboglenn]

cobalt drill bits FTMFW!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all i'll use on stainless and hardended steels because they're the only ones that won't dull down on me

 

[snailspool]

My machine shop down here has a EDM machine that uses high voltage electricity that vaporizes the offending bolt or easy out a little bit at a time. Surely someone in the area has a machine like that...