HELP oil pan bolt(s)broken off and won't drill through

[bsbllfit7]

So I was putting in my new transmission and while the tranny was out fixed an oil leak. Well when i was putting the bolts back in i tried torquing them to spec (9 ft lbs) and 2 of the bolts broke off on me. Both of them are below the surface and i have tried to drill a pilot hole to use an easy out. This does not seem to be working and am wondering what other options i may have without removing the actual oil pan again. Removing the pan to remove the bolts would be a worst case scenario so I'm looking for other alternatives. Please get back to me and tell me what methods have worked for you guys in the past. Thanks in advance!

 

[luv2rallye]

Whatever you decide next time torque them to the real spec which is 5 ft-lbs.

 

[bsbllfit7]

I looked on the forum for the torque specs and I was told 9 was the correct torque. Can anyone else confirm or deny that torque spec for me. Just want to verify the spec. Also once again help getting these bolts out would be nice.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

 

[evileagleawd]

And use a inch pounds torque wrench when dealing with low torque values so do them at 60 inch pounds!

Matco tool set SE100 works great for extracting bolts! Its has saved me countless times! Here is a link good luck! https://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/search.jsp?search=all&query=SE100

 

[pos4g63]

Its 5 I did mine tonight

 

[bsbllfit7]

haha well dammit then. Any words of wisdom for removing these bolts when they won't drill? I got nothing but time on my hands and would love to get those out and set some new ones to 5 ft lbs so i can get her back on the road!

 

[1gTSIeagle]

try heating them up,or maybe just drill them out ,without the ez out

 

[bsbllfit7]

im drilling them with a standard drill, even tried using a dremel at higher speeds after low speed failed. I can't get anything to drill through. I have ever so slightly dimpled the bolt shaft.

 

[Sewey_GSX]

Time for better drill bits.
It's the only way.


However, if the two broken ones aaren't right next to each other, you could probably get away with installing the pan without those two bolts. It shoudn't leak with a nice bead of silicon.

 

[adr127]

I spent a summer drilling 70 year old rusted bolts out of a Ford Model A. Easy outs were more trouble than they were worth for me.

I learned on my own that if you start with a pilot hole, which it sounds like you have, if you step up to the next size and drill out the hole a little bigger and bigger, little bits at a time, usually at some point the bit will grab on to the bolt and unscrew it.

If it doesn't do that, then keep going until you have drilled out the bolt and only the threads are left plus a very thin layer of the bolt. then get ahold of some dentist teeth scrapers, and scrape the threads out.

If neither of those work, I guess you could just drill the whole thing out and re tap the manifold.

 

[bryanwheat]

For one like this that is a clean snap a small chisel will usually back it right out.

 

[1983gsp]

A good set of left hand drill bits is the way to go. Left hand means anticlockwise. Usually when you start drilling the bit grabs the bolt and spins it right out of there. Spend extravagantly and be pleased with the tool when it works right every time, spend cheaply and be displeased with the tool when it never works right. Your choice.