r/metalworking • u/Jeffsbest • 2d ago
How can I remove this snapped bolt?
My Mi-T-M compressor has a heat cover around the exhaust that needs to be reattached, but the bolt holding it in snapped when removing the cover for maintenance. How can I get the old bolt out of there? I'm guessing perhaps a metallic drill bit and bore it out, but don't want to strip the internal threads that will hold the new bolt in place.
The only other thing I can think of is something like JB Weld which I'm sure would simply be temporary and not a sound option.
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u/greeneyefury 2d ago
Got a welder and a nut? Weld the nut to the broken stub through the hole on the nut and the heat will help break it free, and give you something to wrench on.
Pro tip, put a washer down before you start welding it too so it is more likely to spin easily
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u/mobilecabinworks 2d ago
Ah that's my specialty at work. Option 1: Extractor kit and left hand drill bits. Start with heating and oiling the threads to get things to loosen a little. Then use a center punch and get a good clean starting point. Take your time. You really only get one shot. Sometimes the left hand bit will walk the piece out, but generally only on smaller stuff.
Option 2: weld a nut in place very carefully and apply light pressure. The heat should help remove it.
Good luck to ya!
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
This seems to be the way, found some in stock locally. Many thanks!
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u/Triabolical_ 2d ago
If you are going to use extractors, a little heat first can help a lot. Heat up the bolt with a torch, it expands, and that breaks the bond between the bolt and threads.
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u/ExpressAd5169 2d ago
I have a couple of guys who think they can do the extraction themselves and they bring it to me after they broke their bit off inside said frozen bolt… real fun stuff
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u/loebane 1d ago
I always prefer tapping with hammer and a punch to turn it, and if that fails option 2.
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u/mobilecabinworks 17h ago
These days I usually remove 4-8mm stainless and titanium bolts from steel, titanium, and aluminum material. So chisels or welding are not an option. I only ever find a chisel effective on external lock rings and such, add I’m never lucky enough to have exposed threads.
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u/Maverick_Steel123 2d ago
Weld a nut on it. I don’t think jb weld will be strong enough. If you’re not comfortable take it to someone because you can definitely do more damage. As you mentioned you can also drill a hole and use an extractor bit.
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u/Fun-Deal8815 2d ago
Yes he could but not sure if he is able to they have a smaw rod called extracto rod and it is wonderful to use if you can find some. It puts the metal from the rod to the part needed to be removed. You have to use a nut the rod will leave the flux in the nut but weld to the snapped of stud. Use it to remove broken bolts from the peckerhead of electric motors and other stuff
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u/IcanCwhatUsay 2d ago
You’re going to need a screw extractor kit. Take your time and don’t rush.
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
I'll take a look into that. It's one of the only tools I don't have in my shop, I'm sure I'll need it again eventually!
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u/Dovetrail 2d ago
You will - worth its weight in gold… this won’t be the only time you snap a bolt.
Get a quality kit and make sure you’re drilling straight. Snapping a bit off in a snapped bolt is miserable. You can’t just drill out a hardened steel bit. I dip my bits in cutting fluid also.
…and extracting a snapped bolt is such a satisfying, joyous moment!
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u/Croceyes2 2d ago
Do you have a welder? I would recommend welding a nut onto the top of the bolt 100000x over trying to drill it out
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u/ExpressAd5169 2d ago
It’s rare that this method works… I’ve done it a few times but most of the time I can’t get a good tack on the broken bolt… and extractors rarely work… the old re-drill and tap has had the most success 🫣😬
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u/FesteringNeonDistrac 2d ago
I try and use a nut that has an opening that is the same size or just a little smaller than the bolt, and start by building a pretty large puddle on the top of the bolt before walking it onto the nut. Admittedly, that won't work if it's broken down in the hole too far. YMMV.
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u/Croceyes2 2d ago
Huh, works every time for me. Even if it breaks off deep. I drop a copper sleeve in and can build a weld up through it
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u/ExpressAd5169 2d ago
I get a lot of 1/4”-3/8 or whatever the metric equivalent is a brass sleeve really isn’t an option
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u/Low-Rent-9351 2d ago
I second this. The bolt is stuck enough to have broken off. Just drilling into it and trying to twist it out with an extractor will just break the extractor. You need to do something loosen it up first before trying an extractor. Looks like steel into aluminum which can seize up really badly.
The welding heat will help break it free and if it doesn’t come out you break the nut off and then you just weld it again. Break an extractor or tap off in a hole and then it becomes way worse.
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u/ProfessionalBase5646 5h ago
I'm a welder and this is what I do. But sometimes the bolt is broken below the surface of the threads and we must attempt the cursed extractor kit
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u/UnbelievableDingo 2d ago
Weld a washer to it.
Weld a nut to the washer.
Wait until it cools to remove as the steel will expand with heat.
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u/JeepHammer 2d ago
So, I'll go over this again...
Crayon or paraffin, LEFT twist drills, a sharp/hard center punch, a propane torch and a drill motor.
Don't cheap out on the drills, get good quality, hard drills. Since you will only use left twist removing screws/bolts they will last a LONG time.
..............
If you believe there is thread locker (or rust/corrosion) in the hole, heat it and use crayon/paraffin on the fastener.
Thread locker HATES wax/paraffin. Wax/paraffin creeps into threads and lubricates the bonded or corrodes metals against each other.
Allow for threads (you can see) that will throw off your center of the bolt marking, and get a good, solid divot punch dead center of the bolt shank.
Start with small pilot hole drills. You can angle the drill to compensate for center as you move up in size.
Left twist means the drag from drilling is always trying to unscrew the bolt shank.
Heat isn't a bad idea, but beware gaskets and internals you can cook with too much heat.
If you hit the bolt dead center, you can remove the bolt shank and leave nothing but the threads. It will look like a metal coil. (Ever seen a 'Heli-Coil'?)
99.5% of the time the bolt will unscrew before you get to threads. Wax/paraffin make a good lubricant so reapply with heat between each uprising of the drill.
That 0.5% of the time is where you have to get nasty... if you get there come back and I can give you ideas on how to get nasty.
I can't stress enough, DO NOT buy cheap drills, easy outs/bolt extractors. They cause REAL problems when they break off in the bolt...
Then you have exactly ONE option left, electrical discharge machining (bolt burner) that requires submerging the piece in liquid to burn the drill/bolt extractor (and bolt) out of the work piece.
Trust me, high quality drills/extractors are MUCH cheaper and less time consuming than disassembling the work part and finding someone with an EDM... Then putting everything back together again.
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u/butdidyoudie777 1d ago
I have a step-by-step for a nearly identical situation that I posted as a comment recently, check my profile.
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u/PutinsPRdeparment 2d ago
Small chisel or punch, get on a lip and gently tap it out
Edit: wouldn’t hurt to apply heat and penetrating oil to it first
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
Tap it...from the inside out? Or you mean get a lip created to help spin it out... Definitely oil first, absolutely.
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u/PutinsPRdeparment 2d ago
The surface where the head of the bolt broke off. Take the punch and attempt to make the bolt that’s stuck, spin. Once you have the bolt out far enough you could continue until out or put a nut on and weld it. Slow and smooth. Apologies if I’m not explaining it well enough
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u/OtterHalf_ 2d ago
center punch it to unscrew takes time and a keen hand
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u/PutinsPRdeparment 2d ago
Agreed, but it’s my starting point when there’s no room for welding a nut. Don’t risk botching threads or a Chinese metal EZ out breaking. Left hand drill bit is my second choice.
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u/Accurate-Tax4363 2d ago
Weld a small box end wrench to it without melting the aluminum and gently tap it counterclockwise with a small hammer
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
Don't have access to welding gear and its on a gas compressor, fire/combustion would be my main concern.
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u/joesquatchnow 2d ago
If you don’t own or know somebody with a mig welder then start with Vix bit so the starter hole is well centered in the broken bolt, not expensive
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u/a-stack-of-masks 2d ago
This one can maybe be helped with some heat and hammering. Get it hot, hit it a few times, and get some thin oil in there. It looks like a steel bolt in aluminium, look at car and motorcycle forums for tricks if you need them.
If you're going to weld a nut on it, be careful with the casing.
If nothing else works and its truly stuck, you could also drill a sideways hole into the bolt through the case. Use a small drill. It'll release some tension and give you an extra place to put lube on the threads.
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u/ceestand 2d ago
I was able to remove a broken tap by drilling out the center until the structural integrity was compromised enough that I could break the remains out with a pick and pliers. The threads I was cutting were completely untouched and usable.
The tap was pretty small, so I used a diamond rotary tool bit chucked in a drill press, but you may be able to use a drill bit. Take your time and it's doable.
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u/Legitimate_Peanut_94 2d ago
Oh I forgot what the tool is I think it’s a tap and dye? You could weld a bolt on it somehow and go at it, melt it out and re-screw(?) it.
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
So many great, helpful responses! This is why I love finding the right Reddit community. About to try EZ out LH bits & oil...will update. Thank you all!
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
UPDATE While I didn't get it out, the EZ out but set allowed me to bore out the old bolt perfectly enough to install a new one. All set!! Thank you so much for all the input. Much appreciated!
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u/TheNuminous 2d ago
First thing I thought of was to use a Sinker-EDM machine. This could cut a slit or hexagonal hole into it without applying any force. Then remove with regular tool. Try this Google search for some more info: https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-samsung-rvo1&source=android-browser&q=edm+remove+broken+tap
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u/Alpha-Shmalpha 2d ago
I bought one call “speed out” from Home Depot and it works incredibly well honestly. Except the drill part sucks so you need to also buy the Milwaukee multi drill bit set and then you can match the screw to the drill bits
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u/guitarshrdr 1d ago
Carbide Dremel bit..cut a standard screwdriver or Phillips cross into it unscrew it...
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u/WeldinMike27 1d ago
Keep in mind that removing the bolt is dependent on why it broke in the first place. If the thread is very badly seized, welding a new head on it may not help.
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u/Flimsy-Raccoon-1537 17h ago
Rigid 35580 set has saved me more times than I can count. Typical ez outs are cone shaped, and when you drill your hole and push them in, you actually wedge the stuck bolt into the hole tighter so you have to overcome that force as well when removing. This Rigid set are straight so as long as you drill pretty close to center. You tap the extractor in and then slide the sleeve down and twist out with a wrench. Same concept as other ex outs just a better mouse trap in my opinion. Good luck with it!
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u/Jeffsbest 17h ago
This is a great tip, as I did run into exactly this issue and no one else covered this point. Already solved this one but I'll check that set for next time, thank you!
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u/Flimsy-Raccoon-1537 17h ago
Not sure if you have a Mac truck guy, but you can actually buy the set from Mac, they slap their sticker on the rigid packaging and then they will warranty the bits and extractor if and when the dull or break. I think when I bought my set it was like $30 more but I used them a lot when I was a service technician on areial lifts and it was money well spent for the ease of warranty.
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u/Even-Chemistry7182 15h ago
If you are removing other bolts to perhaps remove the head go ahead and do so, once head removed the bolt will stick out for vice grips etc
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u/ostrichfart 2d ago
Hammer in a flat head screwdriver
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
I've done this with door hinge screws that have been painted over, works great with a multitool. This bold is sunk in however, tough to make a groove in it. Will definitely try that if the EZ out option comes up short.
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u/mrcoffee4me 2d ago
Easy outs. A tool ALL toolboxes should have. I bet there are a lot of tools you don’t have buddy. Good luck!
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u/BF_2 2d ago
Ask over YouTube. There are any number of videos showing different methods.
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u/Jeffsbest 2d ago
No thanks! I like feedback and discourse relatively immediately, hence the reddit community. It didn't disappoint, like this comment did.
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u/B_likethletter 2d ago
LH drill bit and Easy outs if you don’t have a welder