HELP I'M DESPERATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5)
04/26/2015 at 23:25 • Filed to: PROJECT CRUISE MISSILE

Because I’m a fucking retard I broke a valve cover bolt. (remember kids 35 in/lbs is not the same as 35ft/lbs ask me how I know). I tried an easy out and it did sweet fuck all for me. so next step I guess is to drill out the bolt and tap the hole bigger. only one small problem THE DRILL BIT BROKE IN THE FUCKING HOLE!!!

How do I get the broken bit out now???

What was supposed to be a quick 30min job of changing the valve cover gaskets has now turned into a 2 day nightmare with no sleep because I’m too stressed out.

Edit: I was able to shatter some of the broken bit and use a magnet to get the small pieces out. I have enough dept now to tap the hole and put in a half inch long bolt there. If I have to leave a little piece of the bit in the bottom of the hole so be it.

I fell much better now.

An hour ago I was ready to take a sledge hammer to the entire car and make a very expensive abstract lawn ornament.

DISCUSSION (28)

TheHondaBro > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:28

Can you hammer it out?

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:29

Honestly I have no idea... Leave it in there and use JB Weld and duct tape?

Nibby > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:33

Buy a Ford F350 with the powerstroke diesel engine. That’ll be around $45-50k.

Get some rope and tie it from the truck to the bolt. Slam the gas.
Problem solved.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheHondaBro
04/26/2015 at 23:34

I can’t because it’s a blind hole.

Kinja'd!!!

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:35

First you need to calm down... and maybe have some food... like one of the recent listings on Oppo.

;-)

Next, you need to research “bolt extractor”, get one and then watch this video:

Orange_Crusader > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:36

It has to be drilled with a smaller, harder bit, then extracted. If you break the smaller bit, you might be SOL.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
04/26/2015 at 23:37

I tried an easy out and it did sweet fuck all for me.

An easy out is a bolt extractor.

JGrabowMSt > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:38

Reverse threaded bit, and drill slowly.

The second that thing starts to turn freely on it’s own, stop drilling, and turn it by hand. Shouldn’t even have to re-tap it if the planets align.

Get a reverse threaded bit specifically for removing broken screws, it will be much tougher, and everything you need in life. Once it’s finished saving your life ass, take it to bed and make sweet sweet love to it as a way of making up for all the good things it did for you. Then get caught by the SO, and have some serious explaining to do.

At least that reverse threaded bit will still be there for you, and it wont judge.

1111111111111111111111 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:39

Been there. Stop. Breathe. Relax. Don’t rush. Now think about it overnight.

ly2v8-Brian > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:40

Carefully drill it out. Compare your broken bolt to a good one to get idea of what the length in the hole is. Start small, then step up the drillbit diameter. Eventually you might be able to knock it out in pieces using a pick and a magnetized screwdriver (rub the driver with a permanent magnet it leaves a bit of magnetism in the steel). If that doesn't work drill it until nothing is left but the bolt threads, and then pass a tap through using a magnet to remove the filings.

DrJohannVegas > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:43

Localized heat, penetrating oil (when heat source is away), then try to “undrill” the bit with whatever you can grab with.

There do exist tools for this sort of thing, they pinch the sides of the drill reliefs, but they generally suck. Heat and hope works best for me in these cases.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > JGrabowMSt
04/26/2015 at 23:45

I’ve been looking for left handed bits for 2 days. Everywhere I go (in Canada) have never even heard of it. I would of been done 2 days ago if I had it. You see I was first trying to use a bolt extractor and while drilling the hole for it the bolt spun all the way to the bottom which made my problem much worst. A left handed bit would of been ideal yesterday.

Even if I found one now and a drill bit drill into another drill bit? and I don’t really have a flat surface to drill into either.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > ly2v8-Brian
04/26/2015 at 23:47

that was the plan. The bolt is not gone but the bit took it’s place. since there is no longer any flat surface to drill into I don’t know what to do.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:49

Add penetrating oil, heat metal around bolt/broken drill bit and/or apply cold to stuck-in bolt, retry bolt extractor or use different extractor:

http://www.irwin.com/tools/browse/s…

Another approach... add penetrating oil, let it soak for an hour. Clean out excess. Drill hole in bolt, tap bolt, screw in screw with locktight on it into broken bolt, wait for a bit, try to unscrew broken bolt out of block.

Look into getting a left-handed drill bit:

Clown Shoe Pilot > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:51

I don’t have any advice for you, but I feel your pain. I had a similar thing happen to me a few months back. You’re in a little more of a pickle though, because your problem is in the engine bay in a casting. Mine was inside the car in a piece of bodywork.

I ended up taking mine to a indy shop and they did a fair amount of cutting and welding to un-fuck my situation.

Good luck

Frank Grimes > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:52

do some welding of a bolt onto it and back it out.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:53

If all else fails after easy outs and Loctiting things to the bolt...

Remove head, take it to a machine shop and let them deal with it.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:54

Like others have said. The first thing I would do here is walk away. I’m slowly learning that things go much easier for me if I don’t get all pissed off, which I admit is a big flaw for me. If something happens like this, I have a tendency to make things much worse by trying to save it while frustrated. I also generally just make a jackass of myself.

Shit happens. Sometimes, you can better undo the happening if you just take a step back and think. It can be anything to help. If there’s something else to do on the car, mess with that. Go grab a bite of food. Even just cleaning up my tools and stuff calms me down because it gives me a square zero to start at.

The next step is to figure out and fix the problem. You have a multitude of suggestions to try here, so there really is nothing else to list that I personally know of.

Just remember, people have been wrenching on cars for over 100 years now, and I’m sure many have had this problem. And I’m sure they’ve fixed it. So it is possible.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/26/2015 at 23:57

These aren’t local, but it’s better than nothing -

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-10038A-S…

They’re also M2 steel, so they’re hopefully a little harder than your target metal.

Toby F., Manager > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 00:00

How about a mini dremel tool to destroy (cut up/grind) the bit? May take a few hours and lots of cooling liquid/lube; and, maybe a few cutting heads/attachments in addition to a magnet to attract and extract the shavings.

ly2v8-Brian > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 00:01

Sorry, I was clearly not paying attention (I guess I'm still amped up from this afternoon's hockey game). Same plan, just go straight for the biggest bit you have. This is going to be a tough bitch to get out because now you are dealing with hardened steel.

JGrabowMSt > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 00:02

You can use a small masonry bit to start a tapping point, but get a reverse threaded bit if possible.

If you have a big box hardware store, ask for bolt extraction kits, or if theres a section you can browse.

I say this super often, but if youre really stuck, see if you have any local custom repair/mod shops that have advice on where to find the bit. Take all the time you need, and get some sleep! Its just a bolt.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 00:25

http://www.tooltown.ca/Neiko-13-Piece…

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > 1111111111111111111111
04/27/2015 at 00:39

Will do. I think I’m good now. I was able to shatter some of the broken bit and use a magnet to get the small pieces out. I have enough dept now to tap the hole and put in a half inch long bolt there. If I have to leave a little piece of the bit in the bottom of the hole so be it.

I fell much better now.

An hour ago I was ready to take a sledge hammer to the entire car and make a very expensive abstract lawn ornament.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 01:09

First thing, take some time to chill.

Second thing, start to come to terms with the fact that the fix might need to be taking the head off and either scrapping and replacing it, or taking it to a machine shop to cut the mess out, weld up the head, and machine it. If that’s your expected scenario, anything better than that’s a win and you won’t get so pissed when other things you try don’t work.

Third thing, try a few other options:

See if you can rotate the whole mess by tapping on the edge of the broken bit at an angle using a drift. If the bolt was loose enough that you screwed it to the bottom trying to get an easy-out in, you might be in luck.

Failing that, find an appropriate sized Allen key, cut off the bent pit so you have a length of hardened hex bar, and cut a slot in the end that fits over the chunk that’s stuck in the bolt. Now use it as a “socket” in an impact driver to try and loosen the drill and bolt and let you screw it out.

If you break the “socket” try again with a bit of mild steel (e.g. a cheap Chinese socket extension filed or turned to size), which will be less strong but less prone to shatter under impact.

If that doesn’t work, you may be able to braze or weld a bit of rod to the end of the drill bit and use that to screw it out.

And anything else anyone here comes up with, there’s some smart guys around.

Heat the head with a torch as you try any of these - aluminium expands faster than steel, so heat will loosen it.

Forget trying to drill it out, with the uneven surface of the broken bit already in there you’ll never get a new hole to start centrally, you’ll just wind up making a mess of the head.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > JGrabowMSt
04/27/2015 at 08:36

reverse-cut drill bits are THE BEST.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
04/27/2015 at 23:32

I was just checking back to see how it was going. I’m glad to hear you found a solution and didn’t succumb to total madness.

:-)

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
04/28/2015 at 00:09

I literally just finished assembling everything 2 mins ago. I just took off my coveralls.

It went perfectly. I almost had a nervous breakdown today I had this extreme fear that I would break the tap in the hole. So I was super careful. Turn 1/4 of a turn back it off re-lube then another 1/4 turn until I was done. It went without a hitch. I feel like I just removed 100lbs from my shoulders.