Broken Tap Removal

[Richard D]

Haven't seen this one before. Not my idea.

Broken Tap Removal:
It Worked for Me!
by Rod Hagman

I recently broke a tap because I was in a hurry to clean out some rusted threads on one of my antique tractors. It was in an awkward location and I didn’t have a lot of options. Fortunately, there was a little bit of the broken tap sticking up above the surface.


I threaded a matching nut onto the body of the busted tap (the piece not stuck in the tractor). Holding the loose piece and its nut in position against the broken piece in the tractor, matching up the joint where the tap broke, I threaded the nut down over the broken joint. With the nut covering the break, the pieces were joined, though still a little loose.

Photo 1
I then carefully started three nails down the side of the tap, passing through the nut to pinch the broken end. It took a couple of tries to get the right sized nails to pass through the nut, but it made for a solid connection and when I applied enough force the broken tap turned out of the casting.

When it comes to broken taps, it’s always nice to have some tricks on hand. Hopefully this one will help somebody out of a jam.

 

[Richard D]

For some reason I can't post the second picture.

 

[larry4406]

Photo works for me. Interesting tip! Glad it worked.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Whenever I've had one break it's clean off, not a partial break.

 

[matt_i]

Very well done! Those can be quite frustrating to deal with!

 

[2oolhound]

Sometimes you're that close to being able to turn it back out. I've had them shatter in such a way that that could have worked. I'll have to remember this.

 

[bonneyman]

Photo works for me. Interesting tip! Glad it worked.

I agree! Into the tips file it goes.

 

[The Cobbler]

good idea, have to remember it

 

[catalytic]

Sometimes you can use some very small needle nose pliers the same way, sliding the jaws down into the relief cutouts of the tap.

 

[jkeyser14]

If you have a welder, I have always been successful at welding a nut onto the broken tap and then using a wrench to unscrew it.

 

[G-Body]

Walton makes a very nice tap extractor set that works in almost exactly the same way. When all else fails there's always the carbide end mill.

 

[engineer2]

I need to remove a broken ez-out from my rear end. Broke off below the surface. Ran it for years with the head of the bolt glued on. I should fix it the right way.

 

[mike1956]

The few taps I've broken have snapped at or below the surface and have turned into horror shows. Now when I have to tap I stop, get into the right frame of mind and work like a brain surgeon. Plenty of lube, small incremental turns and haven't broken one in quite some time.

 

[bonneyman]

If you have a welder, I have always been successful at welding a nut onto the broken tap and then using a wrench to unscrew it.

With my skill of welding I'd be more likely to permanently weld the nut and tap into the tool.

 

[Granite80]

The few taps I've broken have snapped at or below the surface and have turned into horror shows. Now when I have to tap I stop, get into the right frame of mind and work like a brain surgeon. Plenty of lube, small incremental turns and haven't broken one in quite some time.

Yep!!!


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[WoodsTruck]

I broke a 10-32 in a trunk latch mechanism for my neighbors Triumph. Don't ask me why I volunteered to help on his car projects, but there I was.

It was below the surface so I found a scrap piece of aluminum that I could drill a hole in and clamp so the hole was around the tap. Started building the hole full of weld until I could get high enough to grab with vice grips. I squenched the heat with WD-40 to help lubricate the threads. Once it was built up enough it popped right out. Neighbor thought he needed a new latch at first.

 

[f121]

Yesterday I learnt there's a special tool for this job (after a mate snapped one of my taps flush into a turbo housing). Lets see if it works when it turns up!

 

[slackjaw]

I have a #1 Walton set which includes 3/16" to 1/2" in 1/16" increments.

I've used them a handful of times, and they work great.

 

[Kevin54]

If you are tapping small holes, don't use three or four flute taps. The reliefs will pack up and you stand a real good chance of breaking the tap. Once you get into the 3/8" tap, it will be a three flute but has more area for material that is being cut. In all my years in tool & die, I may have broke a maximum of 6 taps. That is over a 32 year period. I still have taps in my box from when I started in the job. As far as tap extractors, you have a 50/50 chance on whether you can get the tap out or not. It all depends on how tight it was when it broke. If it's tight, which most will be, you'll bend the fingers of the extractor and the tap will still be stuck.

 

[Whitworth]

Who breaks a tap leaving it ever so conveniently sticking up proud of the surface? Lucky bastids.

I've only broken maybe three taps, always below the surface. Almost always have to trash the part.

 

[Copymutt]

Great concept, unfortunately doesn't help when what you've broken off is a screw extractor. Time for the mig and a nut i guess.