To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Removing broken bolt the drill bit ran in

^&right

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
426
Location
Indiana
I'll start by saying, I got lucky, but maybe this will help someone in the future. Keep in mind I was using relatively cheap tools

The transfer case shifter lever broke off in my hand when I tried to return to 2WD in my '89 F-250. The problem was the 2 bolts that held the shift lever to the transfer case linkage had sheered off. I think one had a long time ago and I finished the second off.

Started the standard procedure by soaking things in Kroil then dimpling the center with a punch and hammer. Kept at but not getting too far. Got a drill bit in there and it wasn't doing much better then disaster stuck. The drill bit caught the broken bold, which had become free and it spun itself and bottomed out in its hole a good half inch deep. Much deeper than my HF easy out could reach.

So what I did was having already gotten a hole started, I stepped down a drill bit size and went at it. Immediate smoke and metal shavings emerged, good. Then I took one of those small phillips screwdrivers with a magnet on the end mechanics keep in their shirt pocket, jammed it into the hole and literally unscrewed the broken bolt from its hole. The hole left by the bit was just a tad smaller than the phillips screwdriver shank, the phillips head bit into the bolt and I was able to get everything out drama free. AND it worked when the EZ outs didn't.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

bad_idea

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
4,335
Location
Pasquotank, NC
Glad you lucked out.

Personally, I will NEVER use an EZ out again. I have snapped a couple off in bolts before, that becomes a NIGHTMARE quick. Much rather weld a nut to the snapped off bolt.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom