Well.. Now I've done it.. Broken Easy Out..

[BellyUpFish]

Actually, 2 broken easy out's..

Had 2 spark plugs break in the head of a car I'm working on.. Ok, grab some easy outs and back them out.

Well, Snap.. Broke the first one.. Excellent.. Let's try and get the next one.. Snap.. Broke the second one..

So.. the head is coming off anyway, but anyone have an suggestions?

I'm guessing it's going to be Helicoil time soon.....

 

[steve308]

Sorry for your bad luck - I've always super soaked with penetrating oil and then used heat and cold (freon and propane) as part of the process and so far I'm 6 for 6. Oh - and no HF products -

 

[laser3kw]

if the head is coming off, you have more options. do it on the bench and save yourself the hassel. heat and a good six point socket will do the trick.

 

[BellyUpFish]

if the head is coming off, you have more options. do it on the bench and save yourself the hassel. heat and a good six point socket will do the trick.

There's nothing for the socket to grab. Both plugs broke off at the threads... :/

 

[Kevin54]

Good luck. Hopefully once you get the head off, you can drive the easy-out back out from the inside. I can remove any broken tap with using a carbide end mill, but I have found over the years that an easy out is a hard sumbitch to get out even with carbide. Once you get the head off, bust the tang or electrode of the sparkplug off, then hopefully you can use a small punch to take the center electrode out and by driving it up you will knock out the easy-out.

You may not have to Heli-Coil it. Once you get the easy out back out, step your drill up a little bit in size and try using a little larger easy-out if possible. One thing to remember about using an easy-out...the harder you drive it in, the more it will spread the part you are trying to remove. Lightly tap it in, then pushing down on the easy-out, slowly turn it while applying downward pressure. Another thing to try is drill and tap the inside of the plug. then from the inside of the head, use a stripper bolt or shoulder bolt that is smaller than the OD of the plug thread. Screw this in and try to back out the plugs threaded portion that way. What I am talking about, the correct terminology is a stripper bolt, but some places will call them a shoulder bolt. Fastenal should carry them.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Yeh, hopefully I can get the head out this afternoon. It'll be a lot easier when I have the head on the bench.

Just thought I'd see if there was some trick I needed to learn.

 

[ptschram]

If it is an iron head, once you get it off the block, use plenty of heat, then from the combustion chamber side, use a drill bigger than the hole but smaller than the OD and turn the drill slowly.

Think about it, turning from this direction is the same as using a left-hand drill from the other side!

If it's aluminium, Use some heat and lots of penetrant. As for what to use for penetrant, there are MANY threads on the topic of broken fastener removal.

Good luck!

 

[D KRAGER]

Is there enough area to weld a nut on top of it?

 

[Gary S]

Post the brand and model of vehicle. The rest of us would like to avoid buying that one.

 

[StRacerDuke]

Let me guess, you are working on a Ford 5.4. At this point you are probably screwed. There is a special tool set to get broken plugs out of the heads of the 5.4. You almost always have to have the set on hand when pulling the plugs because you will almost always break off a few.

 

[MoonRise]

What I am talking about, the correct terminology is a stripper bolt, but some places will call them a shoulder bolt. Fastenal should carry them.

Technically, that item is called a "shoulder screw" or "shoulder bolt", but is also called a 'stripper bolt' from their use in the tool-and-die industry with stripper plates.

http://unbrako.com/standards.htm

And also in the Unbrako catalog and tech documents.

And Holo-Krome

http://holokromefastenal.thomasnet-navigator.com/category/socket-shoulder-bolts

Also on wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw

Available via MSC or Fastenal or Travers or fastener/industrial supply places all over the place.

As to the OP, how to proceed from here depends on what exact item you are dealing with and what tools/techniques you have at your disposal. Ranging from punch to shatter the EasyOut and then proceed on the broken plugs, or carbide die grinder burrs to remove material, or the old weld-on-a-big-nut-to-the-broken-item (intense welding heat helps loosen stuck/frozen items and you then also have a big nut to apply torque upon) or EDM out the offending items. Multiple ways to skin that cat.

 

[Kevin54]

Technically, that item is called a "shoulder screw" or "shoulder bolt", but is also called a 'stripper bolt' from their use in the tool-and-die industry with stripper plates.

http://unbrako.com/standards.htm

And also in the Unbrako catalog and tech documents.

And Holo-Krome

http://holokromefastenal.thomasnet-navigator.com/category/socket-shoulder-bolts

Also on wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw

Available via MSC or Fastenal or Travers or fastener/industrial supply places all over the place.

As to the OP, how to proceed from here depends on what exact item you are dealing with and what tools/techniques you have at your disposal. Ranging from punch to shatter the EasyOut and then proceed on the broken plugs, or carbide die grinder burrs to remove material, or the old weld-on-a-big-nut-to-the-broken-item (intense welding heat helps loosen stuck/frozen items and you then also have a big nut to apply torque upon) or EDM out the offending items. Multiple ways to skin that cat.

So technically it's called a shoulder bolt but in the tool and die industry it's called a stripper bolt So that makes it "technically" called a stripper bolt in the tool and die industry.

So your point is ?????? I've only ordered "stripper bolts" for 30+ years from Standard Die and Supply, Danly Die, and various other places.

 

[MoonRise]

Kevin,

Notice the All good man.

More of an FYI as not all fastener places or catalogs would list a 'stripper bolt' but they would have a "shoulder bolt" or "shoulder screw". Tool-n-die places would know it as a 'stripper bolt'.

Unbrako and Holo-Krome list it as a "shoulder screw", Travers has em as "shoulder screw" and in parenthesis as 'stripper bolt', Enco site isn't coming up for me right now, same for Fastenal right now, MSC has them as "shoulder screw" and as "stripper bolt" with female threads.

As I said, more of an FYI so someone doesn't get a weird look asking for a 'stripper bolt' going into a hardware store or fastener place that doesn't deal with tool-n-die types.



Still wonder what the OP was fighting with and how he's coming along with the stuck plugs and now the broken EasyOuts.

 

[GMC21]

I grabbed this from another user on here, only because he did a nice job explaining it. I have not tried it, but my father-in-law is the one who told me - he has done it many times.

You set an oxygen acetylene flame on a welding tip (one hole) to severely oxidizing. Put the point on the ez-out/tap, until it starts to glow (heat the ez-out, NOT everything around it). When the ez-out starts to get yellow and sparkle, turn down the acetylene, and watch it disintegrate in a shower of sparks.

 

[BillK]

BUF,
if the head is coming off anyway, there should be no reason to end up with a helicoil. I put the head in my seat and guide machine and drill the plug out from the chamber side. I do it a little at a time and usually when I get close to the threads, the whole thing will spin out. Your machine shop should be able to do the same thing. By the way, and this really depends on what type of head it is, but I rarely use Helicoils any more for spark plugs. I generally use Timesert inserts, they do a much nicer job.

 

[offroadsteve]

Kevin - I know both you and MoonRise are smart guys... I think his point is that "shoulder bolt" or "shoulder screw" is a more generic term for the particular fastener disucssed here. FWIW, we call them "shoulder bolts" at work as well.

 

[Twiggss]

Let me guess, you are working on a Ford 5.4. At this point you are probably screwed. There is a special tool set to get broken plugs out of the heads of the 5.4. You almost always have to have the set on hand when pulling the plugs because you will almost always break off a few.

first thing that came to my mind.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Shoulder Bolt
Shoulder Screw

I just call 'em those damned things that aren't on hand in my bolt bins in the size I need at the time.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Still wonder what the OP was fighting with and how he's coming along with the stuck plugs and now the broken EasyOuts.

It's a 97' Acura Integra. Still haven't been able to get the head off. I'm working nights this week and when I woke up, it was time to decorate for Halloween.. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[BellyUpFish]

As far as a fix, I'm thinking about removing the easy out and then trying to run a bolt down through the plug and on the back side of the head welding the bolt to the plug threads and then trying to back the bolt out from the top.

I don't know how much room on the back side of the head I'll have to try and weld on the plug..

Just a thought. I'll figure something out.

 

[shawnspeed]

first thing that came to my mind.

Ditto...

 

[BillK]

As far as a fix, I'm thinking about removing the easy out and then trying to run a bolt down through the plug and on the back side of the head welding the bolt to the plug threads and then trying to back the bolt out from the top.

I don't know how much room on the back side of the head I'll have to try and weld on the plug..

Just a thought. I'll figure something out.

Probably impossible on the typical Honda. The plugs are down in a tube that goes through the valve cover. If he gets the head off it really should be an easy job and not need any magic. Just a good drill press or a seat and guide machine at the machine shop. The easy out will come right out once you hit it from the combustion chamber side. I do at least one a week so I am used to it.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Probably impossible on the typical Honda. The plugs are down in a tube that goes through the valve cover. If he gets the head off it really should be an easy job and not need any magic. Just a good drill press or a seat and guide machine at the machine shop. The easy out will come right out once you hit it from the combustion chamber side. I do at least one a week so I am used to it.

Good to hear. I have a decent drill press. I'm sure I'll get it figured out..

 

[MFolks]

When you finally get the broken easy outs and broken sparkplugs out, for the installation of new sparkplugs, put on the first few threads of the new plugs some of the silver anti-seize. It will make future removal much easier. I use it on items that will require removal for maintenance, on my motorcycle and car.

 

[BellyUpFish]

When you finally get the broken easy outs and broken sparkplugs out, for the installation of new sparkplugs, put on the first few threads of the new plugs some of the silver anti-seize. It will make future removal much easier. I use it on items that will require removal for maintenance, on my motorcycle and car.

I'm a big fan of anti-seize. Not sure what happened here. I may have both completely forgotten and skipped the anti-seize.

I was trying to remember the last time I did and plug work and I remember it being dark, cold and in a hurry. LOL