big problem! help!

[dbmx66]

so i got a new dif cover and bolts for my rear axle. im putting the new stuff on and the one bolt twists and breaks. its the bottom most bolt on the ring. i couldnt reach it with needle noses or anything else, no biggie, ill get an easy out. so i get the hole drilled in the bolt, start turning the easy out and it breaks in the in bolt. i cant turn the rest out with pliers or anything, so what on earth do i do now?!?

[2tons of fun]

put a nut over it and weld the inside of the nut to the peice, let cool, twist out.

you can also try and get a left hand twist/reverse twist drill bit but with the easyout in there i wouldnt bother.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by 2tons of fun

put a nut over it and weld the inside of the nut to the peice, let cool, twist out.

you can also try and get a left hand twist/reverse twist drill bit but with the easyout in there i wouldnt bother.

how should i weld the nut? the piece of the bolt that broke is recessed into the housing. like i can touch it. so i dont know what to do.

[BREIT1]

i wouldnt worry about it

[1LowToy]

RTV sealant works wonders. Not for show and tell in your case lol

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by BREIT1

i wouldnt worry about it

you think i'd be fin without that bolt?

[Ceeten]

Weld through the nut with a mig. It's really easy. I've done it dozens of times.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by Ceeten

Weld through the nut with a mig. It's really easy. I've done it dozens of times.

what do you mean?

[2tons of fun]

nuts have a hole in the middle, put the wire throught the middle and pull the trigger.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by 2tons of fun

nuts have a hole in the middle, put the wire throught the middle and pull the trigger.

i know that. how will welding a nut to the dif help me get the broken piece of bolt out?

[2tons of fun]

you not welding it to the diff!!!!!!, you weld it to the broken bolt !!!!!!!!

[bikes&bowties]

Originally Posted by dbmx66

i know that. how will welding a nut to the dif help me get the broken piece of bolt out?

Originally Posted by 2tons of fun

you not welding it to the diff!!!!!!, you weld it to the broken bolt !!!!!!!!

From the sounds of it the broken bolt is recessed into the diff case.... which makes welding the nut to it basically impossible.. But with my pondering it may be possible finding a nut with the outside diameter being smaller than the bolt and making a small spot weld on the inside of it... that may be ridiculous though

[2tons of fun]

it will work, try it. i do it all the time.

most break off a tiny bit under the surface.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by bikes&bowties

From the sounds of it the broken bolt is recessed into the diff case.... which makes welding the nut to it basically impossible.. But with my pondering it may be possible finding a nut with the outside diameter being smaller than the bolt and making a small spot weld on the inside of it... that may be ridiculous though

thats exactly what happened. its recessed a good couple o millimeters.

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Can you get a grip on the broken off extractor? If so get a a pair of vise grips on it, heat up the housing aorund the bolt to cause the metal to expand enough to allow you to unscrew the reaming portion of the bolt out.
OR....
Get a HELI-COIL SET that's the same size as the bolt holes are, drill the hole out with the supplied drill bit, tap it it out with the supplied thread tap and then insert the heli-coil.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by BLE 'BURBAN

Can you get a grip on the broken off extractor? If so get a a pair of vise grips on it, heat up the housing aorund the bolt to cause the metal to expand enough to allow you to unscrew the reaming portion of the bolt out.
OR....
Get a HELI-COIL SET that's the same size as the bolt holes are, drill the hole out with the supplied drill bit, tap it it out with the supplied thread tap and then insert the heli-coil.

i've tried vise grips theres not enough of the easy out sticking out to get a good grip on.

[billnorman]

I agree with the RTV suggestion. Enough of the stuff will probably seal over the missing bolt. As a S.W.A.G. you could probably drill and tap two 1/4 x 20 holes next to the missing bolt and use these to tighten the housing if it still leaked. The cover wouldn't look like it should, but I'm guessing it would work. Transfer drill the new holes through the cover so as not to misalign them. >The above is a S.W.A.G., just a Scientific Wild Assed Guess, I don't know if it would work.<

[powerdriver 1958]

Little sillycone and you should be fine,Shaved a 14 bolt and cut one bolt hole completely out. No leaks and I'm fairly sure you don't run yours as hard as I have run mine.

YouTube- warrensberg mud run(mine)

[68 TT]

They make a four pronged tap extractor for when you break off a tap in a bolt hole. It may work on the e-z-out too.

[Mr.Scary]

heli coil all tha way!!!

[billnorman]

All this talk about drilling through an easy out sends chills down my spine. Most easy outs are tempered steel, kinda like a drill bit. They don't like being drilled on. Maybe I'm chicken, but I see melted drill bits in your future. Now if you had a fixture you could keep the bit from wandering, you might be successful but in my experiences freehand drilling a hardened material just caused the bit to wander off into the cast iron housing and further butcher the job. RTV likes you, give it a try.

[dbmx66]

Originally Posted by billnorman

All this talk about drilling through an easy out sends chills down my spine. Most easy outs are tempered steel, kinda like a drill bit. They don't like being drilled on. Maybe I'm chicken, but I see melted drill bits in your future. Now if you had a fixture you could keep the bit from wandering, you might be successful but in my experiences freehand drilling a hardened material just caused the bit to wander off into the cast iron housing and further butcher the job. RTV likes you, give it a try.

yea i got to vo tech for presicion machining so i know the differences between metals and tool steels so i wasnt even going to try to drill it.

i was thinking maybe since its the bottom bolt that i could drill from the other side, would that work?

[68 TT]

Drilling from the other side is an option but you would have a tough time getting the hole in the right spot on the curved surface. I have seen some housings that were drilled part way through the back side so you may get lucky and have a guide point to work from.

Can you weld a nut to the e-z-out?

After you get it out use a left hand drill bit to drill out the rest of the broken bolt. Lots of times the piece will break free and thread out during the drilling process.

I fixed literally thousands of broken fasteners as a machinist in the air force. Probably averaged ten a night for 13 years.

[midnite]

iif you can do small tacks on the bolt/easyout untill the welds stick out enough to clamp visegrips on and heat the housing and go slow back and forth motion and it should come out.... BUT just tack the middle of the bolt take your time.. tack let it cool then repeat to build it up enough... dont weld it to the housing

[tommys69/454]

the easy out should come out if worked at with some finesse. then take a much smaller drill and drill all the way through the bolt. then re-drill the the easy out dia. to clean the hole. spray some pb -blaster or something similar in the hole. let stand. then with a buddy ( one bot as stronge as you) keep mild pressure on on the easy out while heating the housing. may-be a couple of taps to the housing. patients will pay off here the most.