"Kevin Reimer" <kwreimer@msn.com> wrote:
: use an easy out, can buy at parts store for a few bucks, should work well.
: easy to do also..
It really depends... :-) I have had "easy outs" snap off in the
bolt, and now you have to try to drill through a piece of *hardened*
steel! Not fun. The conventional wisdom seems to be, only use an
easy out if you broke the bolt while tightening it. If you are backing
a stuborn bolt out and apply enough pressure to snap the bolt, chances
are the easy out is going to do the same thing. (I may be mistaken
here, but being as how an easy out is hardened, it is probably even
more brittle than the original bolt.) If you *must* use an easy out,
use the largest one you can, and if the bolt doesn't move with a
moderate amount of pressure, don't push it.
Liberal amounts of penetrant such as "liquid wrench" or "PB Blaster"
can help (allow it to soak in for a day or so), using a propane torch to
heat the surrounding metal will sometimes help, especially if you can keep
the bolt cool (the different expansion rates will sometimes "break" the
bolt free)
Drilling out the bolt using progressively larger bits will sometimes
work, you can then pick the remainder of the original bolt out of the
threads. If you have to, you can drill out the hole to a larger size
than original and heli-coil it.
Usually when a bolt breaks off, it is recessed, but if any of it is
sticking out of the hole, it is usually easier to get it out. Sometimes
you can get a pair of vice grips on it, other times you can weld a nut
to it.
If the part in question is small enough, and it is practical to do so,
you can remove it from the vehicle and take it to a machine shop if
all else fails.
Good luck!
---Jon-
.---- Jon Steiger ------ jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -----. | I'm the: AOPA, DoD, EAA, NMA, NRA, SPA, USUA. Rec & UL Pilot - SEL | | '70 Barracuda, '92 Ram 4x4, '96 Dakota, '96 Intruder 1400, '96 FireFly | `----------------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com ----'
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