Stuck or snapped bolt

We are becoming self-taught mechanics in our home. We had a stuck bolt last night and last week there was a snapped bolt. These both happened on our older Jeep. Prior to snapping the bolt off, a guaranteed to loosen type substance like W-40 was used. It didn't work. The fix was complete but the bolt is still in there. Someone I spoke to mentioned heat but when working on autos, one needs to use extreme caution. I am looking for how to advice and/or good bolt loosening products.

 

Aerokroil.. Best penetration oil there is but hard to find and is 19 or 20 dollars a can.


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Heat, used judiciously, can be very helpful. When confronted with a bolt that I'm leery of I'll heat it with a torch or a heat gun. With either you need to be careful of the surround objects - rubber, plastic, wiring, etc are all susceptible to heat damage. Move/remove such items before using heat! Once I get the bolt good and hot, (not glowing, that will change the tempering of the bolt possibly weakening it), I'll saturate it will penetrating oil of some kind while it cools. The change in temperature will help wick the oil down along the threads. A really rusty or seized bolt may need several repeats. If worst occurs and it snaps you still have options: none especially fun. If there's a significant stub sticking out you can try with vice grips, or saw/file a slot in it to try a large screw driver. If it's flush or below the surface you can drill it and use easy-outs, (praying they don't snap), or just drill it to size and re-tap it. If the piece can be removed to a bench you're always better off doing so, especially if you have to drill it. You might also be able to get it to a machine shop and let them deal with it.

Edit: When you put it all back together - never seize is your friend. On items that require accurate torque tension the stuff will change the apparent torque since it's a lubricant of sorts, but I've never had an issue just torquing to spec when using it. Think cylinder head, exhaust manifold, or suspension bolts.

 

+100 on the Aerokroil. I have a couple of cans here but use it sparingly because of cost.
My go to is PB Blaster
Blaster 11 oz. The Original PB Penetrant-16-PB - The Home Depot

 

Once I had to get a snapped off bolt out of a J.D. axle. Couldn't even grab it with a Vise-Grips. Luckily there was enough to hold a nut. I soaked it with penetrating oil and arc welded the nut on, after it cooled the stud came right out. But that was completely out in the open, nothing to burn. Another option is to try to drill it out with a left hand twist drill. It will drill out or grab and back out.

 

I can't find left twist bits anymore. Even McMaster-Carr has a very limited collection. They're a blue moon tool, but occasionally invaluable.

 

Location of the broken bolt?

 

PB blaster is what I use for stuck bolts.

 

Yes, Kroil! Apply and let soak in overnight. 100 or so light taps with a hammer on protruding parts can help penetration and prevent further seizing and galling.

If the bolt is broken off flush you might be able to tap it out with a fine punch or scratch awl by counterclockwise hits. Stay away from the threads that the bolt is screwed into

 

In my experience WD40 is pretty bad oil. Occasionally I will use it. Mainly for convenience. It's too light and evaporates quickly. Many other spray lubes are better. I have around 10 -15 different types. From dry lubes to spray grease.

I use kroil and PB blaster on stuck metal. Kroil creeps. Right out of the can. All over the top. Works good.

When I encounter a stuck bolt or nut i will use penetrating lube and smack it with a hammer a few times. Then let it sit. If it's still stuck I use heat.

Worse case is to drill and use easy outs. Well... No. Worse case is drill and tap. Helicoils aren't the best option but do work.

 

Left hand taps completely slipped my mind (no surprise)

 

WD40 is NOT a lube! It was invented to clean the aluminum skin of missiles. "Water Displacement Formula #40". I use it to wipe off moisture from guns and tools, and to wipe away loose rust. NEVER as a lube. Not that good to loosen bolts either.

 

Lol. Did not know that. I understand why it sucks. It does a great job cleaning certain surfaces though. I guess like it was designed to do.

 

WD40 is a fail for penetration, it's a cleaning and drying agent. You might visit NAPA and get a can of generic penetrating oil. Save the Kroil for the high price work. Soak and tap smartly with a hammer, use a drift pin. If that fails, drill the center and get an EZ out.

As noted by zimmy, be very careful to stay away from the internal threads. Bear in mind that bolts and studs are USUALLY harder than the part they are screwed into, and for some obscene reason insist on steering your drill into the internal threads in the hole. That puts you in Helicoil territory.

In my experience, left hand taps and left hand drills aren't the best solution for backing out studs and bolts.

Heat works, but takes a bit of skill and some practice. Not for the casual home fixer, heat treatment becomes heat damage in rather short order.

 

If there is any of the bolt on the surface I have welded a nut on it and the combination of welding heat and penitrant work pretty well for me ,
There is a product I was able to get years ago made by 3M called Open and Shut . I have never in this world seen work as well .I can't get it in california any more which means it got to be pretty good.
IF a bolt /stud is giving me problems or potential problems never use excessive force .never.
I heat first ,then spray penitrant on, let all set ( there is usually more than one). Then I take a 16 oz ball peen hammer and start giving the fasteners several good whacks strait down .going from the side might break off the bolt prematurely . the down ward strikes work the head against the base and the threads get shaken loose. patience pays.
In some cases after I've done that I take a "small" impact wrench and let it work the bolt "not expecting it to actually back out the bolt , but like a sonic cleaner the vibration helps break things loose.
I NEVER try to back the faster out in one attack , I work it left and right a little at a time almost infinitesimal ( trying to work the penetrant into the threads, it is not known how rusted the fastener is til it is removed. some i've removed a 3/8" bolt, with a rust eaten 1/4 " shaft left below the head .
I remove broken #4 self threaded screws in aluminum air compressor heads ,by using penetrant and welding a ball of metal on the remaining shaft and using vise grips working the shaft in very small increments left and right . 100% recovery rate. I am patient .
I have observed a mechanic working a broken 3/4" bolt in a large cast iron water pump bowl, using an oxygen/ acetylene torch and melting out the bolt remnants after having drilled out most of the meat of the bolt . Possible but not me style.
As for reverse drills; Snap On , Mac tool, Cornwell, sell these drills ,but they are best used on bolts broken under stress not those rusted and locked in.
E-Z outs are good in some circumstances however, too small ,and you can break it and the problem is worse , too large and the force tightens the broken threads bite .(too thin a wall)
In these cases I have used vise grips on the EZ out to prevent it from penetrating too deeply and expanding the shaft , I also use this technique for removing broken pipe fittings.

 

+1 on Kroil and smack it with a hammer.

 

If you are going to use an easy out, buy one that is not tapered, but has ridges along the side that grip the bolt after you have drilled a correct size hole for the tool. They don't jam the bolt tighter in the hole and if used right have a lot of area in the hole, not just one point as an easy out. Always drill a pilot hole first and easy outs etc are best used for bolts broken by load, not rust. Secret is to not break bolt as arleigh states, always be willing to back off and try something else. If enough bolt left, I have found nothing that beats welding a nut on it and teasing it out with an impact wrench set for fairly low torque.

Looked up my Mac tools SE100, https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/SE100/25-PIECE-SCREW-EXTRACTOR-SET/ , not cheap at about $130, but I have used my set for 20 plus years and they have in past had replacement parts for the pieces I broke or wore out. Mod will know how to make it work to show it to you. Only system I know that works and cheap ones are either to soft and smear or to hard and break.

 

Snap-On still lists Left Handed drill bits, and ACE hardware stores do carry their own brand ( Stanly me thinks) PB Blaster and lots of heat and then let sit till it cools usually works! If not , a BFH ( Big Phucking Hammer) and enough room to swing should loosen things up some ( also a good therapy aid) if that doesn't work, your going to have to get serious and get out the power tools. Drill it and try to back it out, drill it through and and split it if you can, then try to back it out, or drill all the way and re thread or heilcoil it!

 

Exhaust area. Things were left as is because part of the tail pipe was being removed. Just teen boys trying to make a Mom-type car sound cool.

PS- My boy is enjoying the info shared in this thread. Thank you. We are putting together shopping list.