Thank You !!!i Broke An Ez Out Trying To Remove A Bolt *facepalm*

[Ian442]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ndeD5wM1OrcVdpQVBxUzhKVXc/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ndeD5wM1OraW5LWVZxTGFmOFU/view?usp=sharing

First one shows initial damage second shows after some drilling you can see where the EZ out is broken off in there.

Hopefully these pics post. Good news is that i got the chunks of EZ out ground out last night using a Dremel and chainsaw sharpening stone attachment. I just oiled the hole every so often to keep it from overheating and ground the living daylights out of it.

 

[BilgeRat]

Ian,
They posted OK. If it were me doing this, I think I would keep drilling in the meatier portion of what's left with a small diameter drill to remove as much metal as possible. Use a prick punch to make sure your bit doesn't wander, and do the best you can given the position you're working in to drill straight in. Try to get your holes as close together as you are comfortable with. Once you get enough steel turned into chips, try your dremel again, and then a punch or small chisel to knock chunks out. It will be tedious...

Two other questions: #1, is this a blind hole? If not, can you work from both sides? That makes it easier. #2, was this bolt rusted in place? If so, drilling and knocking bits out may be your only real option. You'll most likely end up sleeving or helicoiling the threads afterwards.

Good luck with it, and give the other guys a chance to chime in and critique this and offer their expertise. I feel your pain; I've been there before.

 

[Ian442]

This was a blind hole on the side of the van, where the upper bolt for the shock attaches to the body of the van. The original bolt came out while on vacation so I got a hardware store one as an immediate remedy which held fine till I got back home and snapped it on a little drop in the road off a bridge.

I drilled out what I could first initially and then got this dumb idea to use the EZ out which simply snapped in place. Will never use one of those again.

Thank you for your posts and suggestions

 

[Frim]

Broke a bolt for shock absorber on my van. Drilled a ton of it out, and thought oh i'll use and EZ out.

Dumbest idea ever.

Now not only do i have to drill out the rest of the bolt...i have to remove the EZ out too.

FWIW, no torch available.

I have left handed drill bits, dremel tungsten carbide bits, dremel cutting stones, and a tap and die set at the ready.

any help would be greatly appreciated since info is kind of sparse

The EZout can be driven or pressed out from the back side (If you can reach it). Keep sizing up the drill size until only the thread remains. Tap from the back side if you can reach it. It will peel the thread out (we hope) Use Croil or WD-40 to loosen the thread even though you are drilling the bolt out. In an extreme case, you can sell it for scrap iron and buy an Elio.

 

[Frim]

second idea. Can you freeze it? We use dry ice to remove some aircraft liners. Ice on the inside (in the hole) will cause the ring to contract. It may loosen.

 

[BilgeRat]

For future reference, not for this catastrophe... I have one of these sets in my toolbox at work. They work very well on broken bolts that are not rust bound. The best feature here (and usable in other situations) are the drill bushings. They will get you as near to center on a broken bolt as possible.

https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/10-screw-extractor-set

 

[Coss]

I recognize the blind nut; it's inside the frame and just about inaccessible from anywhere but the front.
What I have done in the past for this situation is to grab that blind nut with vise grips, twist it back and forth until the welds snap, then let it drop down into the frame. Ok, that's the brutal part.
Next I had these heavy gauge metal plates about 1.5" x 3" that had a nut welded on it. It was U shaped like a big paper clip; and they were used for mounting aftermarket accessories like side steps, seatbelts, custom bumpers etc. You would cut a slice in the metal about an inch in back (or in front, depending on accessibility) take a punch (I used an air chisel) and you would do a slight bend on the metal furthest away for the slice you just cut.
Slip the clip in, and line the nut on it up with the hole. I would run a bolt into it, then drill a small hole between the hole and the slice, and put a 1/4" steel rivet in it to hold in position; take out the temp bolt; mount your shock (use washers or a small piece of metal tubing between the shock and the frame to copy the distance the old blind nut stuck out so the shock doesn't bind on the frame. Finish up. Take a break; you just spent 2 hours working your butt off.

 

[Coss]

Where do you get the slide clip with nut? Try NAPA, or try a place that does aftermarket accessories like an Off Road Shop <----- <best choice>

 

[Frim]

Where do you get the slide clip with nut? Try NAPA, or try a place that does aftermarket accessories like an Off Road Shop <----- <best choice>

I have a couple of 3/8-16 captured weld nuts with the flange that can be pop riveted to the frame. A picture is on the way. I could put them in an envelope

 

[Ty]

I can't help you with the job at hand but I DO know that heating a rusted bolt up with a torch and letting it cool (aggressively if possible) and repeating the process will help break up the rust as will using PB Blaster. I'll spray the bolt the day before I start work and sometimes even two days ahead of time, repeating the spray each day. EZ outs work great but you DO have to be careful... broke one of on a head bolt... Luckily, I could drill it and pull it out.

I had a car buddy who was pulling the rear end out of an old truck for use in his Nova... Never understood his infatuation with Novas though... Anyway, he twisted off most of the bolts before he noticed they were marked as left handed bolts. That took some stubborn effort.