I'm in a pickle

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Hey fellas...I'm in a little bit of pickle. I was replacing my tstat today, and was almost finished. I went to tighten down the last bolt, and it broke. The bolt is flush with the top of the block. Are there any suggestions on getting this bolt out? I tried tapping it on an angle with a center punch to try and see if I could get it to back out enough to grab with a pliers. No luck. I tried to JB Kwik the two halves back together to see if it would hold long enough to back out the lower half. No luck. I also thought about cutting a notch in the top of the bolt so I could get a screwdriver on it...but here again, no power outlets. Next idea is to get that broken bolt extractor kit called Grab It...you guys think this will work? I'll also need to get a cheap battery powered drill that is up to the task. All I have are corded drills, but I'm at least 300 yds from the closest outlet. Any suggestions for a drill? Thanks for any help.

PS...I knew it was going to be a bad day when I dropped a socket and it rolled and fell into the only drain within 200ft. On top of that, I slipped with my gasket scraper and sliced my forearm...probably need 4-5 stitches, but I have it butterflied up for now.

Thanks for any help guys.

Blue Goose · Feb 14, 2009

Get a left hand (reversed rotation) drill bit, drill the center of the bolt out (sometimes that's enough to get it out) and an easy out.

CaFordDude · Feb 14, 2009

can you duct tape the head of the bolt back on and get it out that way?

john112deere · Feb 14, 2009

Be goddamn happy you're not 300 miles from home on the wrong side of the Rockies with 15k of trailer hooked to the back, working in a Super8 parking lot, that's my advice. Further, do not break your EZ-out off in the bolt...that makes it twice the hassle. Yeah, I been there. Not my truck, and I wasn't the one who snapped the bolt, though.

Seriously...we ended up putting the remaining two bolts back in with no t-stat (this was a '95 PSD) and taking it to a mechanic. He tried to drill it out but couldn't, and ended up putting a new water pump in it. With a decent machine shop and some time, I could have probably drilled it out from the back once we got the w.pump out, but that wasn't an option under the circumstances...

Brad's on the right track, though- just make real sure you drill straight and centered so you don't nick the threads.

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Thanks Brad...forgot to mention...I don't have access to all my tools since I'm at school. Still gotta pick up a battery powered drill...and I guess easy outs are still doable, just gotta get a ride to Ace. But that's probably the route I'll end up going. Who knew a tstat replacement could get so expensive.

Ian...I am 250 miles away from home...haha, no trailer though. I'm just trying to keep this contained to myself, because no one here would have a trailer to be able to tow me to a shop, and I'm dreading a tow truck charge.

CaFordDude · Feb 14, 2009

Sorry I have nothing useful to add. 300 yards from the nearest outlet though. Geez that's a haul. Maybe a little black and decker frm walmart? And a tap set.

Good luck

Bricks · Feb 14, 2009

If you don't absolutely have to have it done today I'd wait until tomorrow.

I've found the frustration level to always drop a few notches when I come back at it after a wait. Sorry to hear the bad news.

And like Ian said - Brad's got you going in the right direction.

john112deere · Feb 14, 2009

Largely as a result of the incident described above, but also a few other times, I'm very strongly against cheap taps or EZ outs.

Cheap ones snap easier than good ones...but they're every bit as hard and you do NOT wanna try to get a broken one out of anything if you don't have to.

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Yeah Steve...I called it a day...Probably won't get it done for a few days. I called a couple of so called friends to give me a ride to the places I needed to go, and they either didn't want to, or weren't in town.

Thanks for the replies guys...I pretty much figured that was the direction I'd have to go. Any suggestions on a cheap drill that will last the duration of the project?

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Alright fellas...got a question...was just searching walmart's site...they have a 7.2V Black and Decker for $20...you think it's up to the task?

SuperCab · Feb 14, 2009

Probably be good enough, but it's not a long term investment. Can hardly go wrong though for $20.

What truck are you drivin?

CowboyBilly9Mile · Feb 14, 2009

Here's what I've done when this happens:

1) Using an old straight tip screwdriver and hammer, try to back the bolt out. Tap on it at three or so different points. If it rotates ~one turn and it's tight but movable, hacksaw a slot in it for the screwdriver, then remove. If loose, go more until you can use pliers to remove it.
2) Drill a hole in it and tap in an old straight blade screwdriver of similar size to the hole. Try to remove, but go easy, you don't want to break that screwdriver in there. This works for moderately stubborn bolts.
3) Lastly, use an easy out with the correct size drill. You can buy the combo at any auto parts store. I really dread easy outs, there can be hell to pay if you break it in the hole you drilled. Then again, I've broke them and removed the busted out easy out with needle nose pliers (that I had to grind down and thus ruin), then I got a second chance at it and won the battle.

UTfball68 said:
Alright fellas...got a question...was just searching walmart's site...they have a 7.2V Black and Decker for $20...you think it's up to the task?

Go buy the Black and Decker for $65, use it, then return it. Invent a problem and tell them you would like your money back and the product returned to china, Inc.

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Matt...I'm drivin the Bronco. Red is in storage at home. And Dad is breakin in the new 460 in Thunder. Now I just gotta find someone who will drive me around...apparently my friends suck.

Bill...I tried the screwdriver approach...no luck. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by your second approach, I'd like to try that once I get a cordless drill. Your 3rd process will probably end up being the way I go.

PS...I thought about buying a drill up to the challenge and then returning it...also a probability.

SuperCab · Feb 14, 2009

As much as I hate people who do what Bill suggested, it's not a bad idea. Go to homey depot and get a nice DeWalt or Hitachi to do the job, then return it, because it doesn't work, or it was the wrong one, or whatever comes to mind.

The $20 B&D should be fine though.

Fellro · Feb 14, 2009

Happens all the time at AutoZone, but hey, I get a lot of free tools when they throw them out... I'm not proud. Something gets returned with damaged or no packaging, out to the dumpster it goes. I don't do any of it intentionally, but plenty of people know they can get away with doing that kind of returning, and we are under orders to give it to them, so why waste a perfectly good product?

mtflat · Feb 14, 2009

I don't know about you guys.......... you can drive the truck 300 yards before it'll overheat. Drive up to the outlet and use corded tools.

Fellro · Feb 14, 2009

I have done similar, kind of what my thought was.

LEB Ben · Feb 14, 2009

Good point fellas...if I can get an inconspicuous spot in that lot, I'll give it a shot...still need some Easy outs or GrabIts.

SuperCab · Feb 15, 2009

mtflat said:
I don't know about you guys.......... you can drive the truck 300 yards before it'll overheat. Drive up to the outlet and use corded tools.

Good point. You could easily drive over the 300 yds with no problem.

john112deere · Feb 15, 2009

You know, as I'm thinking about this, I'm remembering something my grandfather taught me. (He was a machinist and shop foreman for a world-leading machine-tool builder.)

He wouldn't use EZ-outs on anything as small as a t-stat housing bolt, ever. Left handed drill-bits when he had the right size, but otherwise right handed ones, just start small and drill the entire bolt out until you hit the minor diameter of the bolt, then needlenose to break/collapse out the "shell" of threads that was left.

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