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Removing a broken-off bolt without removing oil pan?

16K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  VictorII 
#1 ·
A little back I had to pull my oil pan off(or at least I thought). Anyway, when putting it back on, I broke one of the bolts off in the block. While I do have an EZ Out set, my drill's chuck keeps hitting the oil pan which prevents me from getting the drill bit centered on the bolt. I REALLY don't want to have to pull the oil pan to get at this bolt. Does anyone have any ideas? I'll obviously pull it if that's what I have to do, but I thought I'd get your guys' thoughts first.
 
#2 ·
Can you bolt up the pan without it? my 5.0, when I took it apart, had one or two broken pieces of block casting.. I'm just going to see what happens without a bolt or 2 in there (I smeared the cork gasket with RTV. and after 3 gaskets, when they kept sliding out, one stayed in there. :D
 
#5 ·
Im with couped up and what I like to do is to drill a smaller pilot hole in the center of the bolt then use the left hand drill bit so the left hand bit will try and grab in the smaller hole and back the bolt out.
Something else I have done is if the bolt is broken off close to flush with the pan and its where you can get to it is to use a sharp pointed punch and tap it with a hammer in the direction to back it out and this really works pretty well the bolt probably isnt that tight it should come out pretty easily

I hope this helps Jeff
 
#9 ·
+1 Yea I like the Dremel idea too. And if your bolt isn't bound up to tight in the threads? You may be able to score a slot in the top of the bolt,using a small rotary file, so that you can try to back it out with a long thin screwdriver?
 
#12 ·
I don't know if its leaking oil, but I don't really care to find out. Nor do I want to constantly have to check the oil out of paranoia that it could in fact be leaking. Peace of mind goes a long way.

Thanks for all the help guys, I will try all of these tomorrow. Has anyone ever actually had a Dremel up there? Seems to me like it would have the same problem as the drill: the dremel would hit the pan and keep it from being center.
 
#13 ·
Use an automatic center punch to turn it out.

I seen a guy at work turn a broken of antenna stud out one time with a pick and a tool type engraver.

The engraver rattles the stud while you turn it with the pick.

If it's cross threaded disregard these methods.

Sluggo
 
#14 ·
I normally do it with a hammer and a punch. I don't think the bolt is bottomed out so it should back out fairly easy. Just take the punch and tap it lightly off to one side. As it turns just keep going around the outer side of the bolt.
 
#17 ·
Some people think a left handed drill bit is a joke - they are NOT. Center punch the bolt and go at it with the left handed drill.

Pan bolts are seldom frozen in because of the oil in the area and you just had them out. The drill may do the job even without the EZout.

Did you over torque the pan bolts? They do not take much in any case. About 9 Ft. Lbs. is right. Did you go over that. 9 should not shear a bolt. If you have to remove the pan, put in all new bolts and use a calibrated torque wrench.
 
#18 ·
9lb-ft on a 1/4"NC grade 2 bolt? Plink! LOL

The left hand bit idea does work, but drill bits aren't made to spin at the obscene speeds of a dremel tool...additionally, the bit size required to do this in a 1/4" bolt is going to be flexible and easily broken if not precisely applied.

OK, enough for tonight's festivities :)

John, you bring the beer and I'll bring the Belvedere and we'll see who finishes before the oil spot appears :D

Pat
 
#20 ·
Acooljt said:
A little back I had to pull my oil pan off(or at least I thought). Anyway, when putting it back on, I broke one of the bolts off in the block. While I do have an EZ Out set, my drill's chuck keeps hitting the oil pan which prevents me from getting the drill bit centered on the bolt. I REALLY don't want to have to pull the oil pan to get at this bolt. Does anyone have any ideas? I'll obviously pull it if that's what I have to do, but I thought I'd get your guys' thoughts first.
Are you sure the remnant in the block is frozen? Once the head snaps off, that usually frees the threads up, unless the cap screw was too long to start with. I've had it happen on a couple of cars and just use a thin, sharp punch off center and work at it with a small hammer to wind it out. Doesn't take much to get enough out to grab with pliers. It's worth a try.

Now that one has broken, it would be a good idea to replace them all with grade 8 ones. You can do it one at a time so you don't have to remove the pan. My experience is that when one breaks, the rest are close behind. On my current engine, I also replaced the valve cover cap screws on principle because they are the same size or close to it. Been a while, don't remember exactly.
 
#21 ·
Way back when I was in high school auto shop, we had someone break off a bolt head. I seem to remember whoever attempted to fix it, broke an EZ out trying to get it out. There was someone in town who owned a garage who was also a metallurgist(?). He burned out the EZ out with a torch that was set to the right temperature. He also heated the bolt and it came out with another EZ out. We all thought that was pretty cool.

In this case, it might be too dangerous given the location, but it's just a thought.
 
#23 ·
I'm still struggling here. It's not leaking, but I really don't feel comfortable leaving it to chance that it might blow out while I'm going down the road. The only thing I've yet to try is a left hand drill bit which I will be doing just as soon as I buy one. The hole that we've drilled so far is already moved off-center so I'm getting a little scared about hitting threads. Ugh. :(
 
#24 ·
The left handed bit should work fine as said before when you broke the head off of the bolt all of the pressure was released off of the bolt so the stud thats still in there should be just sitting in the threaded hole.Also you shouldnt need to drill all the way through the bolt with the left handed bit just make sure that the left handed bit is bigger than the first bit that you used and it will hang in the bolt and back it out
 
#25 ·
Over the years I have become very good at getting broken bolts out of all types of locations. My reccomondation to you is do not use easyouts. I have swore that I would never use one again. I have broken everyone I have ever used in the pilot hole. Then your stuck trying to get a hardened piece of steel out.

Here is what I do. I drill the pilot hole (did this on my oil pan bolt) then use a dremel with a hardened carbid grinding tool(cylindrical type) and slowly work it around the inside of the bolt hole grinding the bolt up until your almost at the bolt hole threads. Then I take a correct size tap and slowly work it into and back out of the hole. What usually happens is the tap will catch the threads and cut the remaining bolt out. Be very careful and take your time and you can get it out. If you break the easy out the carbide grinding tool will also chew that up.

Good luck, it always a pain in the #@$%
 
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