One of Dain’s favorite tasks here at the shop is removing broken or stripped nuts, bolts, or studs. The challenging nature of this type of job is certainly one of its appeals, but what he relishes most is being able to save the day after someone has said it cannot be fixed and instead needs to be replaced.
These types of jobs often come to us after another person, shop, or even both have already attempted to remove the broken fastener. Unfortunately, this usually makes the job even more difficult because, by the time we get our hands on it, extra damage has already been done. Some examples of this damage include mangled, welded-on, drilled (sometimes with more than one hole), and broken-off drill bits inside the broken fastener.
Notice a theme? Many people mess up when attempting to drill the fastener and eventually reach one of the above-mentioned stopping points. By that time, the customer believes or is advised by another shop to simply replace the part the fastener is broken off in. Unfortunately, going this route can often be quite expensive, at times exceeding the value of the motorcycle. Other times, parts are not readily available, especially on older machines, leaving an otherwise viable bike useless without a fix.
One of our favorite examples of this was on a beautiful custom chopper. The prospective customer called us and explained that another shop had attempted to remove a broken foot peg mounting bolt. After their efforts yielded no success, they recommended he replace the entire frame. As you can imagine, frame replacement isn’t easy or cheap. We told the customer we’d be happy to replace the frame if it was required, but would first like a shot at removing the bolt ourselves. These scenarios are always treated on a case-by-case basis, and we manage customer expectations to understand that we won’t know if we’ll be successful until we try. Cautiously hopeful, the customer brought his chopper in, and, a mere 30 minutes later, Dain had the broken bolt removed with no damage to the frame. Our new customer was ecstatic as we were able to save him thousands of dollars.
While this is definitely a learned skill that takes many years to master, there are several tools that can aid in the removal of stuck or broken bolts. First and foremost, avoiding breakage to begin with is the smartest approach. For that reason, the first tools we are going to discuss are those that help remove stubborn bolts or fasteners before they break.
A good penetrating lube can be instrumental, and here at MCW, we’re big fans of Kroil. Heat is another great tool to utilize, but only when you’re able to access the stuck bolt with an open flame without causing damage to nearby parts. Oftentimes, we employ penetrating lube and heat at the same time. It’s worth noting that most penetrants are extremely flammable, and we always stress using caution or deferring to professionals.
Even when approached with care and heat and lube are used, there are times where the bolt still breaks off. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable, and thankfully, there are some tools that can help. One of Dain’s “go-to’s” for removing bolts or studs that have broken off above the surface are turbo sockets. While they’re less commonly known, we’ve found them to be incredibly effective in this scenario. They look like a regular socket on the outside but are tapered and feature sharp, left-handed grabbing teeth on the inside. This design is strictly for removal. The more you rotate them counter-clockwise, the tighter they grab. They will not grab anything when rotated clockwise. Turbo sockets work great for removing stripped bolts, screws, and broken bolts when there is at least 1/8th inch of nub remaining.
Having no nub present or breaking off below the surface presents the most challenging removals, and for that reason, we’d recommend seeking professional help. We typically attempt to grind the surface flat and center-punch to drill a hole. A hole in the center is crucial. We recommend starting with a very small drill bit to make a pilot hole, working your way up in drill size until you reach the desired diameter, and adjusting if needed to keep the hole centered.
The ideal size should be as big as possible without touching surrounding materials. If the hole is straight and centered, with a little bit of luck, it might be possible to pull the threads out by hand, and it will look like a spring. It’s not often we get that lucky.
If the hole is a little off, the best approach would be to try an EZ-out. Similar to a turbo socket, EZ-outs only work counter-clockwise. Simply find the desired size for the hole and turn it backwards. It is imperative to not break the EZ-out. Dain jokes that the name is misleading because “there’s nothing easy about an EZ-out.”
At this point, we really recommend that you stop and call the professionals. The next approach would be to keep drilling, which is a pivotal point where having a straight and square hole is absolutely vital. If, for example, you have a broken steel bolt in an aluminum part (this is the most common scenario), it’s important to understand that the aluminum is softer than the steel. Having a hole that is off center can cause the hard steel to push the drill bit into the softer aluminum, only compounding the problem. While a little bit in the aluminum is ok, as the plan is to remove some aluminum and install a thread insert, we will want the hole where it was. For that reason, when this occurs, we stop and try to break out the remainder of the bolt. This can sometimes be accomplished by drilling several small holes and then hitting them with a hammer and punch-breaking the bolt into small fractured pieces. After all of the steel has been removed, we then drill the aluminum to the appropriate size, tap, and install a thread insert.
A final extraction method we employ is welding a nut or leaver onto the broken part. This is a great option if you have the knowledge and equipment to do so. We believe this works well due to the high heat associated with welding.
Tip: After welding something to the fastener, try to immediately rotate it while it’s still as hot as possible.
As you can see, the extraction of broken bolts and fasteners requires precision and patience. If you find yourself in a situation where extraction is required, it almost always pays to stop and consult a professional before proceeding, and potentially causing more unnecessary damage and expenses.
Have a project you’re interested in having us work on? Call (740) 747-2299 during normal business hours!
