Remove a broken bolt remover from broken bolt

[andy pen]

Hi all,got a problem ,had a broken off bolt in a rear upright so pulled it all off the car and drilled it to take a remover.screwed in remover which then broke off aswell:zx11:.
The problem is none of my drill bits will cut into the broken remover.
Anyone got any tips Or cleaver methods as I cant be the first person this has happened too:1zhelp:

[zollaf]

uh oh!!!. try to unscrew the remover with a small chisel by tapping it around. if that doesnt work i would take the upright to a local engineering shop/engine rebuilders and ask their advice. its never good when easy outs ? snap as the metal is so hard you wont drill it with anything but a diamond tipped drill. hopefully you will find somewhere that can drill or spark erode it out,along with the rest of the bolt. good luck.

[smithysmudger]

You are certainly not the first person this has happened to and I'm sure you will not be the last person either a "google" search on "removing broken easy out" unearths a whole heap of similar calamities along with proposed solutions.

[euroslap]

I'd try Zollaf's chiselling method but I'd heat up the surrounding metal first to expand it and loosen the bite on the stud. ;)

[zollaf]

i used to have a set of easy outs. used them a few times and each time it snapped, causing more work. the only time one worked was when all 4 sparkplugs snapped on a ford ka thingy. the biggest one in the set wound these out a treat and ive still got that one, with a socket hammered on the end so i could put a breaker bar on it.

[andy pen]

Hi thanks for the replys It's definitly a bit of a bugger.Tried the chisel method but no go tried heating but only got propane got it really hot but not the same as oxy acetaline:(.
So ive ordered up some 8% cobalt bits so see if they work

[euroslap]

As a last resort if you've got/or can get access to an acetylene torch heat the removal tool up until it's cherry red and let it cool down by itself, this'll normalise the hardened steel and leave it soft enough to drill out again. ;)

[andy pen]

Done it, the cobalt drills are amazing if a little brittle!!! but got it out and only shattered one drill retapped it and all ok brilliant drills they will even drill through a file!!!!