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View Full Version : The right way to remove a broken bolt

fastoleman
10-11-2011, 01:12 PM
First off take that drill,walking bit and "easy out"(lol what a joke!) and leave it all where it is. Now go to the welded...thats right. A welded is all that is needed to remove a broken bolt.I have been doing it this way for over 20 years and it has never failed me.
(1) Clean around the area to be welded. In the pics it is a 3/8 bolt. I used 3/8 nuts for this one. Use nuts that are close to the size of the broken bolt. You dont need a 7/16 nut to remove a 1/4 bolt.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8392/23277592.jpg

(2) Weld a tit on the broken bolt to help canter the nut to it.(sorry but I didnt get a pic of that)

(3) Now hold the nut over the broken bolt(((DO NOT USE YOUR FINGERS TO DO THIS!!!! IT GETS HOT!!))))
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/1508/41492230.jpg

(4) Doing it this way helps you in two ways-1 it heats the bolts to help with removing it and 2 it gives you something to turn the broken bolt out with.
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/4175/82432595.jpg

NOTE: on some bolts it may take weldingtwo or more nuts to it to remove it. Take your time and check your heat range/wire speed. In time you to can remove ANY broken bolt!!
Crossthreaded
10-12-2011, 03:03 AM
Nice write up! I'll have to remember this.:thumbsup1:
1992vert
10-12-2011, 09:20 AM
Cool tip Terry, thanks!
FOX2300
10-12-2011, 07:39 PM
I do 95% of the bolt removal in our shop this way, the other 5% using left handed drill bits. I use a tig welder and stainless wire.
ЯooK12
10-12-2011, 08:06 PM
Cool tip Terry, thanks!

X2
squeaky89lx
10-12-2011, 10:39 PM
awesome terry thx for sharing :thumbsup1:
Silverback
10-13-2011, 01:05 PM
Don't have a welder so you know were I'll be taking mine, TERRY!!! :lol1:
seabass1993
10-13-2011, 01:07 PM
Dont have a welder anymore but i have never heard of this! Great tip! :thumbsup1:
BANDITGT
10-13-2011, 04:23 PM
i broke one in my header recently . i took it to a muffler shop. they did the same thing. i broke an easy-out trying to remove the broken bolt
'80CapriRS
01-13-2012, 01:28 PM
I was a welder for 20 years and at least once a week someone from the machine shop would bring me a part for me to get a bolt or tap out of.
I do it just like Terry said with the exception of, say the bolt is a 3/8"-I would carefully plugweld a 5/16" flat washer to the broken bolt, then plug weld what ever size nut to the now solid flat washer, give it a few seconds to cool, then spin it out with a wrench.
Using the flat washer makes it easier to see where the weld filler metal is going, and you can be more precise, that way you stand less of a chance of permanently welding the broken bolt in your tapped hole, once the flat washer is welded on there it doesn't matter if you are precise with the nut welding. If you've ever tried drilling through a good (grade 5 or better) bolt with a hand drill, you can appreciate this.
:)