Capital Driving Club Discussion Forum

Greetings,

Here's my predicament. I tried to remove 20 year old rusted bolts with bolt extractors. I broke the high carbon steel bolt extractors inside the rusted bolts. I can't drill them out with cobalt drill bits. I hope I can get them out with a plasma cutter, if not, I'll have to resort to dynamite. Does anyone have a plasma cutter? Or... Can you recommend a way to get the rusted bolts out with the broken bolt extractors stuck in them?

Thanks in advance

D'oh! This is why you always try left handed drill bits before resorting to EZouts because those break half the time. Actually, the proper approach is to apply your penetrating lubricant of choice each day for several days. If that doesn't work then you get out the flame wrench (blue propane torch). If that doesn't work and you're working with materials that can take the heat then try MAPP gas as it gets even hotter. Next try the left handed drill bit. As a last resort try a bolt extractor.

I don't know what you're working on but do you have enough room to get to the other side of the bolt and drill it from that end? Is there enough material protruding that would allow you to weld a nut onto the bolt remnants?