broken bolt broken screw extractor ... what next?

[BarnyardEngineering]

No torch...bummer.

Don't worry about it. If you were good enough with the torch to do this without turning the whole aluminum casting into a puddle, you wouldn't have posted this thread in the first place. Takes years of experience to wield a cutting torch with the near-surgical precision you'd need, and with that experience would come about 100 different stuck bolt extraction techniques that don't include EZ-outs.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

No torch...bummer.

No, that’s a good thing.

 

[WI Dan]

Take off the steel bracket, weld a flat washer with the same size hole as the bolt to the broken bolt. The weld a nut to the flat washer.

Good idea but I don't have a welder. *someday*

 

[WI Dan]

If a steel fastener won't easily come out of an aluminum casting, you need to use heat. Heating the fastener will break the bond between the fastener and casting. Even after breaking the bolt, you had a decent chance of getting it out with a little heat. And that's still your best bet. The old trick of welding a nut to the broken bolt might work for this reason.

You're not going to be able to drill out the easy-out. You might be able to grind it out with a carbide burr in a die grinder.

Thanks. I know if I can get the screw extractor easy out OUT of there, I can get the bolt.
I have a dremel with an assortment of bits. Maybe there's a diamond tip in the colleciton. I will check.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Easier to just throw it away and go buy a new mower, then sit on the couch.

That was my thought as well. It has to be pretty valuable mower to be worth the effort at this point.

 

[bc]

I see enough there that I would get a corner of a chisel on that extractor and a large hammer should work one or both loose after spraying it down with wd.

 

[WI Dan]

That was my thought as well. It has to be pretty valuable mower to be worth the effort at this point.

I like the mower. If I can fix it without spending a fortune, I might gain some knowledge in the process.
Replacing it would be easy if I still lived in town. But out here in the country there's not as many replacements readily available.

 

[cjunrau]

Toro recycler mower. Main handle mounting bolt broke. I drilled a hole, stuffed in a screw extractor, and promptly broke it off. I tried re-drilling and grinding but I'm not making progress. Can't access from the backside. I think the deck is cast aluminum (softer than the bolt). The screw extractor seems to be harder material than the bolt. I tried punching it clockwise but it wont' dislodge from the hole. I tried drilling new holes along side it, but I keep breaking drill bits and risk wandering into the threaded portion of the aluminum.
I dunno what to try next? I have limited tools but always interested to buy more!

the best way in the future to do this is weld. take a nut that fits easy over the bolt that broke. use the smallest rod you have and fill with weld. then ice cube to cool it fast and turn it out. Now you need to do the same thing to get that easy out out. problem with easy outs is you are hammering into a hole expanding it more forcing the threads to get tighter than they were in the first place.heat from welding has always let go everything I have ever done. I don't have a torch.

 

[rustred]

Why is every one so worried about removing that bolt ? Cut that pin off weld a new one on with threads and done .

 

[glennster]

we use tungsten carbide spot weld drill bits at my shop for boron steel. they may drill thru the easy out, but they are spendy. about 80 dollars a bit.

 

[rustred]

I have never saw anyone drill out an easy out. It’s torch material or replace that piece.

 

[glennster]

I have never saw anyone drill out an easy out. It’s torch material or replace that piece.

you can buy drill bits to remove easy outs. snap on sells them. the boron bits are designed to repeatedly go thru boron steel. disk blades are boron steel. the op has neither a torch or welding equipment.

 

[glennster]

you can buy drill bits to remove easy outs. snap on sells them. the boron bits are designed to repeatedly go thru boron steel. disk blades are boron steel. the op has neither a torch or welding equipment

 

[glennster]

here is a set of drills from promax

Screw Extractor Removal Broken EZ Out - Easily Remove with ProMAXX Carbide Tooling KitBroken Extractor Repair Kit Master (PMXBEKMSTR)

Broken Extractor Removal for broken EZ Outs, screw extractors, with special Platinum Drills and Mills for handheld applications. We carry Rescue® bit for taps, and more.

promaxxtool.com

 

[rustred]

you can buy drill bits to remove easy outs. snap on sells them. the boron bits are designed to repeatedly go thru boron steel. disk blades are boron steel. the op has neither a torch or welding equipment.

Yes but this Is not a job for a beginner. Look at #29 post. I am no beginner when it Comes to this sort of job. U guys need to throw that drilling out in the bush. The mower is not even worth what it would cost to get that job done. I offered a simple solution. Be nice to see a better picture of the other side also. Cause if it’s all aluminium then u need that experience also to do the welding. As it is now just twist some wire to the other side to keep this side on and call it good.

 

[wore out]

I have never saw anyone drill out an easy out. It’s torch material or replace that piece.

Ever hear of EDM?

 

[rustred]

Ever hear of EDM?

Ya I live an hr north of Edmonton.

 

[WI Dan]

here is a set of drills from promax

Screw Extractor Removal Broken EZ Out - Easily Remove with ProMAXX Carbide Tooling KitBroken Extractor Repair Kit Master (PMXBEKMSTR)

Broken Extractor Removal for broken EZ Outs, screw extractors, with special Platinum Drills and Mills for handheld applications. We carry Rescue® bit for taps, and more.

promaxxtool.com

Oooo....that's cool. I think I would have to buy an auto shop business to make them useful.

 

[DoubleO7]

Ever hear of EDM?

That could do it. Finding a shop willing and able to do it is like finding a shop that will still fix copper/brass all metal radiators.

Then finding a shop that will do it and not charge more than a brand new mower is another iffy proposition.

Even the thought of having bushings made by a machine shop is iffy price wise. They don't do stuff like that for free.

 

[DoubleO7]

Yes, the handle is barely visible in the upper left of the first photo.
Yes, the handle pivots on that bolt. It's beefy, the smaller bolt to the left isn't strong enough.
Thanks for the idea.

Utilize both bolts, not just the one.
That side won't look like the other side unless you want to spend as much or more than the value of a replacement mower.