Bolt broke off while tightening belts

PDACPA · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:23 pm

I was trying to tighten my belts as there was some play in them and one of the bolts that is threaded into the engine broke off. It appears that it is threaded into the engine block and there was a bracket with a nut on the front side. There are 3 bolts that hold the flywheel and bracket.

It was getting dark, so I left it for morning to look at. Was thinking maybe some lubrication and needle nose pliers and I might be able to grab the piece sticking out of the block and back it out. If I am not successful, can anyone let me know how to get it out? Thanks guys.

Here are some pictures:

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:31 pm

Start by spraying some PB Blaster on the bolt and let it sock in. Next, your local auto parts store or hardware store sells a products called EZ Out. I may not have it spelled properly but if you ask, they will know. It basically helps extract broken bolts.

PDACPA · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:33 pm

Is EZ out a spray or a tool to help extract?

Going out to hit it with PB and let it sit overnight.

(why wont ifourwinns let me upload my pics? done it the same way all the time and it wants me to make them thumbnails...argh )

PDACPA · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:34 pm

Something has changed on ifourwinns for pictures. I just tried one that I uploaded on another post and i get the same error message:

your images may only be up to 200 pixels high, your images may only be up to 300 pixels wide.

I need a beer.

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:02 pm

Ez out is a tool.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:27 pm

PDACPA wrote:

I need a beer.

That can be a tool also. :mrgreen:

taz42169 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:08 am

230 Mike wrote:

PDACPA wrote:

I need a beer.

That can be a tool also. :mrgreen:

You'll need the EZ Out and a couple of beers for sure, but don't forget a couple of buddies to help with the cursing!

Good luck.

PDACPA · **Posted:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:07 am

Thanks guys. Will keep you posted.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:00 am

As motorhead kids we used to joke about proper bolt tightening. Torque it until it breaks, then back off a half.

The question is why did it break. Is the piece left bottomed out in the hole or is it corroded? A too-long bolt can bottom out in the hole and break if turned too far. This is usually due to someone using a replacement bolt not appreciating the depth of the hole. If it's corroded then you'll want to hit it with a lot of penetrating oil. I've always like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster, others like Kroil. Whichever you use, it's good to apply it, let it sit for a few minutes and then lightly tap the piece to be removed. Then reapply the oil. This helps get the oil further into the threads by loosening it ever so slightly. Sometimes the process takes several attempts over many days.

If there's enough of the shaft protruding you might have some luck getting it out using vise grips. There's also a specialized sort of 'gripper' socket that's designed to grab onto a bolt shaft (or rounded nut) and tighten as it reverses. I have some and it's a 50/50 chance. EZ outs are the next step, you drill into the bolt and use a drill-like insert that bites into it while backing it out. Note, EZ outs are cheap usually because you go through more than one trying to extract the bolt. The last ditch method is to drill out the bolt entirely and put a Heli-coil insert into the hole, effectively making new threads (or re-tap the hole and use a bigger bolt, but thread cutting taps are pricey and a bit tricky to use properly).

The hassle with drilling things out is having enough clearance to get a drill in there, and then making sure to go STRAIGHT into the bolt. My all-time favorite cordless tool for the boat is a right-angled DeWalt drill. Best $200 I've ever spent on a tool, bar none. Useful for all kinds of tight or hard to reach situations.

Can you better describe which bolt broke? And isn't the flywheel at the other end of the engine? The big thing on the front of crankshaft is usually called the harmonic balancer.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:33 pm

wkearney99 wrote:

My all-time favorite cordless tool for the boat is a right-angled DeWalt drill. Best $200 I've ever spent on a tool, bar none. Useful for all kinds of tight or hard to reach situations.

+1. My weapons of choice are Makita these days, but the right angle drill was a must-have when I bought them.

On penetrating oils (FWIW), I saw a somewhat scientific study awhile back that compared the effectiveness of LW, PB, Kroil, and a few others. Surprisingly, plain old Liquid Wrench outperformed them all. Also surprisingly, nobody around here seems to sell it anymore.

LouC · **Posted:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:22 pm

One thing you can do, in the future to prevent this from happening, is to take the bolt and before you re-install, carefully clean out the threads, with a very small eyeglass screwdriver, that will ensure that there is no junk in there that may cause it to cross thread. Then thread it in, by hand, with just the socket and the extension, so you can feel if it's starting to cross thread. I also put OMC gasket sealer or OMC triple guard grease, on any bolt I remove, because it seals out corrosion and makes bolts come out easily, even in salt water. Here with the corrosive effects of the salt and a moored boat at that, you have to become more or less an expert in corrosion control, or else learn some new cuss words.....

jvthundercat · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:03 am

If you need to drill it. Get a left hand drill bit to do this. Most of the time it comes out with just that and I don't need the ez out.
You might have to go to a Harbor Freight to get one. For the angle drill they also have a quick attachment 90 degree that is cheap and works very well.

Geez, for a guy that has over 50k in Snap-on tools, I sure go to Harbor Freight alot.......... :lol:

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:11 am

jvthundercat wrote:

If you need to drill it. Get a left hand drill bit to do this. Most of the time it comes out with just that and I don't need the ez out. You might have to go to a Harbor Freight to get one. For the angle drill they also have a quick attachment 90 degree that is cheap and works very well. Geez, for a guy that has over 50k in Snap-on tools, I sure go to Harbor Freight alot.......... :lol:

Good point on the left-hand bit.

I've had mixed success trying to use the right-angle adapters (I have two, hoping the 2nd one sucked less). For one they often require nearly as much clearance as many new cordless drills. For an old corded one, maybe. But even then it was 50/50 hassling with them to get a straight hole. I don't mean to sound like an ad for the DeWalt, but it *really* is a tremendously useful tool.

I hear you regarding Snap-on. After 3 decades I think I've stopped by one of their trucks often enough to have just about everything I'll need. Harbor Fright has been good for picking up the slack for throwaway stuff.

PDACPA · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:26 pm

Ok, found out it was not a bolt sheered off in the block. There is a bolt with a spacer and another bolt that is used for the left lower (of 3) bolts that hold the power steering pump in place. The spacer (holder that had two bolts sticking out) was painted red and I did not notice it at first. Was trying to EZ OUT the bolt and realized it was not a bolt in the spacer.

Temporary for yesterday, I used an exhaust bolt and nuts which worked perfect, but I want the correct part. If anyone knows the part number, I would appreciate it.

BoatCrazy · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:25 pm

See reply in Boating Banter section under Posting Pictures

http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7732

www.iFourWinns.com

Bolt broke off while tightening belts

Who is online