How to unscrew a broken bolt in a hard-to-reach place. Seven ways to unscrew a broken bolt or stud

If you, by virtue of your profession or hobby, are engaged in the repair of equipment, you often face the question: - how to unscrew a broken bolt, part of which is in your hands, and the other remains in the thread?

In this article, we will make a brief overview of ways to solve this problem. The choice of the method is up to you, as the skills and "arsenal" at hand are different for everyone. Let's start?!

Consider how to pull a broken bolt out of a thread with an extractor

For those who don't know, there are external and internal extractors. If the bolt is broken in such a way that it cannot be "grabbed" to, then the internal extractor may be the only solution to the problem.

The internal extractor resembles a tap. The shank (non-working part) is made "under the square"" for tools.

According to the type of working part, the extractors are divided into wedge-shaped, rod and screw (spiral).

The working part of the wedge-shaped extractor has the form of a cone with faces, the section of the rod extractor is the same along the entire length.

The screw extractor is a cone with a left or right rotation thread.

The order of work is as follows:

When starting work directly on the car, make sure that the repair site is accessible for a drill, screwdriver, etc. Well, if the question is how to get a broken bolt out of a wheel hub, the repair area is open. But if you can’t “reach” the part, don’t be lazy and do the necessary disassembly, that is, the dismantling of everything superfluous in this case.

If you do not know how to unscrew a broken aluminum bolt, using an extractor will be the best solution.

It is better to buy extractors in ""extended"" sets, ie. complete with drills and guide sleeves for them.

But, unfortunately, such a tool is not always available at the moment or it cannot be used due to the design of a particular node.

If you have problems with broken edges, we recommend choosing the best quality fasteners: https://avselectro-msk.ru/catalog/4976-bolty - bolts of suitable quality that can be bought in any quantities.

Alternative ways to unscrew a bolt with torn edges

Welding a nut as a way to unscrew a bolt without edges

This old tried and tested method led many out of a dead end during repairs.

specific case. Broken front suspension arm bolt on an old Suzuki Ignis. Moreover, the distance between the lugs of the arm of the lever did not allow either to hammer or screw the extractor into the fragment. Welding in this case is the most effective way to unscrew the broken bolt.

The essence of the reception is as follows.

We select a nut of a suitable diameter, put it on a broken bolt and weld it. If the bolt broke flush with the surface of the part, we fix the nut as accurately as possible in the center of the bolt. We cook. Carefully, without jerking, we unscrew the broken bolt by the nut.

Disconnect the battery terminals! Ensure the safety of wiring, hoses, plastic products from melting and burning!

Let's say that the extractor and welding are not available to you. Then, if the bolt broke in the thread, we apply

Drilling - a great opportunity to turn a bolt without edges

First of all, we calculate the diameter of the drill. The formula for a standard thread is simple - subtract the thread pitch from the diameter of the bolt (threaded part).

The next important point is how to avoid pulling the drill to the side? To prevent such trouble, there are conductors. The conductor (simplified) is a plate with holes. Guide bushings (sleeves) corresponding to the diameter of the drill are perpendicularly fixed in the holes. The conductor is fixed on the part, the sleeves are aligned with the holes with broken bolts. You can drill! It is the sleeve that will prevent the drill from deflecting.

The jig is indispensable if you need to remove a broken bolt from an aluminum part. Especially if it is the engine cylinder head.

You can also combine drilling with knocking out the remains of a broken bolt with a drift.

This technique is used if the threaded holes are through. Starting with a drill of the smallest diameter, we drill a chip. When the ""wall"" of it is sufficiently weakened, we remove it with a punch. Then we clean the thread with a tap.

In this way, you can, for example, get rid of fragments of the studs for attaching the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold on the VAZ2114-15 without removing the latter from the engine.

Heating to unscrew a bolt with stripped edges

Consider this situation - there are no extractors, welding, a conductor and good drills. How to pull out a bolt if it is broken?

You can solve the problem (and sometimes very successfully) by heating the parts red-hot. After cooling, they will become more pliable and may well be unscrewed with a chisel, center punch, etc. The described methods of unscrewing broken bolts are not an exhaustive, universal answer to problems of this kind. For clarity, watch the material in the video.

Thank you for your attention!

Quite often, when using such fasteners as a bolt, situations arise when the head of the product breaks off, and the hardware itself remains inside. In this case, it becomes necessary to remove this residue without damaging the threads so that the hole can be exploited further. Given this, the topic of how to unscrew a broken bolt is very popular and requires more detailed consideration.

Types of fractures

Typically, such fasteners break at the end of the thread, although there may be exceptions. As a result, the hardware itself can be deepened into the hole, protrude above the surface, or even level with it. Based on this, it is necessary to decide how to unscrew the broken bolt, paying attention to this very moment.

surface break

This type of breakage includes the option when part of the hardware protrudes above the surface. It can be assumed that such a problem is most easily solved without using radical measures. However, before any unscrewing of a broken bolt, it is worth treating the place with kerosene to eliminate carbon deposits and weaken the contact of the surfaces.

• If the protrusion is quite large, then the easiest way is to use tools such as pliers, pliers or clamps, with which you can grab the part and unscrew it along the thread.
• Some experts, answering the question of what to do if a bolt breaks, which sits very tightly in the hole, recommend using a welding machine. With it, you can weld a lever to the hardware, which as a result will allow you to get a large shoulder for rotational movement.
• You can also use a drill with a diameter slightly smaller than the bolt itself. With a drill, a hole is made along the central axis of the bolt to the full depth. After that, the remains of the fastener are removed with a hook, trying to unscrew the thread from the very bottom.

Flush break

It is believed that this failure is the most difficult, since it is sometimes very difficult to determine the diameter of the hole, especially if the fastener has been cut. Therefore, in order to determine how to drill out a broken bolt of this type, it is first necessary to clean the surface by determining the gaps.

Quite often, the place of the cliff has very uneven shapes, which, with this arrangement, are very difficult to straighten. Drilling in this state will not work. That is why a core is first used, which prepares a place in the center for working with a drill.

Further steps, describing how to drill out a broken bolt, are described in the paragraph on surface breakage. After making a hole, the remnants of the thread are simply removed with a hook.

Cliff below the surface

Such damage is quite difficult, especially if the part itself is made of soft metal. Therefore, you need to solve the problem of how to unscrew the broken bolt and at the same time not damage the threads in the hole.

First of all, using a core, the center of the hardware is marked. In this case, it is best to use a thin tool made of durable metal so as not to accidentally damage the part.

The next step is to purchase a tap with a reverse thread. Its diameter should be less than that of the bolt itself.

After that, a hole for the tap is drilled in the hardware itself, but it is not deepened much. Next, just install the threading tool and turn it along the way, which will lead to twisting. If this does not happen, then the tool is used like a regular bolt, but you should not make too much effort so as not to break it.

Extractor

The most correct answer to the question of how to unscrew a broken bolt is the one in which they suggest using a tool specially designed for this. It is called an extractor and is sold as a set of products of different diameters. Outwardly, it resembles a tap, but without longitudinal slots and with a conical notch for cutting.

To use the extractor, it is enough to drill a hole in the center with a diameter that allows the tool to enter a few turns. Then they begin to turn it all the way, and then until it is completely unscrewed.

Conclusion

There are several options for recovering broken bolts from a hole that can be used for certain types of damage. However, it is best to purchase a set of extractors in advance, which can be considered the best tools for such tasks.

Basically, each repair does not go smoothly, but with the occurrence of small problems, the elimination of which takes time and effort. What to do in a situation where you need to disassemble the structure, and the bolt is rusted or damaged, we will analyze further.

At home, not every master will have the necessary equipment at hand, but this problem can be dealt with with improvised means.

How to unscrew a broken bolt?

Main methods:

1. Clean the surface with a metal brush and treat with diesel fuel or kerosene. Trying to unscrew the nut with a wrench. Although there is no absolute guarantee that it will unscrew.
2. With the help of a chisel and a hammer, strikes in the direction of unscrewing. This method is not suitable for a small nut.
3. A gas wrench with a powerful clamp is a good tool in this situation. It is easy for them to grab even round objects, but heavier in hard-to-reach places. The longer the handle, the easier it is to unscrew operations.
4. When fasteners with a large size and it is difficult to unscrew it, it is possible to apply a metal coating using welding equipment and prepare the desired turnkey shape with a file.
5. A hole is cut with a drill inside the body of the fastener, an L-shaped rod is threaded through it, which will serve as a handle, and removed.

When there is enough space to use an adjustable wrench or pliers, this is good, but what to do in other situations?

How to unscrew a bolt with a hex or asterisk head

To extract an element use gas wrench with a compression of the part, they make a cut on the hat with a grinder and unscrew it with a screwdriver, an extractor of the appropriate size, special tools (a wrench, a stud driver), which are beneficial to purchase only if you have to deal with such problems quite often.

A TORX sprocket is selected in size (it should not be large and slots should go into the hole for the hexagon). It is inserted tightly into the cap and the bolt is unscrewed with a jerk to avoid breaking the sprocket slots. When driving stars with holes in the center, they break off, so it is not recommended to use them.

In any construction and auto shop extractor kits for sale. Outwardly, this device has the form of a metal rod with a conical thread on the left side and a faceted base on the right. With their help, unscrew the nuts with torn edges. To do this, a hole is drilled strictly in the center of the bolt, an extractor of the desired size is hammered into it and unscrewed with pliers. This is done simply and quickly, because the extractor has the opposite cut.

A drill with a reverse is an irreplaceable thing. Make a hole at the bolt with a thin drill. Take a left-hand drill with a smaller diameter and drill out the damaged bolt in reverse rotation mode.

If the bolt head is broken off

In this case, you need to be patient and choose the appropriate course of action.

Three ways:

1. A hole is drilled 3 cm smaller than the diameter of the bolt and a tap with a left-hand thread is screwed into it until the broken part begins to unscrew.
2. If part of the bolt protrudes, then a cut can be made on it with a grinder under a slotted screwdriver and proceed to unscrewing.
3. A hole is made in the base, into which the extractor is screwed counterclockwise. Then the damaged element is removed with a key.

The process takes a few minutes, but there are countersunk head products under the hexagon, the edges of which are easily torn off. Torx of a suitable size will help to cope with such a problem.

How to drill out a broken bolt

Professionals advise using a small diameter drill and making sure that it does not tilt to the sides when working. When buying, you need to focus on the country of origin and cost. High-quality drills cannot be cheap, sharpened in a special way and made of hardened steel.

Unscrewing nuts and bolts produce slowly and consistently, in this case it is impossible to rush, otherwise unforeseen problems will arise later and the loss of time to eliminate them. For example, many auto repairers are in a hurry to unscrew rusty bolts that break. It takes a lot of time to fix bugs. Therefore, it is necessary to plan the course of action immediately. How to deal with rusty bolts, we will discuss further.

How to loosen a stuck bolt

Often, car repair is complicated due to the presence of corrosion and oxidation of fasteners. For example, at the factory, during assembly, the master did not treat the thread with lubricants, and during operation water got into it. As a result, the bolt stuck, it would seem, tightly, but such a nuisance can be dealt with in several ways.

Loosen a rusted bolt or nut by tapping

When tapping with a bolt remove rust and scale, so it becomes easier to unscrew it. The operation is carried out with a hammer, turning with a special tool in order to create a torque. With caution, as you can damage the product and have to drill it. After removing the fastener, it is cleaned of rust and treated with graphite grease. If available, put anther on the connection.

With solvents

In the arsenal of any experienced car enthusiast there is always a set of liquids to combat rust and other plaque. Mostly use WD-40 with good penetrating ability into micro gaps, the cost of which starts from 100 rubles. Along with it, brake fluid, white spirit, kerosene, Coca-Cola are used. Unlike WD-40, other liquids have a weaker effect, and it is better to pour them into a container and place the boiled compound in it for greater effect.

If the bolt is stuck on the front pillar, the solvent can be carefully poured into the "glass". The main thing is not to damage the rubber bands on the racks, otherwise you will have to change them.

Moisten a rag with any means, wrap the nut and leave for a while. Then the bolt is tapped to destroy the softened rust and proceed to unscrewing.

thermal method

When the solvent does not do the job, you can try exposure to fire and cold. Any major auto or hardware store sells a gas burner that heats the bolt to a bright orange color. Then they cool it with engine oil and try to loosen it. If the attempt fails, the process is repeated anew.

This method does not always help, and when close to the paintwork, the fuel tank is very dangerous. When working with a gas burner, you must follow the fire safety rules and do not use it if you do not have a fire extinguisher at hand.

Freeze sprays are used to save the bolt for later use. But such reagents are mainly used by professionals, since in domestic conditions this business is costly and unprofitable.

How to unscrew a licked bolt

When scrolling the bolt, it is hooked with a nail puller and pulled out to the maximum possible height, left in tension and gradually unscrewed with a key. When a nail puller is not available, a screwdriver can be used. A small bolt is removed with wire cutters by the head. If it does not lend itself immediately, then rotate it, clamping it with pliers counterclockwise with an upward force.

Use tap, insert it all the way. If it is not at hand, then a screwdriver with a cone-shaped edge will do, which is carefully hammered all the way and they try to unscrew it.

To prevent such situations from recurring, they must be treated with graphite grease before tightening the bolts. But solid oil or lithol is not used for this purpose, because they are used for rubbing parts, and after lubrication, bolted joints are wedged.

When it comes to car repairs, there are a lot of problems. One of these is the question of how to drill a bolt without damaging the thread, a video about which can be found on a number of resources. Therefore, it is always useful to know how to drill a broken bolt, what needs to be done for this, and how to unscrew a broken bolt without serious and unpleasant consequences for mechanisms and structures.

Break on the surface

Usually this is the easiest option for a breakdown and you can fix it without drastic measures, which can sometimes harm your car or other unit. However, before unscrewing the broken bolt, it is necessary to treat the breakage site with kerosene. This will help eliminate the burn and weaken the contact of the surfaces. Next, you need to follow the following recommendations:

Flush break

This type of breakage is considered the most difficult to repair, as it is very difficult to determine the diameter of the hole, especially when cutting fasteners. Therefore, in order to drill a broken bolt of a certain type, it is necessary to clean the surface. This will allow us to determine the gaps we need.

Often the following unpleasant situation occurs: the place of the cliff has curved shapes, which are very difficult to process and straighten. And drilling a product in a similar state is categorically not recommended, because there is a risk of completely ruining the structure. Therefore, first you need to apply a core, which prepares a place in the center of the work with a drill.

Further course of action allowing to drill a bolt broken in one way or another is similar to the option with a surface break. After creating the hole, the remnants of the thread are removed with a hook.

Bolt failure below surface

Complex fault, especially for a soft metal part. Therefore, it is very important to unscrew the broken bolt without damaging the threads in the hole. The procedure here is as follows:

If the last point could not be implemented, then the tool can become directly a bolt. However, it is not worth making excessive efforts, as there is a chance of breaking it. As a result, you can remove the old broken part and screw in new elements.

Using the Extractor

However, the surest option that will help unscrew a broken bolt is to use a special tool for this operation. It is called an extractor, it is sold in a set tools of different diameters. Outwardly, it looks like a tap, but there are no longitudinal slots on it and there is a conical notch for cutting.

You can use the extractor after a hole is drilled in the center with a diameter that will allow the tool to enter several turns. Turn it until it stops, and then until it is completely unscrewed.

So, here are some ways unscrewing broken bolted elements. Each of them should be used depending on the complexity of the breakdown and the availability of appropriate tools. But the most practical and best option is to purchase a set of extractors. They are quite practical and allow you to work with bolted parts of various sizes and with any type of thread.

Be sure to perform surface treatment, this will eliminate unnecessary contact and contamination. Good luck for loosening broken bolts, because the full-fledged operation of the entire mechanism depends on this, especially for cars! You can learn more about how to unscrew broken bolt elements using videos on specialized sites or forums!

Quite often, when using such fasteners as a bolt, situations arise when the head of the product breaks off, and the hardware itself remains inside. In this case, it becomes necessary to remove this residue without damaging the threads so that the hole can be exploited further. Given this, the topic of how to unscrew a broken bolt is very popular and requires more detailed consideration.

Types of fractures

Typically, such fasteners break at the end of the thread, although there may be exceptions. As a result, the hardware itself can be deepened into the hole, protrude above the surface, or even level with it. Based on this, it is necessary to decide how to unscrew the broken bolt, paying attention to this very moment.

surface break

This type of breakage includes the option when part of the hardware protrudes above the surface. It can be assumed that such a problem is most easily solved without using radical measures. However, before any unscrewing of a broken bolt, it is worth treating the place with kerosene to eliminate carbon deposits and weaken the contact of the surfaces.

• If the protrusion is quite large, then the easiest way is to use tools such as pliers, pliers or clamps, with which you can grab the part and unscrew it along the thread.
• Some experts, answering the question of what to do if a bolt breaks, which sits very tightly in the hole, recommend using a welding machine. With it, you can weld a lever to the hardware, which as a result will allow you to get a large shoulder for rotational movement.
• You can also use a drill with a diameter slightly smaller than the bolt itself. With a drill, a hole is made along the central axis of the bolt to the full depth. After that, the remains of the fastener are removed with a hook, trying to unscrew the thread from the very bottom.

Flush break

It is believed that this failure is the most difficult, since it is sometimes very difficult to determine the diameter of the hole, especially if the fastener has been cut. Therefore, in order to determine how to drill out a broken bolt of this type, it is first necessary to clean the surface by determining the gaps.

Quite often, the place of the cliff has very uneven shapes, which, with this arrangement, are very difficult to straighten. Drilling in this state will not work. That is why a core is first used, which prepares a place in the center for working with a drill.

Further steps, describing how to drill out a broken bolt, are described in the paragraph on surface breakage. After making a hole, the remnants of the thread are simply removed with a hook.

Cliff below the surface

Such damage is quite difficult, especially if the part itself is made of soft metal. Therefore, you need to solve the problem of how to unscrew the broken bolt and at the same time not damage the threads in the hole.

First of all, using a core, the center of the hardware is marked. In this case, it is best to use a thin tool made of durable metal so as not to accidentally damage the part.

The next step is to purchase a tap with a reverse thread. Its diameter should be less than that of the bolt itself.

After that, a hole for the tap is drilled in the hardware itself, but it is not deepened much. Next, just install the threading tool and turn it along the way, which will lead to twisting. If this does not happen, then the tool is used like a regular bolt, but you should not make too much effort so as not to break it.

Extractor

The most correct answer to the question of how to unscrew a broken bolt is the one in which they suggest using a tool specially designed for this. It is called an extractor and is sold as a set of products of different diameters. Outwardly, it resembles a tap, but without longitudinal slots and with a conical notch for cutting.

To use the extractor, it is enough to drill a hole in the center with a diameter that allows the tool to enter a few turns. Then they begin to turn it all the way, and then until it is completely unscrewed.

Conclusion

There are several options for recovering broken bolts from a hole that can be used for certain types of damage. However, it is best to purchase a set of extractors in advance, which can be considered the best tools for such tasks.