“How to remove a broken bolt from Aluminum” has been a quite a common issue for years for the people dealing with engine blocks. A broken bolt always can give you pain. It always tends to harm or damage or break the other non-broken adjacent parts of an engine block. Or, it can just weaken those ono-broken parts. The repairing is really hard in this situation. Due to some unique feature engine block made of Aluminum adds extra challenge to the situation.
Removing the bolt from aluminum would be a bit tricky thing to do to save your engine block. There are few ways to do that. It is essential to know those ways very well before removing the bolt. It can be removed with an extractor. Common solution in one word you will hear is to use penetrating oil and then proceed some easy steps. There are other ways too to get the job done. But, as per personal experience I would say that patience, guidance and proper practice are necessary to do the job easily. Also, there are other ways to get the job done.
Aluminum engine blocks are popular due to the light-weight feature. As a metal, Aluminum is high temperature tolerate. Also, it is an ideal metal for high strength jobs. Despite having few downside Aluminum has established a strong place for engine and machine world. Hence, people prefer different types of aluminum-made bolts, nuts, fasteners and connectors. Amidst all these good sides it is also a tough job to remove a broken bolt from Aluminum engine block if you do not know what you need to know. In this article we will explain issues that are vital and related to the topic. Let’s dig in.
Recognize Your Bolts:
Bolts and nuts are like friends that can never be parted. They are quite similar but their distinctions are significant enough. Yet lots of people only know names of these metallic items or, might have seen them but do not know which one is what. That is why it is good to mention differences between these two parts. Bolt is a connecting piece. Bolts are wielded together to make that connection. It has a solid cylindrical stem. This stem has external threads. On the other hand, nuts are usually hexagonal shaped with a round hole in inner side.
Does the Bolt Fall Out Easily?
One way or other, bolts get broken when either nuts are wrong sized or the person tightens the nut when threaded. There are some challenges with aluminum items. If the material is made of Aluminum, then the bolt gets easily loosened up.
The most frequent issue is dissimilar metal corrosion. What happens when this corrosion occurs? This comes from galvanic corrosion. When two different metals are combined the whole thing becomes incompatible and this incompatibility creates galvanic corrosion. When a bolt or a broken bolt gets stuck in an aluminum block this galvanic corrosion can make the job challenging.
Heat and cold corrosion can also be another potential concern. Due to this corrosion the connection with bolt gets loose.
Stress corrosion can be another issue with the stuck broken bolts. When an engine goes through several repeated stresses, exposure to environment and the force created due to erosion (in physics it is called Tension), it faces stress corrosion.
However, precautions can save you big time. The breakage can be prevented and the tension can also be minimized. You just need to lubricate during the installation.
Tools We Need to Remove Broken Bolts:
We will be needing few items to remove the bolt. Lots of tools are not needed in this case. We will brief here few best tools:
- Bolt Extractor: there are various types of extractors for different functions and sizes. The extractor uses the anti-clockwise torque very widely. Also, it applies a force within the bolt’s perimeter. If you can guess the bolt area perfectly and place the extractor as per that prediction the chance of slipping is zero.
- Fluted Extractor: Fluted extractors can be straight or spiral. You can easily pull out items with tool accurately if you know the steps. The actual secret lies in proper directions while bolting out and when to backtrack. Although I personally suggest to use the straight ones to drill out the hole precisely.
- Propane Torch: This can come handy when the bolt is really stuck hard. I mean when the bolt is absolutely rusted or frozen. Better take a socket wrench. It will help to move the bolt back and forth. Also, keep a small rag to hold the torch for your safety. Accidents do not happen frequently. Still it is always wise to take precautions while burning something. Even small flashes to can damage your skin. Hold the torch point out at the same place of the bolt surface for 30 to 40 seconds. In the meantime keep the wrench moving. In this case better take assistance from another person. One person to hold the torch and the other one to move the wrench. The heat will loosen up the bolt.
- Locking Pliers: This tool is basically used for tightly grip pieces with good strength. This machine provides you with solid grip. It is used to open or remove both bolts and nuts commonly. Pliers are used to fix the fastening points. This can save your time and energy if the bolt is not that much rust or frozen. Also, it is cost-effective!
How to Get Broken Bolts Out of Engine Blocks?
We will be needing 6 (six) steps to remove a bolt. No steps here are difficult at all. Half the steps are making the surrounding easy to work for yourself. Let’s see what these steps are:
Step 1: Keep All the Necessary Tools
Arranging the tools is the first step. It would be better to place the most necessary tools at first. Then other ones as per the order you will need them. But keep all the tools around you before you start the main removing tasks. All the tools are budget-friendly and available in all places.
Step 2: Put Lubricants on the Surface Area
Put some lubricating materials on the whole surface. Try to use penetrate oil on the bolt also. Then, give it some time so that the air move through around the surface and bolt area. Let the air to spread around these area properly. Now, keep in mind that this “some time” should be 4 hours.
Step 3: Apply Pliers to Fit the Pieces in the Right Places
As it was mentioned earlier that locking pliers are used to fix loose items properly. The job of pliers is to fit the parts in right way. Put the right amount of force with the plier. I would not recommend to remove the bolt with this machine. Because that will kill your energy. You will have to put a lot of energy in that case. Moreover, excess tightening can rather scrunch the adjacent parts of the block. Also, it can damage the items since it is Aluminum-made.
Rather keep turning the plier clockwise gently. No extra force is needed around the bolt. Keep turning the plier several times. It will ease next steps.
Step 4: Take the Propane Torch
At first keep in mind that this torch is to heat the bolt in this whole process. Yes, you can remove the bolt using the torch only. But that could be riskier if any precautions are missed.
Usually it takes from 40 seconds to few minutes to heat the bolt depending on the Aluminum weight. Please follow some instructions to stay safe:
- The minimum distance between the torch tip and the bolt head has to be one inch. The optimum distance is two (2) inches.
- While heating you keep yourself at a safe distance.
- Know the amount of required heat as per Aluminum weight.
- Aluminum gets heated up easily. It will start showing bubbles at that point. But it is not going to turn red. So, be attentive.
Step 5: Tighten the Bolt with the Locking Plier
You already know that the job of locking plier here is to tightening the bolt or other remaining parts. After applying the heat with the torch, let the area cool down for around twenty minutes. It will still be warm and that is perfect actually. Then use the plier to connect the bolt and the engine surface. Now, this part is very vital. Some instructions should be followed here:
- Locking pliers put lot of pressure on a surface. The surface will be soft after that experiencing that pressure. So, stay careful and focused since the striping will be a lot easier.
- If you use wrench, take assistance from someone else. It would help to remove the broken bolt easy.
- Before doing this step, practice it several times. I would recommend six (6) times at least.
Step 6: Take a File and Use It to Even Out the Bolt Surface
There could be some uneven area on the broken bolt. You should smoothen that surface with a metal file. When the surface is flat, turn the bolt by quarter and wait to see if the broken part falls out or not. If not, turn the tool left and pick up the broken part out of the block. Removing the broken stud is the trickiest part of the whole procedure. It just needs practice and patience.
Final Thoughts
We have mentioned some significant features of Aluminums. These features are for people to understand how to work with this metal machines. There are other ways and other tools remove a broken bolt from aluminum block. For example, vice grips, wire brush, welder and all. Which is the best way to remove a broken bolt? Well, that depends on your budget and expertise. But the common thing are practice, precautions and patience.
I would recommend to use safety glasses or welding helmets and rag. If possible, keep a little fire extinguisher while heating up the bolt surface with the torch. The rests are easy.