Anyone ever have an easy out work?

MasterofDisaster

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The other day my nephew's friend asked for help using an easy out screw extractor on the friend's Jeep CJ. I drilled the hole appropriately, installed the easy out, and it snapped almost immediately.
I am a sexagenarian, and looking back on my life, I've used easy outs a few times. Each time the stupid things snap and make a bad situation worse.
Has anyone ever had one work?
I feel stupid at this point. If the torx bit rounded the fastener, why would an easy out work?
 

Juice

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I have used 3 different extractors.
Easyout, Mac tools extractor, and left handed drill bit to drill for either style extractor.
Easyout is tapered to grab the broken piece. Poor success rate, as I feel the taper expands to broken piece making it harder to unscrew.
Mac tools had a non-tapered, splined ectractor you tapped into the hole you drilled, with the bit from the kit. Much better success vs Easyout, but still only about 50% success.
Left handed drill bit worked the best. The broke bolt almost always backed out while drilling. Heat from drilling and the bit getting tight would catch just unscerwing the offender.

I should note that if the broken bolt was cross threaded and broke, or rusted into the piece, you will not get it out with an Easyout or any other method. It has to be drilled out and retapped, or helicoiled if you cant save the treads.
 

LarryJM

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I was drilling out a broken bolt and somehow I pushed the reverse on the drill and out came the bolt.
 

Forty61

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I’ve only ever had Easy Outs work on bolts that were sheared but still fresh, anything that’s been there a while.. no chance.
 

Norm Peterson

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The other day my nephew's friend asked for help using an easy out screw extractor on the friend's Jeep CJ. I drilled the hole appropriately, installed the easy out, and it snapped almost immediately.
I am a sexagenarian, and looking back on my life, I've used easy outs a few times. Each time the stupid things snap and make a bad situation worse.
Has anyone ever had one work?
I feel stupid at this point. If the torx bit rounded the fastener, why would an easy out work?
Maybe once or twice. I haven't broken more than a couple of Easy-outs, but then again if the busted screw doesn't start coming out right away I go straight to some other method.

Left-hand drill bits are amazingly effective in a great many cases.


Norm
 

eighty6gt

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All the time. Drill larger and larger holes, my screw extractors are such that you pound them in with a hammer which helps unseat the threads - while careful not to expand the fastener.... then turn left and out it comes.

I can't recall ever needing one for the mustang but just pulled a bolt out of my truck's cylinder head.
 

Flusher

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I use them all the time. What juice said about the tapered helix is real. There is also a tapered square type that works really good also, especially where the tapered helix is expanding the broken fastener.

It gets better with practice.

I have spent a lot of money at Jerry's Broken Tap & Drill. He has some great videos. Definitely check them out.


 

Iceman62

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IMO...easy-outs aren't the end-all/fix-all. If everything's fairly fresh & low torque = sure, but most cases people try easy-out on bad x-threads, uber rusty, or high-torque bolts where you didn't even have a chance. Best methods are mentioned & if you can get a torch in there to heat it up - even better.
 

Juice

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Guy I used to work with showed me a trick with a cutting torch.
Inline 6 Jeeps used to snap off the exhaust studs in the head from the manifold expanding/contracting. (cast iron head)
He would touch the cutting torch to the broken stud and pull the handle. In about 10 seconds the broken stud is blasted from the hole. Chase the treads and done. Install new stud and reassemble.
 

Juice

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I think like stated it is hit or miss. One of those tools I hate having to use because there is no guarantee at all not matter how you prep for it.
Best practice IMO.
Drill with left handed bit.
Plan on just redrilling and have tap ready.
If treads cannot be saved, have helicoil ready.
 

MrBhp

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Not a broken bolt but a very stubborn one. Striped out hex in a 60 year old trolling motor. A little drilling and this thing pulled it right out. This is an old Greenfield Industries set. The reason these work so well is in the picture right above the extractor....

It's in the fine print.

16128054747677605396824976132385.jpg
 

eighty6gt

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People say Biden gets nothing done. I bet he was alive and in politics when these extractors were manufactured.
 

Enfield

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Helps to make sure your drill bit is centered; the larger the hole, the greater your chance for success.

For rounded bolt heads use the Irwin Bolt-Grip.

When all else fails, weld a new bolt to the remains. Not for the faint of heart! Better to have a master welder on hand.
 

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