06-07-2012, 02:52 PM | #1 |
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Location: Long Beach, Ca
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Broken tap
I unfortunately broke off a tap in the valve cover retaining bolt hole in my cylinder head. It's broken off flush so I can't grab it from the sides. Any advice on how to get the broken tap piece out without removing the head?
Thanks, Max |
06-07-2012, 07:29 PM | #2 |
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Location: St. Michael, Minnesota
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Re: Broken tap
Those little bolts usually are not under pressure after they break. I used a dental pick to back one out. Otherwise, you can buy drill bits with a reverse twist. Put it in the drill and run the drill backwards, they back right out.
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06-07-2012, 08:29 PM | #3 |
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Re: Broken tap
If its a tap that's broken off and not a bolt its a bit harder, the last one I broke off I had to take a sharp chisel and slowly chip it away.
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06-08-2012, 12:42 AM | #4 |
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Re: Broken tap
There are extractors made for removing broken taps. Try a good machine shop supply house (like Grainger's).
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06-08-2012, 09:50 AM | #5 |
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Re: Broken tap
The flutes that are along the sides of taps offer an access to get them out. I think I saw extractors offered in the Enco catalogue.
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Mike, S. Oregon 46 Ford 1/2 ton, '62 Merc Meteor S33, '54 Ford 600 tractor, '64 Falcon Futura, 1960 Thunderbird |
06-08-2012, 12:52 PM | #6 |
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Re: Broken tap
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06-08-2012, 02:17 PM | #7 | |
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Re: Broken tap
Quote:
We do this for a living here, if it's a "clean" break the extractor will remove it! You don't say a 2, 3, or 4 flute, but the correct tools work really good! Most likely the remaining threads will be OK also! It can be done with the torch, but it is somewhat "messy" on the car! Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. If you choose the punch, chisel, and hammer method make sure you have another head available beforehand. That's a fairly small tap with little extra room to work. |
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06-08-2012, 03:37 PM | #8 |
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Re: Broken tap
the taps are high carbon and very hard, if you get a torch with a very small welding tip and put the flame on the tap(last resort) it will turn to slag which will be easy to get out with a dental pick, i have had to do that on several engines with broken taps, they got stuck and were broke because of to much torque applied
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06-09-2012, 12:27 AM | #9 |
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Re: Broken tap
There is a place near me that uses Electric Discharge Machining that disintegrates broken taps and drills. From what I understand you don't even have to remove the head. http://www.brokentap.com/index.html. Maybe someone near you can do the same.
I have never had to use them, but it is another option for ya. |
06-10-2012, 06:40 PM | #10 |
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Location: rhode island
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Re: Broken tap
a company called walden makes a set of inexpensive extractors. i bought a set years ago and they have never failed me yet. it was well worth the forty dollars i spent buying them. good luck with what ever you do.
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06-18-2012, 04:21 PM | #11 |
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Location: Long Beach, Ca
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Re: Broken tap
I bout a tap extractor from ENCO and it worked like a charm with little effort. It broke it loose and i literally turned it out with my fingers. Thanks so much for the help guys. It had been bothering me for weeks and I had tried drilling on it multiple times. THANKS 46yBlock for the ENCO referral.
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06-19-2012, 10:06 AM | #12 |
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Re: Broken tap
Many years ago I had to replace a broken exhaust manifold on the Dodge 413 engine in my motor home, during the removal process two bolts broke off flush with the head..
I tried a couple of 'easy-out' bolt extractors after first drilling a hole into the broken bolts. The first type of 'easy-out' would not get a good purchase on the bolt so I had to try others, finally found one that got a good bite into the bolt, however, it snapped when I put pressure to it.... Now I had a real problem, broken bolt with a broken bolt extractor stuck in the bolt. I checked with several people for a solution, the common solution was remove the head and take it to a machine shop. I tried one last hope, an old time mechanic that I knew.. "Ken" asked me if I had a torch, oxy/acet, I told him I did.. He suggested that I use a small tip, about an '0', set the flame to a neutral flame, put on goggles and heat the bolt extractor to the melt point, at which time the bolt extractor would blow out of the hole. I had a hard time bringing myself to use a torch on the head, I finally mustered up the courage and lite the torch, following Ken's instructions. Just as Ken said, when the bolt extractor started to reach the melt point it exploded out of the hole. Using a cobalt drill bit, I drilled out the remainder of the bolt, re-tapped the hole.. I then drilled out the other broken bolt, re-tapped the hole and installed the new manifold. I have never had much luck with most of the bolt extractors I have tried.
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06-19-2012, 02:50 PM | #13 | |
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Re: Broken tap
Quote:
I finally blew the bolt out with a torch. The block fluxing didnt show any cracks.
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