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people are afraid to drill out bolts because they use the wrong drills, and think that it takes hours to do. do it right and it won't take 30 minutes. you keep messing with those bolt extactors and you're going to break off the welded nut-then you're in deep do-do. go back to your original technique. flatten the end of the broken bolt(with a saw or grinding wheel) and mark the center with a point or a dremel tool. if you miss the center, go back and try again. then drill an 1/8" hole through the bolt. throw out those crappy black and decker p.o.s. drills and get some rigid brand drills from home depot. use firm pressure, oil and low to medium speed. those drills will easily cut thru the bolt (unless someone used a grade 8). get some 'center cut' drills(machine shops use them) that have a non-cutting point that will follow your first hole and not drift off center, and you'll cut thru that bolt in no time.
you're making a big production out of this-do it the way a machine shop would! i've rebuilt thre of these rusty clunkers and have drilled out more bolts than i care to think about. do it the smart way. get that bumper back on the car where it belongs.
Like I suggested a few days ago. With a decent surface, a good center punch, some SHARP drill bits some lube and a tap, its really not that hard. Good luck.
Hey John 65, maybe he's waiting for us to go show him how to do it.
I've got good bits and everything I need to do it the way you are suggesting. I completely understand what you are saying to do. I was hoping to not have the end of the bolt rattling around in the pocket.
There is another option, but I wouldn't do it unless it was an absolute last resort.
You cut out the plate that has the nut welded to it, either remove the broken stud and reweld it back in place, or make a new plate and weld it in.
Can't you buy a new bumperette?
Thanks, I appreciate yours and everybody else's ideas. All good and I will remember them, and probably use them. You are looking at pictures. I am looking at it for real and have to use my own judgement. I'm willing to succeed or fail by it.
Originally Posted by my 76 ray
What size extractor is that? I didn't think they made them that small.
See post #37. They are different than what Paul74 posted.
There were 3 smaller than the one I used. I used a #4.
Learned as a young kid from this old guy I worked for, that a mix of diesel and automatic transmission oil was as good as it gets for releasing a rusted bolt. I've had a failure with Kroil(which is good stuff) and liquid wrench. Remembered the diesel brew, tried it and the broken exhaust/headpipe bolt came out easily. Perhaps too because I had already tried the other approaches first and the cumulative effort effort of all the products was the key to success.
Recently on my 71, had one of the 4 "shoulder" bolts that mount the windshield wiper door broken off. Could not drill or easy out it. Finally as someone has recommended on this post, I drilled it to 1/4 inch and then tapped it. Even NCRS would likely not find what I had done.