raredesign

Can someone recommend a good bit for extracting the exhaust hanger bolts that are broken off in my frame. "Thanks to a mechanic at a Ford dealer". Instead of fix it and/or tell me, he drilled another hole and fastened it back on with a single sheet metal screw.

I bought a set of extractor bits from harbor freight but when I tried to drill the pilot hole, the bit snapped in less than 30 seconds, probably from wobbling.

I was looking at carbide center drill bits, but I am not sure how to use them. Will it work in my 3/8 drill? being round, I don't know how it could possibly hold tight.

Welding is my last resort, as I don't want to have to grind and reweld in a pinch when the goal is to work on something else. I would rather extract these, retap, and have it like stock.

Still, I am open to thoughts.

CPTCO

Harbor freight is sort of hit and miss, sometimes good, sometimes not. Pick up some name brand easy outs like this:


Any way you could just drill all the way through and use a bolt and nut?

raredesign

thanks bud, I may pick those up. Unfortunately the part of the frame is sealed so I can't use a bolt.

jz78817

Harbor Freight? Moar like China Express, amirite?

get a good set of extractor bits. drill your hole, then soak the SOB in PB Blaster or some other rust penetrant for a while and go at it again. IF you're not too close to anything plastic or flammable (like the fuel tank) hit the surrounding area with heat from a propane torch for a bit.

raredesign

I know, right? The metal bits were junk. Good idea about the torch.

pascal

Harbor Freight is really the bottom shelf guys.
Very few items are worth a damn...

Like already suggested, heating up the broken bit will be a great help then a GOOD set of extractors...
PB blaster would help as well but gravity is against you there so that's that.

jz78817

capillary action, my main man. or I was more thinking if he drilled through the broken screw, he could shoot rust penetrant up in there.

AzPete

Was this a recent repair from Ford? If so....or even not so recent, that is the first place I would have gone with paperwork in hand.

Once you get the drill bit out, you may have to just drill it out with increasing size drill bits until you are close to the original threads and the try a thread tap.

pascal

Excessive optimism Son , by the time you're drilling through you're too involved to fukk about with rust treatment/penetrant.
If drilling, I'd recommend an automatic center punch to mark the broken bolt dead in the middle.
Start with a very small bit first, a lot easier to stay center to the punched mark that way then work your way to the correct size before taping if the extracting method failed.

raredesign

It was a Ford dealer some time in 08. I never attributed the rattle to the exhaust hanger mount, and at a glance and shake, everything seemed fine. I didn't realize the bolt that was in there was a sheet metal screw. The rattling was hunted by a couple other dealers that used the sensors/mics with no luck, except to say it was the exhaust. A couple weeks ago the exhaust slipped out of the mount after it pivoted on the loose screw, and tada!... I get to see what happened so long ago and caused so much frustration.

I am going to start with the bottom bolt, because the side bolt may require a right-angle drill and a whole bunch of head-banging.