Well, the hits just keep on coming. I found a broken oil pan bolt (thanks previous owner). So far I've broken 10 drill bits trying to drill a pilot hole. No luck.

Does anyone have a magic trick to get this out?

The oil pan didn't leak, but I don't want to put it back together and pray.

 

you need to use a good cobalt drill bit, can't use cheap multipak sets, Lowes have them.

 

I ordered a quality cobalt lefthand bit years ago. There have been times when the drill would bite and bind and begin to back-out the broken piece. Good luck!!!!!!!!

 

That bolt should not be so hard that a good quality drill bit won't make a hole.

When I am in a spot that tends to break bits, I go full speed with the drill using light pressure. At speed, the bits wont always catch the hard edge and break so easy.

I would get that bolt out also. Even if it didn't leak, just knowing about it being broken it would bug the **** out of me.

 

ya. good drillbit, the appropriate speed and very low forward pressure is the way to go. of course you have to use a center punch. the only other way you could break a drillbit is if where you're drilling is not straight surface, somethig catches the side. If that's the case you can try with a supersmall drillbit (careful not to break) to drill a pilot. centerpunch is must

 

+1 on the cobalt drill bit. You need a very hard drill bit that will not dull or break easily. Your regular ol' bits will not do the trick because the broken bolt is harder steel than they are. As said above, a left hand drill bit is preferred because when it starts to bind, it will help turn the broken bolt out. If all you get is a right and bit, you will need some easy outs to bite into the bolt to turn it out once the hold is drilled. I am not sure if Lowes has the good cobalt bits, but I know Snap-On does. One other tip. Use penetrating oil to help free the bolt. Spray on it several times and let sit. I know being upside down, this will not help much, but it will help some. Also keep the drill bit in oil while you are drilling. Heat will dull the bit and could cause it to break, so oil is a must on something tough like a bolt.

 

I took it to a machine shop to have the bolt extracted. They couldn't get it out either. They wound up drilling a new hole on each side of the old one, along with two new holes in my oil pan. They filled in the old hole.

My plan is to use a one-piece oil pan gasket - not because of this, I just heard they're much better at not leaking. Now I'll have to drill two new holes into the gasket.