Broke a thread cleaner in block
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 15
Broke a thread cleaner in block
I was replacing the timing chain cover gasket in my Bronco. I had just started cleaning out the holes in the block when the thread cleaner snapped in the block. The bad thing is the engine is still in the vehicle. Anyone have any good ideas, I know there are spiral type bolt extractors but I have never used one before. So any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated. I believe the thread cleaner is hardened but not sure.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,028
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If there's any of the cleaner still sticking out of the hole you might be able to work it out with pliers.
Drilling it out isn't going to work because as you said it's hardened tool steel.
Don't try to use an extractor since they usually break off and make it worse.Also there's no way to drill a hole for the extractor to work in.
Here's a link to a company that sells left hand drill bits.
http://www.mcmaster.com/
If you can't get pliers on the thread cleaner you might have to pull the engine so you can get room to work.Doing a job like this is a lot easier if you can actually see the hole versus hanging into the engine bay while working blind.
If there is ANY of the cleaner sticking out of the hole you might be able to get a very good TIG operator to tack a bolt or washer to the broken tool and back it out that way.
A super sharp cobalt drill with a left hand twist might be able to get a bite on the broken cleaner and turn it out.Be careful! If you break the drill bit you'll be way worse off than before.Sometimes the broken tap will be kinda' fragmented and you can coax the pieces out this way.
If you can't get it out by yourself,and the engine is out of the vehicle you might have to eat this one and take it to a machine shop.Skipping this bolt when putting the engine back together is an option also.IF it's not a long span between the bolts on either side you might get lucky and not get a leak.
Good luck and let us know what happens.
Drilling it out isn't going to work because as you said it's hardened tool steel.
Don't try to use an extractor since they usually break off and make it worse.Also there's no way to drill a hole for the extractor to work in.
Here's a link to a company that sells left hand drill bits.
http://www.mcmaster.com/
If you can't get pliers on the thread cleaner you might have to pull the engine so you can get room to work.Doing a job like this is a lot easier if you can actually see the hole versus hanging into the engine bay while working blind.
If there is ANY of the cleaner sticking out of the hole you might be able to get a very good TIG operator to tack a bolt or washer to the broken tool and back it out that way.
A super sharp cobalt drill with a left hand twist might be able to get a bite on the broken cleaner and turn it out.Be careful! If you break the drill bit you'll be way worse off than before.Sometimes the broken tap will be kinda' fragmented and you can coax the pieces out this way.
If you can't get it out by yourself,and the engine is out of the vehicle you might have to eat this one and take it to a machine shop.Skipping this bolt when putting the engine back together is an option also.IF it's not a long span between the bolts on either side you might get lucky and not get a leak.
Good luck and let us know what happens.
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KingRando
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Oct 2, 2015 08:06 AM