Broke a bolt adjusting the brakes on my riding mower.

[Elkins45]

I twisted off one of the bolts that holds the brake pin housing on my riding mower. It’s a Peerless Tecumseh with the manual disk brake lever/pin and the little 1/4-20 bolts are turned directly into the aluminum housing. There’s about an inch sticking out.

I can’t get enough of a grip on it to turn it out. I’ve soaked it in Kroil for a week but my vice grips just twist on the shaft. I tried jamming two nuts and turning it off with a wrench but it stripped the threads.

I‘m starting to think I just need to cut it off flush and use a LH drill bit. Any ideas?

 

[Rand]

propane torch it for a little bit? can you grind 2 sides slightly flat for better grip?

 

[Elkins45]

propane torch it for a little bit? can you grind 2 sides slightly flat for better grip?

Filing a couple of flats on it might help.

 

[spasm3]

Smack the center of the sheared off bolt with a punch and hammer. I'd drill it and use a fluted extractor. A pic of this would help. How much room to work?

 

[tnt_motorsports]

Like @Rand said add some heat after putting some flats on the screw. Hope it turns out. The other option is a shot of nitrogen to cool it down. Heat is probably easier.

Just my $0.02

 

[andyd]

This is why I buy 1/8 drill bits by the bunch. Cut it off flush, center punch it and and use the 1/8 as a pilot for a 3/16 LH or RH bit. If the LH doesn't spin it out move up to a 7/32. Usually I can dig out the remains from whatever is left of the threads.

 

[spasm3]

I twisted off one of the bolts that holds the brake pin housing on my riding mower. It’s a Peerless Tecumseh with the manual disk brake lever/pin and the little 1/4-20 bolts are turned directly into the aluminum housing. There’s about an inch sticking out.

I can’t get enough of a grip on it to turn it out. I’ve soaked it in Kroil for a week but my vice grips just twist on the shaft. I tried jamming two nuts and turning it off with a wrench but it stripped the threads.

I‘m starting to think I just need to cut it off flush and use a LH drill bit. Any ideas?

Do you have a friend with a mig welder?

 

[Elkins45]

Do you have a friend with a mig welder?

Unfortunately no.

 

[Opelman]

Heat is your friend here but be careful with the aluminum housing. I have found that a bitty little pipe wrench will grab far better than locking pliers. Parrot jaw or battery pliers work well to as the harder you pull, the harder they grip.

 

[spasm3]

If there is enough sticking up, a knipex cobra might get it.
Otherwise center punch, drill, flute extractor.
Or take it and have someone weld a nut on the bolt.

 

[facility1]

only problem with heat it will expand the bolt,carefully get some dry ice on the bolt only,use very insulated gloves,just get it cold,,smack the end of bolt as was mentioned above ,and or use some liquid nitrogen,, or try freeze off ,made by CRC, its a penetrant & it gets very cold,,have used it in past,,works quite well,not sure where to get it anymore as im retired

 

[Elkins45]

Heat is your friend here but be careful with the aluminum housing. I have found that a bitty little pipe wrench will grab far better than locking pliers. Parrot jaw or battery pliers work well to as the harder you pull, the harder they grip.

I have a pipe wrench with a handle I shortened to remove a washing machine tub retaining nut. It might fit in the space. What I’m really hoping to avoid is having to remove the transmission to extract the bolt.

 

[Elkins45]

Snapped it off flush and my broken screw extractors aren’t working. I’ve decided to drill it and tap it for a threaded insert. That way in the future it will be steel on steel.

 

[scotty.honda.dog]

These pliers have worked well for me in similar situations. They make larger versions too. The teeth are a special design for screw removal.

ENGINEER PZ-58 Screw Removal Pliers Extractor Pliers (Combination Pliers), with unique non-slip jaws for quickly removal of damaged or rusted fasteners https://a.co/d/0zmdWyE

 

[Elkins45]

It's back in business. I drilled and tapped it for a threaded insert.

Drilled and tapped 7/16-14:

Insert installed:

Reassembled and adjusted:

I replaced the other bolt that's tapped directly into the aluminum housing with a stainless one, but if I ever have to take it apart again I'm just going to drill it for an insert as well.

 

[Elkins45]

It occurs to me that a smart fella might make backing those bolts out and giving them a light coat of anti-seize a part of his annual maintenance routine.

 

[Cherrybomb]

If I understand it correctly, you had an inch of bolt sticking out.You were absolutely correct in using a liquid penetrate and giving it time to work.I have used a sliding tee with a socket to get straight downward pressure.Wiggle back and forth.A ratchet or wrench puts side pressure on the bolt,already sticking out,possibly snapping off.Just my .02