Long story short, I was an idiot and used a bolt to help install the crank hub back on. Obviously with horrendous results. The bolt broke off and I believe it is actually seated all the way into the crank which is probably why it broke when I kept turning the ratchet. Don't ask why, just a huge dumbass moment. So what I need is advice and opinions on what I need to do.

I spent several hours in the garage today with my drill, drill bit, and extractor and wasn't able to get the bolt out. When the bolt broke it didn't break even and smooth and I wasn't able to get my drill hole centered. It sits off center which is why I probably can't use the extractor to assist atm. So, short of pulling the motor, what advice can you all give me?

I thought about just continuing to drill the hole and slowly widening it or somehow getting it more centered the bigger I drill it, then using a bigger extractor to try and bring it out. Other then that, I'm lost.

 

Read elsewhere that I could just leave the broken bolt in and basically "forget" about it. The length of section which is broken off is probably about 3/8" or so I think. Since it bottomed out there is also quite a few threads remaining at the front of the crank area, I could probably go rent the tool to assist in putting the hub and wheel on and be able to still use those threads to help. But would leaving the broken bolt in cause harm? That would mean I wouldn't be able to actually bolt the wheel and hub into the crank. Yet I read how some have had the same problem yet they just "forgot" about it and worked the hub and wheel on and continued with their build.

 

Try a good carbide bit.

 

Not sure, but I think that is what I have. It came in a set I bought from advance. Had the drill bit and the extractor bit. It drills through the bolt easy enough, I can get the extractor to grab but it just strips because the hole is off center....could I just slowly chip away at the bolt until I eventually clear it or what?

 

I might try to cut a slot into the bolt and use my big heavy flat driver to bring the bolt out.

 

In our machine shop we are always breaking bolts, here is what we do. Drill a hole all the way down. Next get a slightly larger bit and drill down.....keep doing this till you get the walls thin, without hitting thr threads, and then it will come out, or you can collaspe the thin walls of the pc of bolt thats left.

 

Good suggestion, thanks. I'll try to cut a slot for my screwdriver to twist out the bolt. If that doesn't work then I'll keep upgrading sizes of bits until the bolt pretty much falls apart like you mentioned. I am so close to getting this thing back on the road and then I make a stupid decision. still pretty ****ty about it.

If I'm careful I won't have to worry about damaged threads, at least I hope they aren't damaged. If so, I have a rethread kit I purchased already. It had the some tools necessary to help my use the extractor.

 

yes it stinks but patience is your best tool

you will get by this and time will move on. Take it slowly, work the drill and you'll get it

 

received more feedback elsewhere. If a bolt can get a minimum of 5 rotations it will hold. So being as though I have quite a few threads still available in the crank I'm going to find a new bolt (shorter) to fit and see how many rotations I can get with it. If it's greater than 5 I'll probably just use it. Put the hub and pulley on and seemingly "forget" about it for now. Plan was to find a second dd beater and take the z off the road for work and mods anyways. So if the new bolt holds well and no shaking I should be ok for awhile. Any thoughts on that?

 

Come with good news and bad. Good news is that I was able to center the new hole and drill it deep if not all the way through the broken bolt. Bad news is that even though the extractor grabs hard I still can't get it to budge. When it does eventually move it strips out, not sure what to do now. I don't want to break the extractor off in the bolt cuz then I would really be stuck. What now?