Tapping out small 10mm bolts

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Started my rebuild today, all went well except for two 10MM bolts that sheared off. which I found weird since the heat exchangers came off without a single broken stud, and I didn't even heat them up or use PB.

So how do you extract something as small as a 10MM bolt? I have one that holds the shroud down on the drivers side, and one for the engine tin on that side as well. I have some standard Craftsman extractors, but all of those proved to be too big. Should I let the machine shop do it?

In this picture it's the shroud bolt above the #2 intake, and the tin bolt below it.

VaSteve · 09-23-2006, 08:14 PM

There is a small extractor that comes with a drilll bit, you can find it at the harware store. If it was just the shroud and tin, you might just want to skip it. There are plenty of bolts to hold that together in most cases.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Let the machine shop do it if they can do it.
They probably have a drill press so they can drill straight, and they probably have the easy out. By the time you buy an easy out drill bit and FUCH it up along the way, you would have wish you let the machine shop remove the bolt.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Thanks guys, I'm being pretty anal here I know, but I want a perfect rebuild when I'm done. I'll ask the machineist on Monday when I drop the heads off. If not I'll look around for that smaller extractor, I can get to the Sanp On guy during the week.

911pcars · 09-23-2006, 09:40 PM

The fastener size is probably M6 (uses a 10mm hex head). If you're careful, center punch what's left, drill a small pilot hole in the middle, then follow up with a larger left hand drill. The CC rotation of this drill should help back it out. Use PB Blaster or Kroil beforehand. If you can, perform this with a drill press so the drill goes straight in.

...or let the machine shop do it.

Sherwood

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Thanks Sherwood, I'll add that to my shopping list today. BTW, before the engine went I had just installed your gate shift kit, what an awesome invention! Even my p-car wrench liked it!

DUK · 09-24-2006, 08:40 AM

Scott- I like to heat the area a little with a propane torch and melt some canning wax onto and into the threads. Then use a lefthand drill bit just under the thread size. You'll usually just get the bit started when the bolt will back out. I worked in an automotive machine shop for years and this only let me down once. If your not comfortable with doing it let the machine shop.