Milt - There are different types of Electro Discharge Machines. You are correct that there are types that feed a wire in a continuous run which are frequently used to do things such as cut out shapes in metal sheet, but there are also spark erroding machines which use an electrode which looks a bit like a fluteless drill that can be used to burn out broken drills, taps, etc. They work in a similar manner but continuously flush the work area with a substantial amount of fluid to cool the work and wash away the material that's being erroded. I did my apprenticeship in a machine shop and was a fairly frequent visitor to Reg who ran the spark erroding machine in the first few weeks!

Matt - good luck with this. My advice isn't going to be any different from anyone else's suffice to say that you're not the first, I'm sure you won't be the last, and that this problem is totally recoverable. Don't worry about drilling out the threads (or having someone else do it) and fitting a thread insert. The insert is generally much stronger than the original thread.

Matt, I know this is way too late, but a short extractor of the type pictured by John Walker would probably have saved you lots of grief. I worked in a factory that made glass containers and we used them many, many times in much worse conditions than an engine. I think that the ones we used were called "Wedge-Proof" and they worked great.

BTW, if you now still have a broken drill bit in the hole be advised that there are specific drill bit extractors. They are not real easy to use but they do sometimes work. Otherwise, grinding it out may be your next best option.

Also, thread inserts are not real difficult to install. The key is to go slow and make sure of the alignment when drilling and tapping the hole.

P.S. On your "Go Irish" tag line...I had two nephews who graduated from South Bend. One of them roomed with a linebacker you might remember named Michael Stonebreaker.

OK......I think that we all feel your pain! Most of us have been there......lots of advice from people who have used methods that have worked soooo I will add mine!

Cut a slot across the stud as much as possible. If you can not get a slot no need to worry too much....now the grusome bit......using a blade of the right width to fit across the stud without touching the case grab your impact driver and the BFH.....! The impact of the driver will normally bind into the stud and the axial torque of the driver MAY.....after all of the previous work turn the stud out....!!!!

I have to admit I am breaking onto a sweat just reading this thread....It;s like I a really there!

Cheers

Mark......

Get a can of brake clean with the red straw and clean out the hole really well.

Keep spraying until you get all the metal pieces and dust out of the the hole.

Then use a pick and compressed air to work the drill bit loose. You should try and rotate it clockwise while it's in the hole. Just try and get the bit to wiggle in the hole.

If you get it to move a bit, re-clean the hole to free up any trapped particulate matter.

Snapped bits aren't usually that hard to remove.

If you get the bit out I would suggest stopping there. I am not sure if you have the tools or the "finesse" to get this out without making things worse. A good machine shop will be well equipped to make that thing surrender. Perhaps he would even show you how its done.

There is a definite "feel" when it comes to doing this type of work so don't "feel" too bad. I was new at this once too so...." I know how you "feel."

Humbling isn't it ? After all, it is just a bolt in a hole.

Trust me, you'll be laughing and giggling like a little school girl when the bolt finally comes out.

-Adam

I've had drill bits and EZouts break off like that before too. One trick I learned is giving one corner of the bit/EZ-out a hard WHACK with a center punch. Very often the bit/EZ-out will shatter enough that you can pick it out.

I went through a similar ordeal a couple months ago with my benz... a glow plug broke off in the head. I actually drilled out the body and then picked out the threads. Lost a LOT of hair that weekend.

Good luck!

Sure, I remember that guy. Pretty good linebacker if I recall correctly.

Well, guys - I'm gonna take a little break from this for a couple days and ponder my options. I'm not in a race to get the motor in so I can afford to take my time. I promise to update the thread as soon as I have anything to report.

Again, thank you all for your guidance and for living this drama with me. What a community :)

Tell me about it!! All this grief for a piece of metal in a dang hole :confused:

It's amazing how preoccupying something like this can be. My mind just won't let it go. That's another reason I need to take a step back....my brain is caught in this loop and it's distracting me from other things.

Milt:
You didn't read correctly.
My suggestion was to remove the clutch and mount a small drill press to the flywheel, NOT stand the engine upright.
Mounting a small drill press horizontally to the flywheel would ensure straight drilling axial and radial; it would require some shimming and clamping; very simple.

These small drill stands are cheap; they hold a 1/4" drill motor and give you pretty good control.
The more expensive versions like Port-A-Mags come in various sizes and are frequently used in industrial applications; very nice and practical.

With the above, or just drilling by hand, I think it's still doable without a TimeCert but, either way, he doesn't have the skill and needs to call in a professional or someone with experience.

Touchdown!!!!!!
 

It's out! It's out!!! IT'S OOOOUUUUTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Behold, the most beautiful images in all the world:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1213233134.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1213233156.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1213233212.jpg


Here's how it went down (or came out, such is the case).....I asked my stepfather to come over and look at the mess I had gotten myself into and to share his thoughts. He looked at it and asked me if I had tried the shorter extractor yet. I told him I made a brief attempt with it but stopped out of fear that yet another item would break off in the hole. He suggested we give it another shot and he proceeded to give me a lesson in finesse I'll never forget (thanks Dayne!!!).

Several of you stated that I probably lacked the "feel" necessary for tasks of this sort and you were absolutely right. As it turned out, I had gone 95% of the way but that last marginal bit of skill/experience needed was missing from the equation. The difference came down to how Dayne applied torque to the breaker bar. Whereas I was exerting constant and increasing force to the lever, he simply tapped it repeatedly. It took a few bumps to allow the extractor to "dig in," but it wasn't long before he had that sucker backing its way out!! The "pulses" of torque he used seemed to be just the ticket for breaking the bolt loose without overpowering the extractor. This may be the same technique many of you use and never thought twice about, but it just hadn't occurred to me. Great lesson.

You'll notice in the pics that we got the drill bit out too. After cleaning up the hole, it appears that the threads are still in good shape so I'm hopeful that a new stud or bolt will thread-in just fine. By the way, what would you all recommend as far as replacing the missing stud (I'm actually missing 2)? Should I go for new OEM studs? generic studs spec'd to the original size? generic bolt?

I'm sure this is only my first hurdle on the long road that is my 3.2 conversion. But I'd like to compartmentalize this issue and call it a Happy Ending. I really need to think of it that way to re-energize myself for the next challenge :).

Thanks a million everyone!!!

Congratulations!

I have had a few debacles like this but never one quite so bad. I have to admit that is a beautiful picture. Good work!

sucess
 

Make sure you clean of all metal filings from behind the flywheel. Main seal and metal filings don't get along. You don't want an oil leak

Congrats, now get that motor in your car and have some fun, good going and persistance does pay off!

+1 take that clutch out and flywheel off and thoughly clean it all up, even a small flake of metal can wreak havoc in that area.

You have to love it when a plan (finally) comes together!!!:):)
Congrats!

Back when everyone was in agreement about taking it somewhere I decided to hold my tongue. All I could think was how close it was. Hopefully you only had a few hours in the project.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/fles.gif

Yes.

JR

Fritz & gsmith: thanks for the flywheel cleanup suggestion. I was planning to use the newer clutch out of my '77 anyway so at least I'll already be in there.

vref: thanks. It's hard to differential the time I spent physically working on this with the time my brain spent working on it (laying awake in bed, sitting at work, driving, etc.). All I know is I slept great last night.

Someone had the right touch.
If you take the flywheel off, the bolts are another issue:
Clean out the bolt-head real good because the double-hex is very shallow.
Keep horizontal pressure on the tool while you crack the bolts open.
They are stretch-bolts; some people re-use them, others don't.

Gunter: Thanks for that advice on the flywheel bolts. You know, I just realized that there has been a very strong Canadian presence on this thread (6 of you if I count correctly). Plus one from the UK, one from Australia, and all corners of the U.S.

Amazing!

We foreigners need to keep an eye on you guys.