How to unscrew a plastic bolt. How to unscrew a broken bolt - effective methods of removal without damaging the thread

How to unscrew a bolt? An article about effective methods with an overview of the best and non-standard tools.

In this material we will look at how to unscrew a torn bolt (with torn edges), a rusted bolt, a crankshaft pulley bolt, wheels, exhaust manifold, cylinder head and other components and assemblies.

How to unscrew a bolt

Bolts are usually unscrewed with spanners or open-end wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets using a wrench, ratchet or pneumatic impact wrench. However, other options are also possible.

Before unscrewing the bolt, from the available tool you need to select the one that fits better total:

• thin short open-end wrenches, especially with a too loose (broken) jaw, are the worst option, which is better to immediately abandon in a situation with unscrewing rusty stuck bolts (this will lead to torn edges);
• ring wrenches are preferable to open-end wrenches, since they cover the perimeter of the bolt head more tightly;
• A 6-point socket wrench or socket is preferable to their 12-point versions because hex ones have large area pressure on the flat working surfaces of the head and are less likely to tear off the edges;
• a tool with an extended handle or additional attachment is preferable to a short one;
• Due to its simplicity and strength, a crank is preferable to a ratchet, because for the latter, the application of increased forces can lead to damage to the mechanism (this is especially true for ratchets with a large number teeth, each of which smaller in size and not so durable);
• an air impact wrench is better than a hand tool;
• in combination with a wrench or air impact wrench the best solution there will be a Super Lock head, in which the force is applied not to the corners (edges), but to the planes, which eliminates the licking of the edges of the bolt head;
• a torque amplifier (multiplier) will help apply a force to a large stuck bolt that exceeds human physical capabilities;
• a screwdriver with a large handle of a typical shape or a T-shaped power one will do a better job than traditional compact versions;
• a suitable clamping tool (pipe (“gas”), wrench, clamp, vice, pliers, etc.) will be useful in the absence of keys or when the edges are licked;
• if the head height is sufficient, in rare cases a pin driver of the appropriate size can be used.

Further, when describing the methods, we will show how to unscrew a bolt from an atypical tool.

It is worth purchasing a durable Super Lock socket for wheel bolts and carrying it with you in the car at all times, since wheel fasteners often get damaged during seasonal tire changes and can cause serious difficulties for the car owner on the road in the event of a puncture.

Which way to unscrew the bolt?

Most often, bolts with right-hand threads are used: they need to be unscrewed counterclockwise (look at the bolt from the head side). Unscrew the bolt with left-hand thread clockwise.

When deciding which way to unscrew the bolt, just look at it carefully:

• on the side you can see the inclination of the bolt threads at a small angle - unscrew the bolt in the direction in which the thread “rises”;
• even if the threaded thread is not visible, you can determine the direction from the end of the nut (or the through threaded channel in which the bolt sits) at the point where the last turn of its internal thread exits.

In the absence visible signs, when only the cap tightly pressed to the surface of the part is visible, it is better to start unscrewing counterclockwise; if there is no result, then try counterclockwise.

How to unscrew a broken bolt

A bolt with torn edges can be unscrewed in several basic ways:
·

• use a Super Lock head, which acts on planes and not on edges;
• hold the torn bolt in a pipe wrench (in a vice, clamp, pliers, etc.) and unscrew it;
• make a cut in the head and unscrew it with a powerful screwdriver;
• combine the two previous methods, using both a clamping tool and a screwdriver, which will allow you to apply the force of two hands;
• grind the cap to a smaller size;
• use a special tool - an extractor (similar to a tap, working part conical, thread direction opposite to the thread of the stud): drill a hole in the center of the required diameter and depth approximately 2/3 of the length of the working part of the extractor, insert the extractor and rotate with force until the bolt is unscrewed;
• drill a hole in the center of the cap no deeper than the height of the cap, drive a TORX nozzle (E-profile, or another similar one with longitudinal ribs) into it and unscrew it by the shank of the nozzle;
• hammer a suitable larger nut on top of the head of the bolt with licked edges, the inner diameter of which allows it to be tightly seated, for additional fixation, drill a recess in the contact area of ​​the nuts, insert a suitable metal rod there as a key to prevent rotation, unscrew the bolt using tool to size nut of larger diameter;
• put on a larger diameter nut and weld it to the bolt head semiautomatic welding machine, unscrew the large nut along with the bolt welded to it.

As you can see, unscrewing a bolt with torn edges is not so difficult.

How to unscrew a broken bolt

Information on how to unscrew a broken bolt that does not have a head can be obtained from the article “How to unscrew a hairpin: 25 effective methods and techniques,” which is posted in the “Useful” section of the website.

How to unscrew a rusty bolt

It is easier to unscrew a rusty bolt if you have access to the threaded part. As a rule, such an opportunity exists from the side of the end on which the nut is screwed (the bolt passes through the parts being fastened), less often - from the side of the head, when it does not fit tightly to the surface being fastened. We need to act as follows:
·

• accessible threads must be thoroughly cleaned of rust with a wire brush and dirt removed;
• Apply the penetrating compound WD-40, “Liquid Key” and their analogues to the threads (so that the applied compound flows from top to bottom into the thread sticking zone of the rusty bolt), let the compound work for 20 minutes, unless a different time is specified by the manufacturer of the product;
• using the available tool, apply force in the direction of unscrewing;
• if the bolt does not give in, then use the walking method, alternately applying force to both tightening and tightening;
• if these actions did not lead to positive result, then apply soaking in a penetrating or chemically active preparation against rust for a long time.

How to unscrew a bolt with soaking

The essence of the method is to expose the rusty threaded part of the bolt to a penetrating or chemically active composition against rust for a sufficiently long time.

Basic methods:

• generously moisten rusty fasteners in the thread area active agent, wrap the accessible threaded shank of the bolt with a rag soaked in this product or place it on top (so that the chemical flows down the thread from top to bottom), close tightly to prevent drying, if necessary, adding fresh product every few hours;
• Immerse the fasteners completely in the chemical, using a large volume of it in a suitable container.

The following can be used as a means for soaking rusty fasteners:

• special penetrating compounds WD-40, “Liquid Key” and analogues;
• kerosene, gasoline, carburetor cleaner, lock defroster, brake fluid and others, from garage stock;
• rust converter;
• compounds that are chemically active against rust - table vinegar, iodine, Coca-Cola, etc.

How to unscrew a stuck bolt

Before unscrewing a stuck bolt, you need to perform preparatory steps that can make things easier:

• hit the head with a hammer along the axis of the bolt;
• apply rocking tapping with a hammer on the lateral working planes around the circumference of the bolt head;
• if possible, heat the fastened part in the area of ​​the threaded channel and try to unscrew it while it’s hot (if it doesn’t help the first time, then repeat the heating several times).

In the latter case, you can use matches, a wax candle, a lighter, a gas canister burner, a blowtorch, or cutting torch(the latter extremely carefully, at a sufficient distance so as not to damage the part).

You can unscrew a bolt that does not want to unscrew, if it is stuck, by using penetrating lubricant in combination with other methods of increasing force.

How to unscrew a bolt without a screwdriver

If the bolt head is suitable for a screwdriver, but you don’t have one at hand, then the following options are possible:

• clamp the bolt head in a vice, pliers, clamping pliers or other similar tool or a bit from the available set;
• if there is no Phillips or other shaped bit, then use the method of cutting the head for a flat screwdriver or turning the head on a turnkey basis (grind the opposite sides of the head with a file, burr or grinder until parallel planes of sufficient area are formed);
• if you don’t have a flat-head screwdriver or a bit, use any suitable or specially turned to size object made of hardened steel - clamped in the tool listed above, it will act as a screwdriver blade;
• with a massive bolt head, you can use methods with fastening by welding or on the key of a large nut, or by another suitable method described above.

How and with what to unscrew an asterisk or hex bolt without a key

Often an asterisk or hex bolt has round shape heads. How and with what to unscrew a bolt without a key? You can consider any of suitable ways, which were indicated above, for unscrewing bolts with torn edges.

How to unscrew hard to reach bolt

Before unscrewing a hard-to-reach bolt, you need to prepare a special tool:

• wrench or ratchet with a short handle;
• ratchet with a large number of teeth in the mechanism (gives a small angle of rotation, which is important in cramped conditions);
• extensions to heads;
• cardans;
• flexible drives for heads.

If planned regular work with hard-to-reach fasteners, then it is better to buy the listed tool, as part of a set or individually for actual tasks. For a one-time use, you can ask for what you need for a while.

Conclusion

Before unscrewing the bolt, it is necessary to clean the threaded part from rust and contaminants, apply a penetrating or chemically active composition against rust, and select from the available tool what is suitable in the best possible way and only after that make efforts.

Using excessive force and using the wrong tool will most likely result in damage to the bolt head or broken bolt or tool.

When considering how to unscrew a bolt, immediately choose the most effective and reliable solution available.

If you opened this article, it means that the strong words are behind you, you pulled yourself together and decided to find answers to the questions: “What to do if a bolt is stuck? How can I unscrew it? Let's try to figure out this problem.

The bolt is stuck: how to unscrew it?

Repair is difficult, replacement of spare parts is complicated by metal corrosion or hydrated iron hydroxide for a trivial reason. For example, during installation at the factory or previous repairs, unscrupulous craftsmen ignored treatment with lubricants (Movil or grease). As a result of operation, water got under the threads. It caused the surface of the bolt and nut to loosen, locking them tightly with a new molecular compound. Each car enthusiast will choose a suitable method for working with a stuck bolt or use a combination of the methods proposed in this article. Therefore, let's look at some of them.

Using solvents

There are no hopeless situations. take on cutting tool early until you know what to do if a bolt is stuck. Any car enthusiast has several liquids in his arsenal that have the ability to fight rust. The first product in the line of solvents that most likely comes to mind is WD-40. This is an aerosol that is capable of penetrating its components into micro-gaps and dissolving rust. If this option is not available, then in almost every garage there are such products as antifreeze, brake fluid, white spirit, kerosene, Coca-Cola, and in extreme cases you can take ethylene glycol. You need to be very careful with the last substance. Protect the mucous membrane of the eyes and respiratory tract.

Moisten the nut with the selected liquid by wrapping it with a rag previously soaked in the same solution. Then it is necessary to leave all this for some time for the substance to penetrate into microcracks. Next, by tapping the bolt or nut, you can destroy the softened rust. After this you can start unscrewing. It is worth noting that if a bolt or stud is screwed into the housing vertically (even if it is down and filled with solvent), it is not so easy to unscrew them. But still, you should not underestimate the capillary capacity of liquids, especially in the loose environment of rust. All you have to do is find a way to secure the rag to the stud or bolt head. And also follow the already proposed path.

When repairing the chassis of a car, you can often encounter a problem when a bolt on the strut has become stuck. What to do? Mostly bottom part the front pillars are mounted in a glass. Therefore, the solvent can be poured directly into it. It is important here not to damage the rubber bands on the stands, since the chemistry can react with them and dissolve them. Then you will have to change the racks too.

Thermal method

If the proposed option with a solvent does not give results, then it is worth trying thermal method. By heating a nut screwed onto a bolt, you can enlarge the product. In this case, there will be a chance to rip it off. If the bolt is located in the housing, this option can also be used. Heating the product will slightly change the structure of the rust, and the chance of unscrewing an already cooled bolt will increase. For heat treatment You can use a gas burner. However, acquiring the skill to operate such equipment is not so easy. It takes time. A travel gas burner can be an excellent alternative. It costs less and is easier to manage. It should be noted that during operation it is necessary to strictly follow safety rules to avoid fire.

Another chance to save the product’s life is to sharply freeze the bolt with a special spray. However, only professionals use it. In everyday life, its use is unprofitable, since the substance is quite expensive. There is no point in purchasing it to unscrew several bolts.

Mechanical method

It is also important to approach the methods of unscrewing nuts and bolts with ingenuity. We use the “do no harm” principle. So, the bolt stuck. How to unscrew it? Doing this with a simple open-end wrench is fraught with abrasions on the hands and “licked” edges of the product. A spanner wrench is more suitable for this. It will preserve the edges and help create more force when unscrewing. Applying pressure on the key, even with a lever, should be done gradually, increasing the amplitude (as if rocking and destroying the rust).

Let's look at one more mechanical method. We use it for situations where both temperature and chemicals powerless. If the bolt cannot be unscrewed from the body, you can try tapping it. We do this as the thread rotates using a chisel, as if rotating it.

If this procedure does not lead to success, the bolt can be drilled out. What does it look like? We use a drill of a slightly smaller diameter than the product, so as not to spoil the thread. But even if this happens, you should not be upset. The thread can be corrected with a tap.

And you need to know this too

It’s a completely different matter when the camber bolt is stuck right in the silent block. At first glance, removing it may seem like an insurmountable task. But not for us. If you decide to change the silent block, but the bolt prevents you from carrying out this action, a proven method will come to the rescue. You will need an angle machine with a thin disc (125 mm), possibly a hacksaw and, oddly enough, a hammer drill. The use of the first two tools is clear and logical. But it is the hammer drill that can provide an invaluable service in pushing out the bolt. There is a possibility that the bolt will rest against the body when removed. Therefore, as regrettable as it may be, its further extraction will take place in parts. By sawing off small pieces of metal with a hacksaw and pushing out the remains of the product with a blunt drill, you can free the pendant.

So we looked at several options for what to do when a bolt gets stuck. How to unscrew it? Now this is not a problem for you.

Basically, every repair does not go smoothly, but with the occurrence small problems, the elimination of which requires effort and time. What to do in a situation where you need to disassemble the structure, but the bolt is rusty or damaged, we will discuss further.

At home, not everyone has a master at hand necessary equipment, but this problem can be dealt with using improvised means.

How to unscrew a broken bolt?

Basic methods:

1. Clean the surface with a metal brush and treat it with diesel fuel or kerosene. They try to unscrew the nut with a spanner. Although there is no absolute guarantee that it will unscrew.
2. Using a chisel and a hammer, strike in the direction of unscrewing. This method is not suitable for a small nut.
3. Gas wrench with powerful clamp good remedy in this situation. It’s easy for them to grab even round objects, but it’s harder to hard to reach places. The longer the handle, the easier it is to unscrew.
4. When fastening material With large size and it is difficult to unscrew it, you can use welding equipment apply a metal coating and prepare the desired turnkey shape with a file.
5. Use a drill to cut out a hole inside the body of the fastening element, thread an L-shaped rod through it, which will serve as a handle, and remove it.

When there is enough space to use an adjustable wrench or pliers, this is good, but what to do in other situations?

How to unscrew a hex or sprocket head bolt

To remove an element use a gas wrench with compression of the part, make a cut on the head with a grinder and unscrew it with a screwdriver, an extractor of the appropriate size, special tools (wrench, pin driver), which are beneficial to purchase only if you have to deal with such problems quite often.

Select the TORX sprocket according to size (it should not be large and the slots should fit into the hole for the hexagon). It is inserted tightly into the cap and the bolt is jerkily unscrewed to avoid the sprocket spline from breaking off. When driving sprockets with holes in the center, they break off, so their use is not recommended.

In any construction and auto store extractor kits for sale. Externally, this device looks like a metal rod with a conical thread on the left side and a faceted base on the right. They are used to unscrew nuts with torn edges. To do this, drill a hole strictly in the center of the bolt and drive the extractor there the right size and unscrew it with pliers. This is done simply and quickly, because the extractor has the opposite cutting.

A drill with reverse is an irreplaceable thing. Use a thin drill to make a hole near the bolt. Take a left-hand rotation drill with a smaller diameter and drill out the damaged bolt in inverse rotation mode.

If the bolt head breaks off

In this case, you need to be patient and choose suitable option actions.

Three ways:

1. Drill a hole 3 cm smaller than the diameter of the bolt and screw a tap with a left-hand thread into it until the broken part begins to unscrew.
2. If part of the bolt protrudes, then you can make a cut on it using a grinder under a slotted screwdriver and begin unscrewing it.
3. A hole is made in the base into which the extractor is screwed counterclockwise. Then the damaged element is removed with a key.

The process takes a few minutes, but there are countersunk head products under a hexagon, the edges of which are easily torn off. A Torx of the appropriate size will help to cope with this problem.

How to drill out a broken bolt

Professionals advise using a small-diameter drill and making sure that it does not tilt to the sides when working. When purchasing, you need to focus on the country of origin and cost. High-quality drills cannot be cheap; they are sharpened in a special way and made of hardened steel.

Unscrewing nuts and bolts produce slowly and consistently, you cannot rush in this case, otherwise unforeseen problems will arise later and a loss of time to eliminate them. For example, many auto repairmen rush to unscrew rusty bolts that break. A lot of time is wasted fixing errors. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately plan the course of action. How to deal with rusty bolts, we will discuss further.

How to unscrew a stuck bolt

Car repairs are often made more difficult due to corrosion and oxidation of fasteners. For example, during assembly at the factory, the master did not treat the threads with lubricants, and during operation water got in there. As a result, the bolt seemed to be stuck tightly, but such a nuisance can be dealt with in several ways.

Unscrew a rusty bolt or nut by tapping

When tapping from the bolt rust and scale come off, so it becomes easier to unscrew it. The operation is carried out with a hammer, turning with a special tool to create torque. Be careful, as you can damage the product and have to drill it out. After removing the fastener, it is cleaned of rust and treated with graphite lubricant. If available, place a boot on the connection.

Using solvents

In the arsenal of any experienced car enthusiast there is always a set of liquids to combat rust and other deposits. They mainly use WD-40 with good penetrating ability into micro-gaps, the cost of which is starts from 100 rubles. Along with it, brake fluid, white spirit, kerosene, and Coca-Cola are used. Unlike WD-40, other liquids have a weaker effect, and it is better to pour them into a container and place the stuck compound in it for greater effect.

If the bolt is stuck on the front pillar, the solvent can be carefully poured into the “glass”. The main thing is not to damage the rubber bands on the racks, otherwise you will have to change them.

Moisten a rag with any product, wrap it around the nut and leave it for a while. Then they tap the bolt to destroy the softened rust and begin to unscrew it.

Thermal method

When the solvent does not cope with the task, you can try exposure to fire and cold. Any large auto or hardware store sells a gas torch; it is used to heat the bolt until it turns bright orange. Then they cool it with machine oil and try to weaken it. If the attempt fails, the process is repeated again.

This method does not always help, and if you are close to paint coating, the fuel tank is very dangerous. When working with gas burner you need to follow the rules fire safety and do not use it if you do not have a fire extinguisher at hand.

Use freezing sprays to preserve the bolt for further use. But such reagents are mainly used by professionals, since in everyday conditions it is it's a costly and unprofitable business.

How to unscrew a licked bolt

When turning the bolt, pry it up with a nail puller and pull it out to the maximum possible height, leave it in tension and gradually unscrew it with a wrench. When you don't have a nail puller, you can use a screwdriver. A small bolt is removed using pliers by the head. If it does not give in immediately, then rotate it, clamping it with pliers counterclockwise with upward force.

Use a tap, insert it all the way. If you don’t have it at hand, then a screwdriver with a cone-shaped edge will do, which you carefully hammer in until it stops and try to unscrew.

To prevent such situations from reoccurring, they must be treated with graphite lubricant before tightening the bolts. But solid oil or lithol are not used for this purpose, because they are used for rubbing parts, and after lubrication, bolted joints become jammed with them.

Faced with a stubborn bolt? Here's what you need to do to unscrew it...

Many novice car repairmen at the beginning of their careers, and even ordinary car enthusiasts and ordinary people interested in technology, sooner or later had a question dictated by cruel reality. What to do? I got stuck - and didn’t move!

For professionals, this logical issue is resolved quickly: more experienced workers will help them unscrew the stubborn bolt that breaks off the entire repair process; fortunately, seasoned repairmen have more than one option up their sleeve for removing the problematic fastener. But what to do in this case ordinary people? There is a lot of rather contradictory and often ineffective information on the Internet. It looks like we have found a good guide that not only tells, but also clearly shows how to overcome stubborn chips with threads.

There is nothing overly complicated in the operation to free a stuck bolt (although we strongly DO NOT recommend using the methods described below on your own if you do not have the necessary skills), despite the fact that at first glance everything looks very difficult and scary. However, a specific tool for a rescue operation is still useful. But first things first. The video presents two situations:

1. The end of the bolt does not rise above the surface of the part at a sufficient distance so that the first one can be grasped with pliers.

In this case, the master uses a cutter for autogenous cutting. We understand that if you do not repair cars or do not work in a car service center, such a tool is unlikely to be lying somewhere on your balcony, but since the situation under consideration is stalemate (either throw away the spare part or contact specialists), find means of repairing or knowledgeable people who will do everything for you, you still have to. With this material we only demonstrate that this is a completely working operation and with its help you can unscrew even the most neglected fastener.

What will you need for work? , a brush with stiff wire bristles, an autogenous burner and safety equipment: heat-resistant glasses and gloves.

Disposition. A piece of bolt is stuck in the timing cover. The cover is made of aluminum, the bolt is steel. To release stuck threads, it is necessary to expand the outer material- aluminum. Since aluminum heats up faster than steel for the same volume, there will be no difficulties with this.

You will need to clean the bolt from dirt and oil. Put on protection: gloves and goggles, turn on the burner (if you don’t know how, we strongly DO NOT recommend using it yourself, contact a professional) and direct the heat of the burner to the aluminum. After about half a minute (we calculated that the author of the video treated the body with autogen for 29 seconds), you can make the first attempt to remove the bolt, shaking it from side to side. As soon as it gives in, consider it a done deal. Twist while the aluminum is hot and allows you to remove the element without any problems.

Attention, danger! The technician warns that the distribution mechanism cover is made of aluminum, so it should not be heated very much and not for long. Because aluminum, unlike steel, does not change color when heated, you may not notice that it is overheated. As soon as this happens, gas bubbles may appear in the metal, which, when bursting, can injure the worker with particles of hot metal flying in all directions.

Plus, if the metal is too hot, it will no longer hold its shape and the part will be irrevocably damaged.

The operation ends at 2.55 minutes in the video. unscrewed

2. The next option also implies the presence of specific tools and skills to work with them. This time it's welding. Therefore, we again strongly recommend that you turn to professionals if you do not know how to work with welding. And it is even more unlikely that welding machine you have at home, but buying a device for 15-30 thousand rubles and learning to work on it in order to unscrew one bolt is quite strange.

If the bolt breaks off flush with the surface, as is usually the case, and it is impossible to pick it up with pliers, welding and a nut will come to the rescue. The essence of the process is shown from 3.30 minutes of the video.

Briefly, the theory goes like this: a nut is welded to a part of a bolt, and during welding, the steel bolt and aluminum heat up. will heat up somewhat more and will also expand more than steel, releasing the threads.

Once the nut is welded to the bolt part, you need to take action. We throw on the key and, swinging from side to side, release the problematic fastener.

Result: the thread is intact, the part is not damaged, the broken bolt has been removed.

Video:

P.S. We gave an example of two introductory methods for unscrewing problem bolts. To unscrew bolts at home, check out our following material:

19.03.2019 1308

Car owners often encounter such a problem as a broken bolt, regardless of the make of the car. Any vehicle experiences severe loads, which causes malfunctions. During the repair process, bolt failures regularly occur. And until they are eliminated, further repairs are impossible.

So how to unscrew it without outside help?

Causes of bolt failure

Over time, hardware rusts or sticks. Repairing older cars is complicated by the fact that such bolts are much more common in them. This is due to poor sealing and frequent exposure to moisture. The chassis and its adjacent parts suffer the most.

How to remove a bolt

Before you begin removing damaged hardware, you will need to prepare the work site. For this purpose it is used machine oil or that effectively remove dust and dirt. It is also possible to heat or hit the fastener, but this can easily damage other parts.

There are several options with which you can carefully unscrew a broken bolt. The method is selected according to the type of problem.

Break on the surface

This is the most common type of breakdown. If the bolt head breaks, you will not need to use radical methods that can damage equipment. It is first necessary to thoroughly treat the surface with kerosene in order to reduce contact between surfaces. Various tools are suitable for removing a damaged fastener:

• If it is possible to catch on a protrusion on the surface, it is recommended to use clamps, pliers or pliers. They allow you to grab a good grip on the part and turn it as you go. threaded connection without putting in significant effort.
• A less common option is a welding machine. To remove the bolt, you will need to weld a part in the form of a lever to it. After this, you will be able to unscrew the hardware without damaging the adjacent surfaces.
• If the above methods are not suitable, then you can use a small drill. In this case, the diameter of the part must be smaller than the cross-section of the bolt. You will need to carefully drill a hole in the center into which the hook is inserted. After this, the bolt comes out much easier.

In some cases, a combination of the mentioned methods is allowed. Distinctive feature extraction options are that they do not require much effort and time.

Flush break

This kind of breakdown is less common, but is the most difficult. Determining the diameter of the hole requires a lot of effort, especially if the fastener is planned to be cut. First, a thorough cleaning of the surface will be required to properly examine the gaps.

Difficulties increase when there are significant irregularities at the cliff site. The cost of time and effort will increase, since processing and correcting defects is not an easy task. You can neglect stripping and start drilling right away, but this will bring negative consequences. Before drilling, use a core to prepare the area well.

The method of drilling out hardware is no different from the previous option in case of a break on the surface.

Bolt broke below surface

Another difficult case. If the structure is made of soft metal, the process requires extreme care. It is necessary to follow a certain algorithm of actions:

• using a thin metal core, the central part of the fastening element is marked;
• take a tap with reverse thread, it is important to ensure that the diameter is less than the cross-section of the hardware;
• a small hole is carefully drilled to accommodate the tap;
• a tap is inserted, with which the thread is cut, then you need to turn it;
• the fastening element is twisted and removed.

There is no need to apply much force as this will damage the thread and surrounding surface.

Application of the extractor

One of the most effective ways is to use a special extractor. The tool can be found in various sets with different diameters. The design is a tap with a conical notch and no longitudinal grooves.

Before using the extractor, you will need to drill a hole in the center of the hardware. It is important to ensure that the diameters match, otherwise you will not be able to insert the tool. After preparing the hole, the extractor is screwed in and removed along with the bolt.

All of the above methods are used depending on the type of breakdown and the presence necessary tools. If you often encounter problems like this, it is recommended to buy an extractor set as this best option removing a damaged fastener. The design is suitable for various bolt diameters and thread types.

Don't forget about pre-treatment surfaces to reduce contact between parts and prevent accidental damage.