AMAZING HACK! How To EASILY Remove A Broken Bolt 

I love how you showed that things don't always work out as planned, so many repair videos only show the easy success stories.

My wife got me a set of left handed drill bits for my birthday (yeah, she's awesome)... my son looks at me with a very confusing look on his face, "but dad, your not left handed".

When you've got a steel bolt stuck in aluminum due to galvanic corrosion, here's the a technique that works pretty well. Step 1: prepare the bolt to be turned using any of Taryl's suggested techniques (grind sides, weld but, two nuts, etc). Step 2: wake up the threads. The hammer blow Taryl used at the end is the idea but but use a punch. This breaks the corrosion bond between the steel and aluminium. Step 3: acetone/ATF mix on thread and let sit for 30+ min. Step 4: heat with heat gun/torch but do not spray lube as it immediately cools it down. Heat expands the metal and cooling makes it contract. You want the aluminum to expand (makes the hole larger) and the steel to contract making the bolt smaller. Heat the aluminum but use q-tip or pointed tool damp with water to touch the bolt for a few seconds. This will draw some heat from the steel bolt and allow it to contract. If possible I like to do this with a tapered punch of drive pin with another blow with the hammer. Step 5: use whatever twist method to turn the bolt. Chances are better that it'll break free. Give it a try.

If Taryl can't remove a broken bolt....no one can! And your video/movie productions keep getting better.

So cool, you guys should be nominated for a youtube Emmy award! Can't wait for the sequel.

Outstanding Taryl... From the age of 10 to 20 I spent with the Busse brothers fixing and building Minibikes, Gocarts, Riding lawn mowers and Motorcycles. Their dad Glen owned a Gas station. Your videos bring that all back... It was the 70's... We raced them broke em then we fixed, modded and broke them some more. Keep up the awesome inspiring work. I watch them all...

I loved the creepy music every time you had a mishap. LOL!

"A 30 min job is always 5 seconds away from becoming a 2 hour ordeal..."

I've never seen anybody drill a hole for the lubricant straw before. That's a pretty neat idea, especially with bigger bolts. But maybe with the tiny, fine-threaded bolts, drilling makes too big of a burr on the inside, and causes the shavings to jam up the threads a little. Just a thought. I look forward to the know-how in these videos almost as much as the academy award-winning caliber stories! The Dapper Dan, or Dapper Taryl line was perfect for this video, since you could say "Damn! We're in a tight spot" about them seized-in-the-aluminium bolts while you're wearing your Dapper Dan apparel! Keep 'em comin', Taryl!

Great Tips on Bolt removal! Hope Slippers is going to be okay.

Great video again!!! I agree with, at least, one of the others. I put anti-seize on all of the bolts/screws that I put into aluminum. Haven’t had a problem yet. But, that doesn’t help on the ones from the factory.

Thank you Taryl again I have learned something that will help me while working on my equipment.

That was a great idea! I've had tons of steel/aluminum problems on my snowmobiles. Thanks!

When I do the vice grip trick, I don't grind flats, I want as much material on there to grab onto as possible. I have a couple pair that are new and only used for stuck bolts, that way the teeth on the jaws stay nice and sharp to bite in

Great video. You are the master Taryl. The word “patience “ is a good one here. I’ve had great luck spraying the part with WD40 and walking away. Come back a few hours later after the capillary action has had enough time to work. Then maybe you wouldn’t of snapped off that bolt?

I had a very similar problem a few days ago.....first tried drilling it out and got an 1/16th bit to go through but each drill bit after that wouldn't work....brought it to my shop and welded a nut (5x) no luck.....since I had the hole in it, I used my similar to yours easy out and got it to bite...took the acetylene torch and slowly/lowly warmed it while turning.....it worked, threads were still good and head was just fine.....all the ways work one way or another, just depends on situation...I do like the drilling into the side and spraying it too, that was a new one for me.....great real world video

Hi Taryl - great vid. Especially about the left-handed drills and extractors. Patience and lube are the keys to success. Just a suggestion - I use Aero-Kroil for all things rusted, stuck, or just plain ugly. I’ve used KnockerLoose, PB Blaster, WD40, diesel/ATF, and others in the past but Kroil is my favorite. Take care and thanks for the vids. 👍

Thank-you Taryl, you are a gift.

Great episode Taryl, loved the escaped patient bit and great tips for removing seized bolts in aluminum!

Great video. When I was a kid we used to go over to your area and pick blueberries! one for me one for the bucket....

Good show thanks

Hey Taryl watched your video on installing drain bolts in K46 transaxle. Easy to do. Saved lots of $$. Thanks!!

Watching you fight with these hard to remove bolts reminds us of the worst jobs we ever faced. We all have experienced the frustration of vise grips ultimately failing to remove a broken bolt. Great tips.

All the time I worked for Kenworth everyone would come to me to get out broken bolts. Never had a fail. Even 2" deep in a block I would get it. Welded a nut on 75% of the time. Never the first time have to let the heat and cooling do its thing. Extractor rod has special flux that takes up the threads and let's u weld straight up out of the hole inches deep a 1\2" hole. When they come out it looks like a bolt even has threads till u knock off the flux and u see the solid core of weld. I have to mention I worked for Kenworth in AZ. First winter moving back to Wisconsin I went back to welding where it's warm. Great video. If I can find that rod I will mail u some to play with. It will help you out some day if you take the time to try it on scrap till u got it down. Feels unnatural. Keep the videos coming.

When the stud breaks off, that Is A "REAL " REAL LIFE SCENARIO. It happens to the best of us mechanical wizards. Hey Taryl .. keep em coming. Great Vids man. Funny and entertaining at the same time! I love it. The 'lil mini bike one was superb! The short movies are awesome.

Great video as always mate all the way from over the pond

Good refresher from the Master

I like to weld a washer to the broken bolt. Easier to weld on and get better penetration. Then weld a larger nut to the washer. After all the welding the heat usually helps release the broken bolt.

Great info, thanks

Good stuff as always, thank you.

GREAT skit ! & video, plus a real cliffhanger, what more could we want. Thanks guys! "Gary in Oregon"

You have to love these guys....best channel on tube lol

I agree what you said about engineers and all there schooling. Also fine thread versus course thread for the bolts. Same thing applies in cases where button head allen bolts are used when should have been socket head screws on some equipment.

Great tip ! Thanks

YOU are my HERO - A REAL Mechanic!!!!!

a trick i've used in the past was soak the sucker in WD40 for a couple of days prior to working on it, then the good old heat it and beat it technique heat it with a map gas torch (or propane) smack it a few times with a malleable iron or bronze hammer then grip with the baddest pair of vice grips you have and torque it side to side while spraying more WD40 on it, i've done the weld a nut to the end trick before and like you said, small bolts/screws are hard to weld and get good penetration on both parts, good vid entertaining and informational as always Taryl

Taryl is my hero!

Loved all the drumming when heating etc. Makes it feel so much better~!! 🤣🤣

YOU'RE AWESOME TARYL!!!

Nice tips Taryl thanks !!!!!!

nice video ,ultimate handyman has a good video on tougher ones to remove , its old school but very good.

Excellent video as always!,Very entertaining too!

Good video Taryl.

I truly apershamnate your entertaining and egamcating learn me stuff vitdmeos thank you

Something I invested in is a drill doctor, the cheapest one,,, years ago.Saves money buying drill bits all the time.

Thanks for the tip sir. Be safe. Peace.

used the nut welding method the other day. on a smaller bolt, that was flush. worked perfect.

Thank you Taryl I broke two studs on a head I'm working on on the Tahoe GM vehicle went to this video and then worked out good

thanks for my taryl apparell

Good job Taryl

Great video again!

Always interesting thanks for sharing 👍🇦🇺

LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!

Your the man taryl

That was awesome Taryl!! Any idea how to un-stick a parking brake handle in the down position?

Its a must to know how to work vise grips !

i love the video man

Good tip drilling that small hole for the lube. Thanks Taryl.

Dang Taryl. U the man

Greetings Taryl from Ireland

One thing I've found to work is to use B'Laster. It is thin and penetrates pretty well. It also feeds down into the threads with heat and reapplication of it.

A BROKEN BOLT TURNS A MINOR REPAIR INTO A MAJOR PAIN. Thanks I picked up a couple of useful tricks.

I did this job yesterday, all three mounting bolts on a 3.5 hp B&S. The motor was small, but not the job. Did the job by center drilling the bolts to 1/32 under tap size, then chipped out what was left of the thread. I was hoping you could teach an easy method. I did learn the oil pilot hole, ty. Lol, as you said, it is not an easy job.

New Sub here.. those leftys got me out of plenty of binds. Great channel by the way. Keep up the great work.

I use automatic transmission fluid for penetrating oil. The molecules are so small it works good. I rarely have luck using vise grips on the end of a broken fastener.

A drill press may be better than hand held drill. But that’s just my opinion. You guys are great. Love your vid’s.

I had problem like that with my old 28hp Yamaha outboard motor (-73) The low unit bolt broked and i heat it up very hot and sprayed lot of liqued wrench on it. Finally i got i out with a strong pliers.

This guy is awesome

Very Good!..

Read something about pouring boiling hot water does something to break down the aluminium oxidation to remove seized bolts. I haven't had a reason to try it yet. Have you tried paraffin wax after heating? Sometimes they use loctite to seal the threads and reduce contact from the dissimilar metals.

Brilliant video thank u 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I have had really good luck with the lube,heat and hammer method on aluminum.

Love your shop could you be able to show me how to set the points on a kawasaki kf34 EG it's got very weak spark

I'm on my daughter's RU-vid account. I used to do like Taryl showed. Taryl is right about the welding onto small bolts. In Taryl's case I would've placed a washer that just fits over the broken bolt. Since the broken bolt is 1/4", I would use a 3/8" nut. The washer protects the machine from being accidentally welded to the bolt. I always go two sizes bigger with the nuts for two reasons. 1: When you weld the nut and bolt together it's not being held only by the top of the bolt. Some of the weld makes it to the threads for a better bond. 2: Because the nut is bigger than the bolt, you have to weld more which means more heat and penetration. While the nut is cherry red I spray penetrant oil at the base of the nut so the heat soaks it to the threads. You have to take it easy with the bolt. Just keep loosening and tightening. And keep oiling so the oil keeps reaching the threads. Just be patient. I've had bolts where I spent 5 minutes or more and the bolt will only turn half a turn. I just keep at it and keep oiling it and have had the bolt come completely out the next minute. The oil needs to get to the threads. By loosening and tightening the oil will get there. Just have to be patient. If the bolt is broken flush I lay a washer is if the bolt was sticking out. I then tack weld the top of the bolt a bit. It's ok if the washer gets welded to the bolt. Then install the 2 size bigger nut and weld it. I have almost a 100% success rate.

Great video as always, thanks! I see you have anew camera, with Canon colors, what model? Thanks!

A guy who owns a machine shop once showed me where he would heat the busted off bolt cherry red and then take a candle to the bolt and the wax would go around the threads penetrating into the head or block with the broken bolt. This works on steel as well as aluminum. It uses a capillary action when the heat draws the wax into the threads.

Did the same welded on nut trick and had to used a t handle and socket so it wouldn't snap off from torque angle from a wrench👍

Wiss Said thanks for showing us thank u

For that steel in aluminum you could immerse in a solution of water and alum in a pan over a campstove. Leave it in the heated solution and eventually the steel will dissolve. Did that on a broken sump bolt in a tecumseh vtwin. Unfortunately it was after I tried to drill it out so I still had to oversize cause I messed the aluminum with the drill.

I respect the mans skills...the comedy, not so much. but he does have skills with wrenches, damn sure.

I was just wondering do you assemble “problem” threads with any sort of “preventative”. Usually I just wish the manufacturer had used better plated bolts or stainless. I have found that using high quality loctite flange sealant helps a lot by keeping the moisture out of the threads,no moisture no rust. The acetic acid in some silicon can actually make it rust quicker though. If you don’t want threads to rust what do you use on them at assembly?

That's a cool set of left handed vise grips 😃

Great Holloween video Tayrl/Junior/Slippers!!. 👻🎃👹🐲

Good tips on getting broken bolt

Great video and hilarious skit.

highlight of my week

Tarly my wife thinks your teeth are fake but I tell her they are real.

Great video. Scary for October. You guys do a great job with sound effects. You don't really keep a spare pair do you?

Thanks for the laugh today them comedy skits are hilarious

Taryl..i broke a head bolt on my 21hp briggs...any chance i can get by with just the 7 bolts..?? .the top center bolt broke down in there about an inch......love your "you tube" helpers...thanks, tom

Haha, LOVED the second house on the right!!! Maybe the thin needle nose vise grips could of worked? Love Taryl saying it the Aussie way, Aluminium. [British too i think].

Great tips on broken fastener, stud, bolt removal. I'm concerned about Ol' Slip Dog - is he going to be ok? I guess we'll have to wait until next week to find out.

Taryl could you possibly tell me why the engine shaft on my mtd 38 inch cut keeps dropping down even when the bolt is tight.

For most people. At “12:30” is the point where you would just bring it to me and I drill it out in the machine shop. Or a shop close to you. This is an awesome video showing how to successfully remove a bolt that’s broken above the hole. Broken below the hole and that’s a whole nother video.

I remember back to the early 60's when Loctite first came out that all the Honda case cover screws were Loctited in and nobody new what it was or that a little heat would break it loose. I broke or rounded out almost every case cover screw I tried. If you needed another screw, none of the hardware stores had metric screws so you ordered them from Honda. 1 month wait time.

You should have called this episode "How not to remove a broken bolt '' just kidding ,Taryl , Elkskins the human shop rag told me to say that . Thanks for the great videos . I use them all the time .

Smart man

After grinding the bolt flat could you have tried to use a small open-end wrench to help loosen the broken bolt?

I use a torch and a candle . Works great !

Any suggestions on how to remove a set screw with the tip of an allen wrench broke off inside of it.. ??