FTO AUSTRALIA

hi everyone i was working on the car doing an atf flush and service when i accidentally sheared off the top part of one of the 3 bolts on the tranny pan. my hand slipped and now what remains of the screw is left stuck in the tranny pan. I'm so sad! haha... what should i do to get it out without driving whats left of the bolt into the pan itself?

Sorry to hear that.
If the bolt has anything protuding out of the hole then I sugest you try a sharpened cold chissel and very gently tapping the side of the bolt and unscrewing it. This is of course if you can't just grab the end with a pair of pliers.
If the bolt is flush then eazyout's are the recomended method. If you havn't used them before try and find some one who has.

DaveO

whats the easyouts method exactly entail?

FTOplease wrote:whats the easyouts method exactly entail?

OK here we go.
Easyouts are a tool that extracts broken bolts out of taped holes. They can got from any tool supply outlet maybe even Bunnings but i'm not sure on that.
First you drill a hole down the center of the bolt. This hole has to be a certain size to match the particular size of easyout as they come in about 6 different sizes to suit different size bolts. The drill size is listed on the easyout.
Now the easyout has spiral tappered fluts along it's lower flanks, these fluts are left handed where as the bolt will be right handed. So as you place it into the hole you just drilled and turn it anti clockwise the easyout will wind it's self into the hole.
Now this is the important part.
Be very carfull as you apply force to it. These tools are extreamly hard and brittle. To much force and you will break it of in the hole, especally sideways force. I can't over empesise this point. These things are that hard you can't drill them so don't break it in the hole.

Sorry for the long explenation and good luck.

DaveO

Ooooo sounds tricky... i'm going now to try and get some bolts off a half cut somewhere from wreckers and trying to get the bolts out by using a precision screw driver to see if i can slowly move what remains of the bolt out... if that fails i'm going to have to find some mechanic that can do it.

You can get a special tool, but i think they are fairly expensive.

Otherwise if the bolt protrudes a bit from the thread the easiest way is using a small angle grinder and make a straight line cut down the middle a couple of mm's and then just use a large flat head screw driver to take it out.

If you are not confident and cbf, then a mechanic is the best best as they would have done many jobs like that.

took it around to a couple of mechanics... man they try to rip you off when your in a vunerable position such as this! haha... got quoted all ridiculous prices... notably 150+ its fixed now though!