[Tatanka]

Poor (OK, OK, cheap) man's easy-out.

While not quite McGyver level ingenuity, I'll pass this along for others who may have use of it sometime.

Despite all due care, I snapped a valve cover bolt replacing Bobo's covers after a valve adjustment. Fairly small bolt, about 3/16ths inch. Drilled a hole in it to hopefully extract it with an easy-out that I'd have to locate and buy. For the heck of it, I put a T-20 TORX screwdriver in the vice and carefully cleaned up and sharpened the splines with a very small triangular file (yes, Val, one you supplied! Thanks!) I knew the bolt metal wasn't hardened from the way it cut while drilling it.

Anyhoo, used a small hammer to tap the sharpened T-20 into the drilled hole and then continued tapping while applying counterclockwise torque on the screwdriver. Took some force but Voila! the little bugger is extracted. Cost? 10 minutes of time. Result? Priceless!

I just hope "priceless" isn't the market value of the replacement valve cover bolt!

 

[Ron Robertson]

Way to go!! I'll have to try and remember that.

 

[crownfire]

I don't know, that sounds pretty McGyver like to me. Way to go I'll remember that trick.

 

[fossil92]

Good macgyver Tank. I always try to use a straight fluted easy out because the twisted type actually put immense pressure on the screw before it starts to spin out. Here's a cheap set that a quick search yielded but mine are New Britains

http://www.amazon.com/Vermont-American-21872-Straight-Extractor/dp/B000CEMSHM

 

[budoka]

Well done Tatanka. I'd have been hooped for sure, my bolt extractors are pretty much shot. Of course someone on the bit (no pun intended) would likely have replaced them already with some better ones

 

[Tatanka]

Well, you learn something everyday! I never knew that right-handed and left-handed people had to use different drill bits. Huh!