Really ?

[Tecnico]

Pulled a 5/16 nut and bolt out of the bin this afternoon, grabbed a 1/2" wrench and socket and went out to the barn. Put the bolt in, put a wrench on the nut but the socket was to big for the bolt head?????? WTF.
The bolt head was 12mm!! frickenfrackinfrackinfricken mumble mumble mumble.

What about your Sharp (Long Chang) mill? Any Easter eggs there?

I found a 1/4-20 SHCS with a metric hex holding the rubber swarf bib on the back of the table/Y axis of my First (also Long Chang). Lots of normal Imperial fasteners too.

D 😎

 

[jorogi]

Pulled a 5/16 nut and bolt out of the bin this afternoon, grabbed a 1/2" wrench and socket and went out to the barn. Put the bolt in, put a wrench on the nut but the socket was to big for the bolt head?????? WTF.
The bolt head was 12mm!! frickenfrackinfrackinfricken mumble mumble mumble.

Almost make one think you'd gone Ford on us. I had both to deal with when I did the 94 plus there were some that were something altogether different, BA, Whitworth, cheap offshore junk ?

 

[DPittman]

Pulled a 5/16 nut and bolt out of the bin this afternoon, grabbed a 1/2" wrench and socket and went out to the barn. Put the bolt in, put a wrench on the nut but the socket was to big for the bolt head?????? WTF.
The bolt head was 12mm!! frickenfrackinfrackinfricken mumble mumble mumble.

My son and I have been working on an old Honda dirt bike someone gave him as a "bike in a box" project that had been apart for a long period of time and thru a couple of owners. We went to torque the flywheel bolt on and before we got to specified torque the damn bolt snapped in the recessed crankshaft hole. Ugh. It turns out someone had put in a M8x1.5 pitch bolt where there was supposed to be a M8x1.25 pitch. We now have a nicely painted up engine with new rings and a buggered crankshaft.

"frickenfrackinfrackinfricken mumble mumble mumble."!!!

 

[Sqought]

The worst is m5 and 10-32. The metric is marginally bigger and the thread pitch is so similar you can thread the 10-32 in and only notice it’s wrong when you’re 10 threads in or you’re really torquing it down.

 

[whydontu]

The worst is m5 and 10-32. The metric is marginally bigger and the thread pitch is so similar you can thread the 10-32 in and only notice it’s wrong when you’re 10 threads in or you’re really torquing it down.

Or your boss, who is mechanically illiterate, comes out to "help" in the shop, mixes up m5 and 10-32 and destroys a $300 valve actuator. And I can't say anything, he's the boss...

 

[140mower]

My son and I have been working on an old Honda dirt bike someone gave him as a "bike in a box" project that had been apart for a long period of time and thru a couple of owners. We went to torque the flywheel bolt on and before we got to specified torque the damn bolt snapped in the recessed crankshaft hole. Ugh. It turns out someone had put in a M8x1.5 pitch bolt where there was supposed to be a M8x1.25 pitch. We now have a nicely painted up engine with new rings and a buggered crankshaft.

"frickenfrackinfrackinfricken mumble mumble mumble."!!!

I know a guy with an 8mm tap. Infact, two if I include you. Can you clean up what's left of the threads? And do they go in much deeper than the stock bolt. You might be able to use a longer bolt, otherwise can you drill and tap it much oversized then loctite in a big bolt, cut the end off and reestablish the original thread size?....... it would make a great "save" lesson.... just when you thought all was lost........

 

[Susquatch]

We went to torque the flywheel bolt on and before we got to specified torque the damn bolt snapped in the recessed crankshaft hole.

You didn't ask for help, but that never stopped us before.....

That seems odd. You put the wrong size in and it snapped? Sounds more like the torque wrench setting was wrong.....

A thank you gift to the God's might be in order. Stripped would be infinitely worse.

A snapped bolt is usually relatively easy to remove. Lots of ways to do it.

 

[Tecnico]

You didn't ask for help, but that never stopped us before.....

I can hear it coming…..

A snapped bolt is usually relatively easy to remove. Lots of ways to do it.

Here it is………my take.

You may have a milling machine in the corner of your shop?

Having such a tool has been a game changer for me. Maybe you can fixture the crank to align its axis to the mill axis & drill carefully up to about the tap drill size then pick out the remains of the bolt? Never tried but maybe a LH drill? (Doubting this for a bolt bottomed & twisted off).

My recent related experience: I discovered that an exhaust manifold stud had snapped off flush to the head on my S.O.’s Audi (not my doing, jussayin’) and long story short, using the new gasket as a position (dimension) guide I made a fixture that used the rest of the bolts to locate it and allow me to progressively sneak up on the tap drill size using a hand drill (several sized drill bushings, shop made) without taking the head off! Worked like a charm, an 8mm tap (wonder where that came from…..?) cleaned out the threads like new (impressed me!).

I knew the jig would put me in the right place because it was a tight fit on the rest of the studs, proving my measurements were close enough. It also put me at the correct angle to the stud axis since they weren’t perpendicular to the manifold surface!

The milling machine comes in where the fixture was laid out so I could drill dead nuts down the centreline of the broken stud. I’m guessing the crank bolt should work out similarly.

Good luck, always nice to see a basket case come back to life!

D 😎

 

[DPittman]

I know a guy with an 8mm tap. Infact, two if I include you.

Yup thanks to you I have a bit of a selection of 8mm taps to choose from!🙂

You may have a milling machine in the corner of your shop?

Having such a tool has been a game changer for me. Maybe you can fixture the crank to align its axis to the mill axis & drill carefully up to about the tap drill size then pick out the remains of the bolt? Never tried but maybe a LH drill? (Doubting this for a bolt bottomed & twisted off).

I do have a milling machine and that was also my first hope, but I don't have enough space between head and table to do the job. (I gots 2 get a riser made for my milling machine!)

That seems odd. You put the wrong size in and it snapped? Sounds more like the torque wrench setting was wrong.....

Well sort of...the engine had the lower half assembled and we assumed things were OK. My mistake that I didn't examine the bolt carefully as I probably would have noticed. My son was torqueing as I held the flywheel and the bolt snapped. None were not using the wrong torque setting.

A snapped bolt is usually relatively easy to remove. Lots of ways to do it.

I hope it is but I will be very surprised if that is the case here. The snapped off bolt is in a recessed hole with all the threads but a few mm inside. The threads will be mangled either on the bolt or the crank (or both) because they were not matching. I think the bolt snapped because it was the wrong length and bottomed out so I suspect it's jammed in there well.
I already have made a bushing to guide drilling the bolt and am waiting for delivery of left-hand drill bits.

My faint hope is that I can retap/helicoil the internal threads on the crank but am concerned that the crank will be too hard and I will end up with a broken tap in the crank (if I ever get the bolt out).

 

[Lightspeed Mike]

My recent related experience: I discovered that an exhaust manifold stud had snapped off flush to the head on my S.O.’s Audi (not my doing, jussayin’) and long story short, using the new gasket as a position (dimension) guide I made a fixture that used the rest of the bolts to locate it and allow me to progressively sneak up on the tap drill size using a hand drill (several sized drill bushings, shop made) without taking the head off! Worked like a charm, an 8mm tap (wonder where that came from…..?) cleaned out the threads like new (impressed me!).

😎

You're thinking like a machinist. I'm a mechanic. I've extracted countless broken exhaust manifolds bolts in heads.
Put a washer just large enough to cover the bolt. Weld it on, then weld a nut to the washer. Remove with a socket. Easy Peasy.

 

[Tecnico]

You're thinking like a machinist. I'm a mechanic. I've extracted countless broken exhaust manifolds bolts in heads.
Put a washer just large enough to cover the bolt. Weld it on, then weld a nut to the washer. Remove with a socket. Easy Peasy.

Aluminum or cast iron? I tried that first on the Audi (aluminum) and after a couple of tries I cut bait and changed horses before I made it worse. I heard somewhere that “a man has got to know his limitations” 😉

I’ve had mentoring by a couple of sharp mechanics growing up and over the years and learned a lot but didn’t get the stud in an aluminum head lesson, lol! Lots of OA/heat removal of studs from a CI manifold though.

I think I first heard about the washer, nut welding trick from someone in this group, never saw it in action.

D 😎

 

[Elektrishun]

Kids living at home + a large can of iced tea mix spilled onto the floor in a hard to reach area + a vacuum cleaner = __________________ ?







Answer: A vacuum cleaner so clogged with powdered sugar I dumped at least 2 cups out of the hose alone before ultimately taking it apart and cleaning it with my air compressor. The ants in the backyard are probably having the time of their lives.

 

[Lightspeed Mike]

Aluminum or cast iron? I tried that first on the Audi (aluminum) and after a couple of tries I cut bait and changed horses before I made it worse. I heard somewhere that “a man has got to know his limitations” 😉

I’ve had mentoring by a couple of sharp mechanics growing up and over the years and learned a lot but didn’t get the stud in an aluminum head lesson, lol! Lots of OA/heat removal of studs from a CI manifold though.

I think I first heard about the washer, nut welding trick from someone in this group, never saw it in action.

D 😎

I've done both. I think aluminum is easier cause the weld will never stick to it. Dodge, Ford and Chev trucks, oh my, lots of practice.
Clean the end of the broken bolt and put the weld to it. The heat from the welding loosens thread lock.

Yes, know your limitations, I've lived by that more and more as I get older.

 

[Tecnico]

I've done both. I think aluminum is easier cause the weld will never stick to it. Dodge, Ford and Chev trucks, oh my, lots of practice.
Clean the end of the broken bolt and put the weld to it. The heat from the welding loosens thread lock.

Yes, know your limitations, I've lived by that more and more as I get older.

You’re talking about thread locker (Loctite)? I should be so lucky. 😉

I’ve been more wary of the white corrosion buildup you get with steel in contact with aluminum plus a little electrolyte (road salt + water), never a good thing and not unusual on her Audi. I was told heat won’t help when a bolt is stuck in aluminum with corrosion. Always open to learn new tricks like dealing with that!

D 😎

 

[Chicken lights]

I’ve been more wary of the white corrosion buildup you get with steel in contact with aluminum plus a little electrolyte (road salt + water), never a good thing and not unusual on her Audi. I was told heat won’t help when a bolt is stuck in aluminum with corrosion. Always open to learn new tricks like dealing with that!

D 😎

I don't know if you know this trick, but before you break the bolt, put the socket on the bolt head. Use a wrench to try to work the bolt back and forth as you gun the air chisel.

Depending on what it is, I don't see why heat won't help. The last stuck bolt I had we used plenty of heat anyway. Took two of us well over an hour to get one bolt out.

 

[Tecnico]

View attachment 84405I don't know if you know this trick, but before you break the bolt, put the socket on the bolt head. Use a wrench to try to work the bolt back and forth as you gun the air chisel.

Depending on what it is, I don't see why heat won't help. The last stuck bolt I had we used plenty of heat anyway. Took two of us well over an hour to get one bolt out.

Interesting!

Here’s another case on that same Audi (getting monotonous isn’t it….) where I would have tried that to see if it would work.

There’s a pinch bolt (with a nut on the other end, thank goodness) on one of the plethora of oddball links in the front suspension, through about 2” of aluminum and well set in corrosion. No way was it going to turn and I tried as much heat as I dared (…..got to know his limitations….) finally got it out by grinding off the head and using a shop made puller to pull it out by the other end. Dodged a big bullet that day!

D 😎

 

[Elektrishun]

If a guy posts an ad to sell an item and it states "$50 OBO".

Am I wrong to think that he thinks he's expecting someone to think that they can offer him a price lower than $50?

Or does he think that I think that I am just going to offer him $50 and ignore the OBO in the ad?

I think if you're going to post an ad to sell an item at $50 and you don't want to do the "offer/counter off" dance then instead of using OBO use FIRM. Then if I offer you $40 you can tell me to buggar off because clearly I don't know what FIRM means.

Unless...I always thought OBO meant Or Better Offer. Maybe it has always really meant Or Buggar Off?

Damn, maybe I should be apologizing to someone.

 

[140mower]

If a guy posts an ad to sell an item and it states "$50 OBO".

Am I wrong to think that he thinks he's expecting someone to think that they can offer him a price lower than $50?

Or does he think that I think that I am just going to offer him $50 and ignore the OBO in the ad?

I think if you're going to post an ad to sell an item at $50 and you don't want to do the "offer/counter off" dance then instead of using OBO use FIRM. Then if I offer you $40 you can tell me to buggar off because clearly I don't know what FIRM means.

Unless...I always thought OBO meant Or Better Offer. Maybe it has always really meant Or Buggar Off?

Damn, maybe I should be apologizing to someone.

I always took it as "or best offer" I will be damned if I am going to offer more than ask.... I have been told that something is sold, but if I wanted to pay more and got there sooner....... my standard reply involves sex and travel and a click at the end.

 

[jorogi]

Damn, maybe I should be apologizing to someone.

Spoken like a true Canadian.

 

[DPittman]

If a guy posts an ad to sell an item and it states "$50 OBO".

Am I wrong to think that he thinks he's expecting someone to think that they can offer him a price lower than $50?

Or does he think that I think that I am just going to offer him $50 and ignore the OBO in the ad?

I think if you're going to post an ad to sell an item at $50 and you don't want to do the "offer/counter off" dance then instead of using OBO use FIRM. Then if I offer you $40 you can tell me to buggar off because clearly I don't know what FIRM means.

Unless...I always thought OBO meant Or Better Offer. Maybe it has always really meant Or Buggar Off?

Damn, maybe I should be apologizing to someone.

Ya who knows. I've taken it as best offer, but then the time frame or other offers are disclosed publicly.
I recently sold something where I put a price and OBO. I had people offer me lower and I said "no thanks not at this time, if I still have the item in 6 months I sure I will change my tune". I had two guys that said at the same time they would take the item at my price. I let them both know and one guy immediately offered more. I told the other buyer and he said fine sell it to him thanks. Funny thing is the guy that offered more than my asking price initially offered me less and I turned him away.