Busted zerk and extractor...what next?

[IslandTractor]

For a small punch, I grind a chisel tip on a pin punch, then grind it flat when I'm done, if it isn't a spare. Another good source is a small nail set reground to chisel tip.

Great idea. I'll try that if I can't get a small chisel by the weekend.

 

[Gator6x4]

Never been able to get one out after breaking a extractor off without welding a nut to the broken extractor and sometimes even that didn't work. Have you considered welding over the hole and boring a new hole at another location? Now that works even after one makes a huge mess of the original location trying to get the broken zerk out. (Don't ask me how I know that)

 

[GLyford]

For taps I have sometimes had success using a center punch to break them up, not sure if that would work on an extractor.

See if you can get one of those HF diamond rotary bit sets Diamond Point Rotary Bit Set 2 Pc they'll let you grind away a bit of the extractor until either it will pick/punch out or you can get a chisel on it.

 

[kevin37b]

You can heat , beat ,weld all you want . Then you will need a cylinder . Those supposed extractors should be labeled as JUNK especially that small . When you warp that cylinder with all the heating , beating you will have a nice stand for a bar stool .

 

[downsizingnow48]

I'm remembering the torx bit trick. Have very rarely had any luck with easy outs.

 

[Coyote machine]

Pin punch, small ball pien hammer. Or an adjustable air chisel with fine point, and air cranked way down. Cut a groove, then use a screwdriver, as suggested, to back out the whole mess.

 

[IslandTractor]

I ordered the 1/8" cape chisel. If Amazon gets it to me Thursday as promised then I'll put it to work this weekend.

 

[Cord]

A rock fell on the foot of my BH stabilizer and sheared off the zerk for the pivot foot. I figured no big deal and got out my made in USA screw extractor set, found that the #1 size extractor fit nicely into the grease channel and used my drill to reverse out the decapitated zerk. One millisecond later the screw extractor sheared off flush with the zerk carcass. I then tried to drill out a slightly larger hole to put in the next size extractor but the remains of the broken extractor is so much harder than the zerk body that my drill keeps sliding off center. Not easy to remove the whole stabilizer cylinder to use a solid clamp and drill press.

What are my options??

Zerks are available with different size threads. 1/8 and 1/4 are common. If it's hopeless to save the threads, then you can drill them oversized and use the next larger zerk. Heli-coils are another excellent option. If you broke the extractor off, you could consider removing the part and taking it to a machine shop. They have EDM machines that can remove even the hardest of broken tools.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I've never used an extractor in a drill only by hand. Gives a much better feel of if it's going to work, spin in the hole or break off.

Times 2 on that. Never use powered tools on extraction tools. Go slow and easy and don't force the extractor too much so that it breaks off as the OP did. Nothing worse than a broken bit or EZ-Out to try and get out of a hole.

 

[jaydee325]

I wonder if when the rock hit the zerk fitting did it also damage the threads of the parent metal. If it looked like that was the case, I think I'd use an angle grinder to grind everything flat and then get down into the parent metal past the first row of threads in the hole. Then use a dremel and cut a slot in it to back it out with a screw driver.

I'd finish by chasing the threads with a bottoming tap before threading in a new zerk.

 

[Egon]

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=hydraulic+ram++greasable+pin&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari#imgrc=X6T14RB0tMcP9M%3A[/video]

Use one of these.

 

[mykleh]

also in place of a chisel I've had great luck with the point of a small tap say 10-32 up to 1/4-20 they are about as hard as the extractor but only work on the remaining part of the zerk if you can.. just wear safety glasses.. also works well for stripped socket heads on flat head screws..

 

[tommu56]

I've never had much luck with screw extractors on a stuck-broken bolt or fitting. On impact-broken fittings, they work about half the time. I've use both spiral and square ones. Square were a little better. I think the problem with screw extractors is the tapered shape just wedges the fitting tighter.

Since they have become commonly available, I've had better luck tapping a Torx bit into the hole. Straight sides and 6 driving edges.

For a small punch, I grind a chisel tip on a pin punch, then grind it flat when I'm done, if it isn't a spare. Another good source is a small nail set reground to chisel tip.

I now have some left-handed drill bits but haven't tried them yet.

Bruce

I do the same drill a hole right handed 1/2 the size of the left hand drill and then use the left handed and drill push hard and most times it will grab and back out the screw or bolt

Tom

 

[IslandTractor]

Update: the 1/8" cape chisel worked like a charm. The zerk remains came out so easily I might even have been able to use a nail.

Photo shows the now empty hole, the removed half zerk and chisel.

Thanks for the advice Team TBN.

 

[Coyote machine]

Good outcome, glad you were able to rescue the hole with minimal downside.:thumbsup:
When you install the new zerk, I suggest using a small amount of copper anti-seize to allow the zerk to be more easily removed if damaged in future. Seems the zerks that are prone to damage like this one are likely to experience mutiple occurrences, due to location.:confused3:

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Update: the 1/8" cape chisel worked like a charm. The zerk remains came out so easily I might even have been able to use a nail.

Photo shows the now empty hole, the removed half zerk and chisel.

Thanks for the advice Team TBN.

So you tapped on it at an angle to rotate the zerk and screw it out?

 

[IslandTractor]

So you tapped on it at an angle to rotate the zerk and screw it out?

Yep. It came out so easily that I probably could have used a common nail but I now own a nice little metal cape chisel which will reside in the depths of my toolbox until needed again.

 

[MossRoad]

Update: the 1/8" cape chisel worked like a charm. The zerk remains came out so easily I might even have been able to use a nail.

Photo shows the now empty hole, the removed half zerk and chisel.

Thanks for the advice Team TBN.

 

[Coyote machine]

George Peppard, A-Team....

 

[AchingBack]

Update: the 1/8" cape chisel worked like a charm. The zerk remains came out so easily I might even have been able to use a nail.

Photo shows the now empty hole, the removed half zerk and chisel.

Thanks for the advice Team TBN.

Well now I know the odd looking chisel I inhereted is a cape chisel. I hope I never need to use it on a broken zerk.