Broken Starter Bolt

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

I know what I'm doing after work today....

So, I was swapping spark plugs and dropped #8.
As I grumbled to my knees to pick it up, I found the outer starter bolt laying there in the drive.
It's sheared right at the threads as would be expected.
So now I've to drop the starter and get that partial bolt out of there.
Anyone have stories or advice on this?
A favourite Easy Out to use?
It is a hardened bolt, so what I have may not cut it?
Any input would be helpful
(Laughing at me is acceptable too)

[Mike C]

Crazy. If a starter bolt is the correct size it shouldn't ever be bottomed out in the hole, just under tension between threads and the starter. If not cross-threaded it should come out fairly easy.

Knock wood...

I would try either a reverse drill bit or one of those extractors that you run in a drill in reverse. But it might unthread by hand.

[bill3rail]

Grind it to ensure the drill bit is centered, and use a left hand drill bit, add heat and drill away.

Bill

[passthebuck]

I had mine shear off clean at the block while I was driving. Discovered it when the starter did the grind at the next start up.

I was able to grip the remains with a rag pressed against it & slowly twisting it out until I could get pliers on it. I bought ARP starter bolts to prevent that problem from ever happening again.

[cdowns]

a starter bolt is not hardened just a normal over the counter grade 5 is normal

[leftybass209]

Haven't had a starter bolt break, but I did have a main cap bolt break when I tried to verify torque. It must have been at its absolute limit because I didn't even get 10 lbs of torque on it before it gave. Came out really easy by hand.

Best of luck!

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Went off without a bang.
Couldn't find a reverse drill bit, but that would've done it quick!
It was not even finger tight, but up in there.
Quick drill and easy out pulled it right out.
Thanks for the replies!

[In The Ten Ring]

Glad that proved easy.

Since beginning work on the truck, I have had to drill out two broken bolts. One of the gas tank bolts to the cab floor and the other was a hood bumper bolt (in a replacement grill bracket).

The former I really had a mess....not knowing how to use an "easy out" I broke the head of one off in the bolt! I had to grind it out with my dremel tool and then dad drilled through it, getting it out with a flutted easy out he had (Proto?). The latter I just drilled out until it was completely gone. I'll use a tap set to clean out the threads on the bracket's threaded portion.

Lots of things to learn rebuilding these trucks!

[Aruba1]

HF has a nice set of left handed drill bits and amazingly they are very sharp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfpH4dxYJ6g