broken engine stud

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thejinx

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So, i was trying to remove my fly wheel and i attached a home made tool to the bottom left stud on the engine case and snapped it. There is a gnat's nadge sticking out from it being flush to the case. I just tried to drill it and i don't seem to be even denting it. Any suggestions please?

I am thinking get a brand knew HSS drill bit, 5mm? spray with a release spray of some sort then once the new sharp bit has worked use a stud remover reverse drill thingy?
 
A new drill bit sounds like a good move. If you’ve never drilled a stud or done too much drilling in steel before then start with the basics. Use a centre punch to start the drill and stop it wandering, use the drill as slowly as is possible so that you can see it going round, use all the pressure you can muster on the drill and last but not least, a bit of oil helps zillions. Try not to start a thread on “which oil” if you can avoid it :lol: As soon as you can not count the drill going round then you’re going too fast and just heating up the bit and blunting it and getting nowhere. You should see the drilling swarf increasing with every revolution 8) Have a look at how to drill steel online as I bet there’s loads of peeps with different ideas, but letting a drill go flat out is really not the way. I even have used something to lever extra pressure on top of the drill, something like a 4 by 2 .

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, patience is key :mrgreen:
 
Before you get involved with drilling, see if you can turn it out by putting a small chisel on that bit that’s protruding out and tap it round. It shouldn’t be that tight in the case.

Next step would be using a stud exactor (easy-out) , people say these are shit but that’s because they don’t know how to use them and drill a too deep hole which when the exactor is wound in it makes the broken stud/bolt expand in the hole and get even tighter.

Personally I’d only resort to drilling it completely out as a last resort.
 
If you have to drill it and the material is case hardened, one old trick is use a masonary drill with a carbide tip, sharpen it up - its worked for me in the past.
 
Update,

drilled it out with 5mm drill bit. slowly slowly catchy monkey. Once the drill bit bit into the stud it didn't take long to get through it. then tried an extractor which wasn't playing so went to an 8mm drill bit and did the same. So the stud as far as i am concerned is out, with bits of swarf and metal left in the threads. i am borrowing a tap this weekend to clean the threads as there is still bits in the hole so hopefully this will cure my issue and allow me to get on with the original job which was change the seal and check end float.

Question does the stud go all the way through the case as i have only drilled as deep as i think the other stud is in?
 
You will know as soon as you get to the end of the steel stud because all of a sudden the drill will want to go through like butter if it’s drilling an alloy or fresh air plus the swarf will change so it pays to watch that too. You could always put a couple of nuts on another stud then tighten them together and take it out so you can be a hundred percent sure.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, sharp bits is key :mrgreen:
 
The stud is out. I have put a tap into the hole. The stud fits lovely. This is my dilemma. I now don’t trust it. The new cut threads don’t look that deep and defined. I am on the limit of the m10 tap. Now the torque setting is 22lb ft so I am wondering for peace of mind can I use an epoxy to bond the stud into the hole and threads. I would rather do this than go bigger and heli coil. I’ve already tightened the stud into the case using a socket to bridge the gap between the case and the nut on the stud and it held. Just after opinions please
 
thejinx said:
can I use an epoxy to bond the stud into the hole and threads. I would rather do this than go bigger and heli coil.

If it is an old case that I was not planning to rebuild in the future and just needed to get the engine back together and working again, then yes I would bond it in, possibly plasticweld stuff?

If it is a new case that I would like to rebuild a few times, I would probably look into taking the extra time to heli-coil all studs (as I think they stretch and sometimes need replacing when rebuilding).

:D
 
There is nothing wrong with a helicoil there, in fact, it was one of the last upgrades VW has made in these engines before end of production. All the new cases from VW Brazil comes with a helicoil there, also in the holes for the engine support bar.

Abel
 
There is nothing wrong with a helicoil there, in fact, it was one of the last upgrades VW has made in these engines before end of production. All the new cases from VW Brazil comes with a helicoil there, also in the holes for the engine support bar.

Abel
 

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