Thread: Extraction Welding Rod

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I have seen and heard of these rods befor but never used one till the other day when I got a visit at the shop by a guy selling tools,I work on a lot of rusted salt trucks and plows in my line of work unforchenatly rust never sleeps.alot of times a bolt will brake off down in the hole no way to get out just use a drill bit and a easy out you say ok how many times have you broken off a hardend bit or easy out off in that bolt .the guy gave me a two min demo and let my try it must say i was impresed,keep in mind the stuff we used in demo was all new not all rusted and jacked up.just place nut over bolt hole fill with rod to top then mig washer to nut and out it came slicker than snot, the flux on the rod keeps the rod from sticking to the threds only to the broken off bolt.it's like playing the operation game whin you were a kid dont touch the sides.like to hear if you have used this rod befor and what your results were.

I'd like to see a demonstration on a 15 year old (or older) rusted out broken frame bolt.

That's exactly what im talking about mrmustang,this rod is expensive.I need to hear a all was lost till i used this rod story be for i get my boss to buy some.keep in mind you will still have to use Torch,PJ-blaster ect,the sales guy didn't mention that but we no better.like said two min demo what else was left out.

The stuff I used was called Extrac-Alloy. And it did a good job on the 4 cylinder Wisconsin air cooled head bolts. It would heat the broken stud/bolt and get the rust to let go long enough to turn it out. Once you get a bead started on the end of the stud/bolt, you kept adding to it, until you get to the nut. Carry the weld bead to the nut and fill it in. I used Vise Grips to grab the nut and slightly try it back and forth at first, giving it longer and longer turns until it comes loose. Spin it out in one motion, don't stop. As it cools, it will grab again if you don't keep going. If you give it one big pull at first, I can guarantee you'll shear off the weld bead. You need to give it a few back and forth motions, to work harden the bead. It will toughen up and allow the stud to loosen and turn out. Used it on a few other items, and it worked well. Welding upside down is a real bear, hard to control the bead, vertical is so so. Horizontal is the easiest. I liked it, saved a pile of money on labour, did everything they said it would. Sniper

I've been welding out broken bolts for 40 years. You don't need any special rod to do it. Used to do it with a stick and now do it with a mig. You do need to stay centered on the broken bolt, but a little slip really doesn't matter. Steel rod doesn't stick to cast iron and a stray arc will not damage the thread enough to make any difference. When you have built up to and welded on a nut, quench it with penetrating oil. If after a couple back and forth turns it should turn right out. If it doesn't, use your torch to reheat and quench again. This works on steel to, but requires a lot more care not to damage the threads. Save your money, the special rod is just hype.
Just a little additional. When working with a bolt in cast, if the hole goes clear through, you can blow it out with a torch and not damage the threads. You will need to run a tap through to clean out the debris.

Thanx to all of you for your input,good info.

I agree with 61bone. I saw this trick the first time 40 years ago with plain old stick welding and have used it several times over the years.

It's more the method (the heating and cooling and getting the oil to seep into the threads) than the rod/wire used.

i have used the tig and welded a tower up the center of the stud or bolt if down to far i just drill and ez out never tried the stick rod . most of the stuff i work on is engine blocks and heads .i will have to give it a try on a junk head some time

The exhaust manifold bolts on my Cadillac 500 were seized up and crystalized (if that's a suitable description for the situation) and stretched my dirty-word vocabulary to the maximum. Getting them out intact was impossible. It didn't take much torque at all to twist the danged things off and that's just what I did to five or six of them. I finally quit trying and took the heads to my machine shop guy and learned pretty quick that those guys are not happy when they find broken off "easy-outs" in the holes.

When I went to pick them up I asked him how the heck he got them out and he said "Man, I couldn't do it, and we tried everything we knew, so we had to "heli coil" them.

That was two years ago and I haven't had any problems, but this thread got me wondering if the job could have been done using extraction rod. I had never heard of the procedure.

Incidentally, I think Helicoils are a big fraud perpetrated on guys like me.


Jim

Originally Posted by Big Tracks

The exhaust manifold bolts on my Cadillac 500 were seized up and crystalized (if that's a suitable description for the situation) and stretched my dirty-word vocabulary to the maximum. Getting them out intact was impossible. It didn't take much torque at all to twist the danged things off and that's just what I did to five or six of them. I finally quit trying and took the heads to my machine shop guy and learned pretty quick that those guys are not happy when they find broken off "easy-outs" in the holes.
Jim

yes we are not ...i at that point load them up on the mill center up on the hole use a soild carbide ball mill and hope you ez out is not as hard as my ball mill i most of the time do not have to use a heil a coil less they are Fu#k up bad seams the drill alway finds the the head and not the bolt they drill so then they will need coils best thing to do is not mess with them last one i did someone stop buy with a busted off crank bolt in a short block and ez out to i did get the hole mess

Another technic is pipe when they are to deep to weld a nut to . Of course this only works on larger diameter bolts . You have to be ready and set up with pipe in position and welding rod inserted down in pipe . Then connect the ground and weld . Takes 2 people but works great with a small pipe wrench .