[steve25]

For certain this should be an addendum to Murphy’s law.

[PAUL K]

Truth!

[grivera]

Facts!

[68 Firebird]

truer words have never been spoken!!!!

Gerry

[carcrazy]

I've experienced it first hand on many occasions!

[sdbob]

After that happens out of frustration throwing a hammer doesnt work either! One time hammer bounced off a tire and came back at me!

[1966Lemans]

I found the sign on Etsy...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/9206301...-is-one-broken

[GtoFM]

They forgot to add ...and busted knuckles...!

[pfilean]

Been there many times. But this reminds me of what once was called O'Leary's corollary to Murphy's Law which states "Murphy was an optimist".

[Squidward]

Ugh. Dropping valve cover bolt into open lifter valley during a gasket replacement on a daily driver. Achieved much the same "grrrrrr" factor.

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Three broken exhaust manny bolts turned a two-day job (since I take my time) into a 2 month ordeal, because I absolutely REFUSED to pull the engine or cylinder head. I really pat myself on the back for pulling it off, but I was able to drill out DEAD-ON-BALLS-CENTER all three exhaust bolts and retap the threads in the cylinder head without a single helicoil insert on the driver side of a 400 in a late 70's second gen. All with the engine still in the car. The main secret to my success was a centering jig called Beydler's Manibolt Driller (look it up) that uses a nearby open bolt hole to secure down an adjustable jig that centers in on your target broken bolt so you can drill it out on center every time. Otherwise, a couple right-angle drills; a low profile angle-drill attachment with threaded shank bits with a 3" total working height similar to aircraft angle drills; a custom-made low profile tap wrench; constantly raising and lowering the engine off the mounts; blood, sweat, lots of tears... and I finally did it. Took a wire wheel to the exhaust manny surface to clean it up, put in a new factory style shim gasket, and a crapton of nickel antiseize on the new bolts. Exhaust leak fixed.

I really gotta give it to myself for that. I just didn't want to pull the engine.

[BILL BOWMAN1]

How well this applies to me today!! Been prepping a set of valve covers for the past couple days. They are for the GTO painting them car color. They came out almost perfect. As I was moving them to a safe place to dry, I dropped one of them!!! Now tomorrow I get to sand out the handprints and arm hair, and respray. Then beating myself up for two hours over this still.

[indymanjoe]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

Three broken exhaust manny bolts turned a two-day job (since I take my time) into a 2 month ordeal, because I absolutely REFUSED to pull the engine or cylinder head. I really pat myself on the back for pulling it off, but I was able to drill out DEAD-ON-BALLS-CENTER all three exhaust bolts and retap the threads in the cylinder head without a single helicoil insert on the driver side of a 400 in a late 70's second gen. All with the engine still in the car. The main secret to my success was a centering jig called Beydler's Manibolt Driller (look it up) that uses a nearby open bolt hole to secure down an adjustable jig that centers in on your target broken bolt so you can drill it out on center every time. Otherwise, a couple right-angle drills; a low profile angle-drill attachment with threaded shank bits with a 3" total working height similar to aircraft angle drills; a custom-made low profile tap wrench; constantly raising and lowering the engine off the mounts; blood, sweat, lots of tears... and I finally did it. Took a wire wheel to the exhaust manny surface to clean it up, put in a new factory style shim gasket, and a crapton of nickel antiseize on the new bolts. Exhaust leak fixed.

I really gotta give it to myself for that. I just didn't want to pull the engine.

my Frame off started out as a broken exhaust manifold bolt...LOL

[Dragncar]

Since being a millwright I deal with broken bolts on a regular basis. The kids I train these day come to me with broken bolts and studs.
A few things. 6 point sockets only. Ff its a Allen, and particularly a flat head Allen which many times will have a smaller socket, always have a sharp Allen wrench/socket, dig out all the debris and make sure its seated all the way before even trying. Because once you strip it, you have two problems, not one.
Sometimes you can make a poor mans impact with a breaker bar and socket with another guy hitting the back of the breaker bar with a hammer while you apply torque.
A good penetrate oil is your friend. (not WD40) Left handed drill bits are also your friend. A small carbide bit that also cuts on the end is useful for making a flat spot for your center punch if the bolt/stud is broken below the surface at a angle.
Heat can be your friend but also hurt you if you get your steps out of order. You can heat the female side and give it a shot. But I only heat in a half circle, not all the way around. If I heat a nut, its only one flat.
With a Allen head you can heat it and hit it with water cooling quickly and that will shrink the fit and make it tighter on your wrench/socket if its partially stripped. It also pulls the metal away, makes some room if that is what is making it grab. Particularly with flat head Allen's.
If you are planning on drilling it out do not heat and cool anything because if its a grade 8 bolt(all Allens are), you are not drilling anything out at that point. Hard as can be. Even if you did have a hole a Easy Out will not grab. Grade 5 bolts do not harden nearly as much when you heat-cool them.
If some of the bolt is sticking up, even a tiny bit you can sort of plug weld a washer to what is left then weld a nut to the washer and back it out. As long as you do not heat and quench drilling out is still a option if this does not work.
The final is the fire wrench. A cutting torch. If I can get a 1/4" hole drilled through a broken bolt in a non blind situation I can cut it out and leave the treads. You make the hole a little bigger with the torch and the heat makes it bigger. Then you quench and it gets smaller. Do it a few times and it might get loose enough so it will back out.
If it will not you carefully keep making it bigger, then cool. When you get near the female threads you max cool it with water. When is left of your hollowed out broken bolt will be thin and heat quickly. The female part will be cold enough that when you hit the oxygen they will not go away, only your bolt will. Clean up with tapper tap.
If it is a large, short broken bolt in a blind hole you can start cutting a little hole in the center, cool, repeat. You will make a little reverse cone hole, eat a lot of fire in the face so be prepared but after a few cycles many times it loosens and you can stick a large flat bladed screwdriver in what is left and back it out.
Took years you learn this the hard way. Now I passed it on.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

A friend of mine was doing a tune up for a girl on a Toyota years ago.
All 4 spark plugs pulled the threads out of the aluminum head upon removal.

It was a freebie he was doing for "potential benefits" .
And he was supplying the tune up parts for "potential extra credit" .

She went nuclear when he told her the head was going to have to come off and be repaired and he would need her to cover those extra costs and parts entailed.

She called the police and tried to get them to arrest him.
He ended up covering all of it.
And she called him a total dumbass when it was all fixed.
Even though the car ran much better than before.

He didn't get ANY benefits
Murphy slam dunked him.

[Bill Hanlon]

Should have gotten paid up front.

[RocktimusPryme]

Every 20 minute job is one me getting distracted by a different project from becoming a 3 month job.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

Truth!

Story of my life, whether in aircraft maintenance or building engines!

[67Fbird]

Learned a thing or 2 in the trade as a Journeyman Tool & Die & Mold maker for 20+ yrs..... Always EXPECT the WORST chhit to happen, then the suprise of when they don't is gleeful! I recall troubleshooting a die in a little 60 ton press.."how long is it going to be down?" (minor dimesnional issue) my reply "3 hrs" bossman was like WTH?/ I simply explained to him. Yeah it's only 3 sections that I need to remove to re-shim BUT each of those have 2 screws and at least 3-4 shims so the potential of chit getting screwed up goes up exponentially! If it goes good I'll be done in about 30 min, bad could be about 3 hrs.

[scott06]

Originally Posted by BILL BOWMAN1

How well this applies to me today!! Been prepping a set of valve covers for the past couple days. They are for the GTO painting them car color. They came out almost perfect. As I was moving them to a safe place to dry, I dropped one of them!!! Now tomorrow I get to sand out the handprints and arm hair, and respray. Then beating myself up for two hours over this still.

if it makes you feel better years ago painting a 74 Buick LeSabre Convertible (the one with a hood about 8 ft long), just got done spraying it cleaning the gun with lacquer thinner, went to dump the gun of lacquer thinner in woods behind garage, tripped over the air line and promptly spilled the lacquer thinner all over the hood.

And I hadnt even started drinking yet ..