How to free SS bolt from corroded aluminum fitting

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Andy Todd

Jeez. Reading this thread is like (as my old grandmother use to say) 'watching two sisters of mercy trying to pick up dog sh!t with knitting needles'.


Get a Helicoil kit of ebay, drill, tap and fit. It's a 5 minute job and you finish up with a better solution.... the way it should have been manufactured in the first place.

Boy howdy! Or end mill it out as mentioned about page 2! IT AIN'T COMING OUT BY UNTHREADING, so forget that left hand drill!

[skenn_ie]

An aside: Some years ago, I lifted my 1/4ton anchor winch off the deck to check the 60y/o mahogany pad that it was sitting on. No problem there, but then I decided to replace all the 5/8" S.S. bolts that held the winch together. Most of the heads sheared, almost fell off. I can only guess that one of the components of the alloy had leached out. The winch is S.S. but the bearing flanges are Bronze.

[coopec43]

[QUOTE=sailah;3129903]Depending on how it snapped off, suggest you plunge down with an endmill to establish a flat. Then poke a starter hole using a center drill. If you just try to drill it out with a regular jobber length drill bit it's very easy to walk off center.UNQUOTE]


I think that is one of the better solutions (it is one that I understand). Thanks

[Mark Cusack]

May be worth trying the freezing option offered in spray can form. One could assume any movement between the dissimilar metals would crack the localised seal to achieve movement. CRC and Loctite both manufacture and supply this product in a pressurised spray can for this purpose.
Good luck.

[coopec43]

I've decided against an end-mill as don't have access to a milling machine (and I'm too miserable to pay some to do it)

I thought of using a helli-coil as the video clip made it look so easy but my Diesel Fitter B-I-L said he will drill the old bolt out and re-tap the hole for a slightly larger bolt.

Sounds good!

(He's the guy who taught me to use a sharpened masonry drill-bit to drill through work-hardened SS)