ray562•17d ago

Stripped a bolt on a Mercedes 300D in my driveway last Saturday

I was trying to swap out the glow plugs on my old 1984 300D, you know the ones that are notorious for getting stuck. Fourth one from the back snapped off clean with the threads still in the head, felt like my stomach dropped. Had to borrow my buddy's extractor kit and spent 3 hours drilling it out with a left-hand bit, but I got it out without damaging the head. Has anyone else had luck with those cheap extractor sets from Harbor Freight or is it worth spending the extra money on a real set?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura17d ago

Oh man, @skyler_kelly69 I gotta disagree - I swear by the expensive Snap-On extractors after snapping two Harbor Freight ones on a single bolt.

skyler_kelly6917d ago

That $15 Harbor Freight set saved my bacon on a rusty Ford 302 header bolt last year. The key is drilling dead center with a center punch first or you'll snap the extractor and then you're really screwed. Did you use any heat on that stuck glow plug before you started drilling?

davidshah17d ago

i mean, i used a harbor freight extractor set on my '82 240D glow plugs and it worked okay, but i had to be really careful not to snap the extractor itself. honestly spent more time cussing at it than drilling, but for $15 you can't really complain if it gets the job done. just go slow with the left-hand bit, that's the real trick.