Stripped a 10mm bolt head on a DPF bracket and spent a Tuesday afternoon drilling it out.

Tried every extractor in my box before a buddy suggested a left-hand drill bit, which finally got it after three hours. Anyone got a better trick for seized bolts in sooty spots?

4 comments

4 Comments

jenny4229d ago

It's funny how the simplest tools get overlooked until you're desperate. We all have that one left hand bit buried in the bottom drawer, but it takes a crisis to remember it exists. What's your go-to method when the extractors fail?

jenny_young7228d ago

Ever try welding a nut onto the broken bolt stub? I had a caliper bracket bolt snap off flush once and that was the only thing that saved me. The heat from the weld can really break things loose, plus you get a solid grip. Just make sure to protect everything around it from spatter.

gracej993d ago

Reminds me of how often the best fix is the one you avoid until last.

max_patel129d ago

Honestly, jenny42, I always reach for heat first before even touching an extractor.