Help - Broke a bolt (rearend)

Help
I broke the bolt that holds the large pin in place for the side gears.
The car is a 52 Buick. The bolt head broke off at the threads. I tried a small pick to back the bolt out, no luck.
My friend said he once did this and used a air hammer to force the large pin up, broke the rest of the bolt shaft. I think this will work, but now I will need the large pin plus the bolt. Any ideas
Thanks

 

I would try drilling it out first or you will have to cut the shaft out with a torch. Theres not alot of room in there. Maybe you can heat the pinion shaft and the bolt may loosen.
This is not an easy bolt to get out. They are usually super tight.

 

I've had some luck with left handed drill bits. Heavy feed pressure
will help it to grab and back it out. If not I think I'd try placing a same
size nut over it and mig welding it to the broken piece. Let it cool
and
very easily rock the nut slightly in both directions. If it twists off
try again with another nut (the heat from the welder with help break
the threads loose) sometimes it takes a few tries. Patience is the
key. A little candle wax melted on the nut while its cooling will wick
the wax into the threads also.

 

if you got room try using a punch on the outside edge to spin it free,other wise looks like your drilling and using an easy out.

 

Easy out seems the best way to provided you have the space. Those things are fantastic!

 

A left hand drill bit usually works great. If it doesn't back the bolt out while drilling, it drills a hole for the easy-out.

 

Thanks
I tried to drill it for an easyout. Not enough room.
and the bolt is broken too low in the carrier to weld to.
What do you guys thinl about the air hammer idea?

Thanks

 

I take it your idea to use the air hammer is to just shear the bolt with the cross pin? If so it may work, but will probably damage the cross pin and possibly the case where the bolt goes through. Remember that all the force is going through the pin into the bolt and then into the case.

Do you absolutely have to take the bolt out?

 

If you have access to a stick welder you can try my method. It has been working for over 20 years. Clean everything really good, clamp your ground on the diff. case somewhere. Take a 1/8"--3/32" stick welding rod, clean just the very end of it then put a wrap of electrical tape around it the depth of your hole to the broken piece. If you need to bend your "+" end of the rod it's ok. Then position the rod down into the hole (with the power OFF) so it just barely touches the broken bolt, when in postion have your helper click the power switch to the on position just for a second so the rod end welds to the broken piece. Let it cool for a second, remove the power clamp from the rod, then hose it down really good with a penetrating oil and slowly try to rotate the rod and broken bolt out. You may have to wiggle and jiggle it slightly as you go but do it very gently. Finesse is the word here. If it doesn't hold you may need to do it again. I have saved a bunch of these things over the years with this method. Air hammers and all that usually end up destroying parts.