Broke tap in manifold!

[JStieger]

I have a new ATS manifold that I'm going to install on my truck on Monday. So to get ready I decided to drill and tap for the pyro last night. Well everything was going great on the tapping until the darn tap (1/8" NPT)broke! The tap broke below the manifold surface so there is nothing to clamp down on to back it out. So far I've managed to break up the tap a bit with a punch since it's pretty hard and brittle yet keep most of the upper thread intact. I only have maybe a 1/4" more to go. Any ideas or recommendations on how to get the rest out without goobering up the threads already tapped would be appreciated!



Drill?

Grind with Dremel?

Blow it out with torch?

Weld a bolt on it?



Thanks!

 

[DieselTweaker]

sometimes ive been lucky with taking a small pair of needle nose pliers down in the flutes and turn the tap back out, but when all else fails, go back to the punch and hope you have enough meat left to rechase the threads

 

[JStieger]

Partsman-



Thanks for the reply. I already tried the needle nose pliers. The combination of the pliers and punch got about 1/2 of the tap out in pieces so far while keeping the threads relatively intact until I broke the tip off the pliers. I'm going to get a better pair of pliers and a skinnier punch. Darn made in China tools got me this far...

 

[BTighe]

try drilling it out a little bit then using a screw extractor kit. i know sears has them and i think there about 20 bucks. thats what there made for so it shouldnt be an issue. personally i wouldnt use a punch too much but i dont know how strong the metal is on those.

 

[Jeff_K]

Partsman-



Thanks for the reply. I already tried the needle nose pliers. The combination of the pliers and punch got about 1/2 of the tap out in pieces so far while keeping the threads relatively intact until I broke the tip off the pliers. I'm going to get a better pair of pliers and a skinnier punch. Darn made in China tools got me this far...

Yup, time for some quality tool! :-laf

 

[Joe G.]

You are not going to be able to drill a tap. It's too hard for that. In fact, the tap is probably harder than the drill bit. I don't use screw extractors because they usually break. The punch and persistance is probably the only reasonable way to go. You might try a little heat. That may loosen things up a little.



I have found that if tapping a hole in cast use a lot of cutting oil on the tap. Then everytime it seems to get hard to turn, back it off and try again. If it persists in being hard to turn remove it and clean up the tap and hole. Don't force anything and eventually the job will be done. A new sharp tap helps a lot.

 

[JStieger]

You are not going to be able to drill a tap. It's too hard for that. In fact, the tap is probably harder than the drill bit. I don't use screw extractors because they usually break. The punch and persistance is probably the only reasonable way to go. You might try a little heat. That may loosen things up a little.



I have found that if tapping a hole in cast use a lot of cutting oil on the tap. Then everytime it seems to get hard to turn, back it off and try again. If it persists in being hard to turn remove it and clean up the tap and hole. Don't force anything and eventually the job will be done. A new sharp tap helps a lot.

I hear what you're saying on the screw extractor - been there, done that on another one of my infamous projects! The part that really ticks me off was I was cutting about 1/2 turn then back off to clean threads out, reoil, and repeat - then WHAMMO! it breaks #@$%! #@$%! #@$%! . Nevertheless, it's still "operator error" on my part. Oh well... at least it wasn't in the engine block!

 

[Ron Bissett]

You can get a tap extractor that has fingers that fit down the cut of the tap four or five fingers of hard steel but they cost $ ,if you can knock out the tap remains ,Then drill to take a 1/4 plug that you can drill and tap to 1/8 and you are good to go. Ron Bissett Metro Louisville KY or Tampa Fla Oo. :-laf

 

[CHardin]

How about a dremel tool with a small grinder tip? You're going to ruin what threads you've cut if you punch it out. Grind away the center of the tap and the threaded remains should be easily removed with needle nose or tweezers. Charlie.

 

[ezcurra]

This is a great trick I've used with broken screws. Using a MIG welder, weld a blob of metal to the visible part of the screw. Then you can grab that blob with visegrips and un-screw it out.

If you try to drill the tap out, if the drill bit doesn't break, the hardened tap will force the bit to dig into the softer surrounding metal.

 

[R-N-R]

JB Weld if you have time to let it harden.

 

[JStieger]

Got it out!!

Well I took a breather and went to work today to clear my head . After I got back home I ended up using a 1/8" pin punch with a 2 lb small sledge to spin the broken tap out in 60 seconds! Rechased the threads and all is good. I can't believe I wasted 3 hours on this yesterday...



Anyhow, thanks to everyone that responded with good advice. BTW I did check into the JB Weld after Rock-N-Rammer posted and it's only good to 500*F. I have used JB Weld before to repair intake manifold studs holes with helicoils on my jeep flathead 4, but in the jeep's case the stud holes opened into the water jacket. Those studs are still holding though.



Just a reminder to wear eye protection when hammering on a pin punch into a brittle tap. A piece of the tap broke, rebounded, and partially imbedded into my palm enough to draw blood

 

[R-N-R]

Sorry, I meant to JB Weld an object to the tap that would help you get it out. Glad to hear you got it fixed up!