What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

I broke the Easy Out. Now what?

smithflys23

Well Known Member
I tried a search, but the search function would not allow me to include "out" so I did not find anything useful.

I was trying to remove a broken screw from my rear rudder pedal bracket, and the Easy Out broke. Any suggestions on getting this removed?
 
Removing EasyOut

Unlike a tap, which when broken is also hard to remove, an easy out is even more of a challenge because they are designed to jam. I would hunt on the net for a diamond tip drill, such as are available for drilling glass, and try to drill/grind it out with that. They are also available in a cylindrical form, so might be able to cut around the easy out, though that would result in a larger hole.

Assuming you get the EasyOut removed, then to remove the stuck screw, I would recommend drilling it with a left hand drill bit, available from McMasterCarr, or grind a regular drill backwards. Often the drill bit will grab the stuck screw and back it out without having to totally mutilate it!
 
I once used a small carbide burr in a Dremel tool to (slowly) grind out a tap I had broken in an aluminum piece. It took a lot of patience but in the end I did manage to remove it. I don't see why an easy out would be any different.

I second the use of left hand drills. Saved my butt once when I broke off an intake bolt on my IO-540, it broke off below the surface of the case. I used a jig to center drill a hole in the bolt with a right hand drill and used a bigger left handed one in the hole hoping it would grab and take out the bolt. It gratifyingly unthreaded right out of the hole when the bit grabbed.

I've not had good luck with small easy outs, they seem to break too easily and worse, break without warning.

You didn't say how your threaded piece broke, but if bottomed out they usually are harder to remove than just overtorqued.
 
Unlike a tap, which when broken is also hard to remove, an easy out is even more of a challenge because they are designed to jam. I would hunt on the net for a diamond tip drill, such as are available for drilling glass, and try to drill/grind it out with that. They are also available in a cylindrical form, so might be able to cut around the easy out, though that would result in a larger hole.

Assuming you get the EasyOut removed, then to remove the stuck screw, I would recommend drilling it with a left hand drill bit, available from McMasterCarr, or grind a regular drill backwards. Often the drill bit will grab the stuck screw and back it out without having to totally mutilate it!

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll take a look around for a left hand bit.
 
I once used a small carbide burr in a Dremel tool to (slowly) grind out a tap I had broken in an aluminum piece. It took a lot of patience but in the end I did manage to remove it. I don't see why an easy out would be any different.

I second the use of left hand drills. Saved my butt once when I broke off an intake bolt on my IO-540, it broke off below the surface of the case. I used a jig to center drill a hole in the bolt with a right hand drill and used a bigger left handed one in the hole hoping it would grab and take out the bolt. It gratifyingly unthreaded right out of the hole when the bit grabbed.

I've not had good luck with small easy outs, they seem to break too easily and worse, break without warning.

You didn't say how your threaded piece broke, but if bottomed out they usually are harder to remove than just overtorqued.

I already planned on using a Dremel to at least clean up the jagged edge. So maybe a small burr would do it.

It was a #1 size easy out, and it snapped pretty easily like what you seemed to have experienced.

I think the threads may have been jammed up with something. That, and maybe the bolt head was fatigued.
 
Broken Easy Out Removal

I did the same thing a few years ago removing a gas tank on my RV-7A. After walking away and thinking about it, what I did was use a cutoff wheel to flatten out the easy out jagged edge. I then used an 1/8" carbide drill bit (that was harder than the easy out) to drill into the shank of the easy out. Then used a smaller easy out to remove the broken one. The original nutplate was never damaged! Really was easy once I figured out HOW to do it.

I tried a search, but the search function would not allow me to include "out" so I did not find anything useful.

I was trying to remove a broken screw from my rear rudder pedal bracket, and the Easy Out broke. Any suggestions on getting this removed?
 
I did the same thing a few years ago removing a gas tank on my RV-7A. After walking away and thinking about it, what I did was use a cutoff wheel to flatten out the easy out jagged edge. I then used an 1/8" carbide drill bit (that was harder than the easy out) to drill into the shank of the easy out. Then used a smaller easy out to remove the broken one. The original nutplate was never damaged! Really was easy once I figured out HOW to do it.

I’m starting to see a recurring theme. Carbide burr tool, then perhaps a carbide left hand bit.
Thanks!
 
I had one snap on a cylinder head. I found a diamond tip narrow bit for a dremel and carefully drilled in the center a mm at a time. I was then able to pick the rest out from the threads. It took quite a while and some patience but it worked. I also kept dipping the tip into cutting fluid to help keep it cool.
Jerry
 
One thing to keep in mind is that if the torque was strong enough to break that, there may be no feasible way to remove it. I'm not for sure because I don't know the specifics of your situation, but if your screw remover broke due to excessive force then you may have to replace the entire part, or else mutilate it and weld back together.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that if the torque was strong enough to break that, there may be no feasible way to remove it. I'm not for sure because I don't know the specifics of your situation, but if your screw remover broke due to excessive force then you may have to replace the entire part, or else mutilate it and weld back together.

I’m hopeful that a Rescue Bit will work. I’m going to order one tomorrow.

https://the-original-rescue-bit.myshopify.com/
 
This may be a situation where you’re better off drilling out the nut plate and replacing it.

I really hate to be a nag, but the proper name for a blind anchor nut is a "plate nut". They are nuts. They happen to be formed so that they can be riveted onto a plate. The "official" GSA directory refers to them as "nut, plate".

So many people incorrectly call them nutplates that that is now considered an alternate name. So, if enough people start calling a fire hydrant a hydrant fire, will that become an accepted name too?
 
Last edited:
I really hate to be a nag, but the proper name for a blind anchor nut is a "plate nut". They are nuts. They happen to be formed so that they can be riveted onto a plate. The "official" GSA directory refers to them as "nut, plate".

So many people incorrectly call them nutplates that that is now considered an alternate name. So, if enough people start calling a fire hydrant a hydrant fire, will that become an accepted name too?


Anchor nut. That’s what the big boys call ‘em.
 
À la Mr. T: "I pity the fool who wastes hours trying to fix a dumb mistake!"

In other words, I pity us all... :(
 
Last edited:
Back
Top