Broken Bolt help!!

[brichardson]

I am looking for advice to remove two broken bolts from my alpha Z tower. One is on the rope pull attachment cover plate on top of the tower. This one is not a huge deal but I need to get it out eventually. The other broke off today. This one is more important as it holds my speaker mount to the tower. I have tried an EZ out and it promptly broke off in the rope pull bolt. It took me 4 hours to drill out the broken ez off and the local dealer spent another 4 hours without much luck. The speaker mount seems to be much harder steel than the other, I tried drilling it out and the bit would just walk around. If anyone has encountered this problem and had success getting them out I would appreciate any advice.... I am going to buy a set of good carbide bits tomorrow to see if that helps. I have had the boat for a total of 26 hours and this is killing me to have these things happen already to a basically new boat. It is a 2011 RZR.

[4bw]

What happened to cause the bolts to break? It sounds like you have tried everything I can think of, good luck with the repair

[brichardson]

I have no idea how or when the bolt in the tower rope connection cover broke off. I noticed it at the end of last summer just after I bought the boat and was folding the tower down to put in my garage. The speaker bracket today broke while heading back to the ramp after a short day of boating. The speaker has always had bounce but we figured it was because the REV 10's are fairly heavy. The bolt broke and we thought the speaker was going to fall on my head. Stopped immediately and pulled the speaker from the mount. not a fun way to end a nice day on the lake!!!

[skippabcool]

Is this not cover under warranty, especially if it bounced?

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

I have no idea how or when the bolt in the tower rope connection cover broke off. I noticed it at the end of last summer just after I bought the boat and was folding the tower down to put in my garage. The speaker bracket today broke while heading back to the ramp after a short day of boating. The speaker has always had bounce but we figured it was because the REV 10's are fairly heavy. The bolt broke and we thought the speaker was going to fall on my head. Stopped immediately and pulled the speaker from the mount. not a fun way to end a nice day on the lake!!!

Stainless bolts are typically much higher strength materials than even the grade 8 carbon steel bolts. If it's stainless, there are only a few drill bits that will even work on it. You have to drill it out completely to the threads and then over size to the next size for a tap insert or a helicoil. Re-tap and add the insert, and use thread lubricant to set the new bolt. Stainless bolts are very rigid, and bouncing with weight will break them of at the most difficult place to replace them. Bummer... I HATE HATE HATE drilling out busted fasteners.

[brichardson]

It is under warranty, the dealer is working on a solution for the rope connection bolt. I just want to leave my boat in service as long as possible ESP. Since it is just the start of the summer. I thought I would give this second bolt a shot before I take it back down to Denver again.

[brichardson]

Stainless bolts are typically much higher strength materials than even the grade 8 carbon steel bolts. If it's stainless, there are only a few drill bits that will even work on it. You have to drill it out completely to the threads and then over size to the next size for a tap insert or a helicoil. Re-tap and add the insert, and use thread lubricant to set the new bolt. Stainless bolts are very rigid, and bouncing with weight will break them of at the most difficult place to replace them. Bummer... I HATE HATE HATE drilling out busted fasteners.

That is what I was afraid of. I got some new cobalt bits and a few left hand bits from a specialty store today. Fingers are crossed that I can get them out with one of them. Thanks.

[NICKYPOO]

Uhg, god I hate broken bolts. I would rather have all the threads strip out any day.

Bigdaddy already posted what I would suggest.

[brichardson]

Got two of them out!

That is what I was afraid of. I got some new cobalt bits and a few left hand bits from a specialty store today. Fingers are crossed that I can get them out with one of them. Thanks.

I got the two speaker mount bolts out by alternating between a cobalt bit and a left hand bit. Once I got a decent hole in the bolt I used a straight fluke ez out and hammered it into the hole and was able to back the bolt out. The tower bolt is a different story... I will leave that to the dealer as it doesn't prevent me from doing anything on the water. Thanks for the tips!

[NICKYPOO]

Nice work. That sense of relief when you get that bolt spinning out...Whew!

[Joeprunc]

I don't agree with the fact that stainless bolts have a higher yield or tensile than grade 8 bolts or even steel bolts. But yes stainless is much more difficult to drill than steel or chromoly. This is because of the additional nickel that is in stainless, the nickel also provides the corrosion resistant properties that make stainless attractive.

I was going to recommend soaking the bolt over night with PB blaster and use a larger dia ez out. Applying heat would also have helped as steel does not expand as much as aluminum (which I am only assuming the bolt is stuck it).

I would definitely use Grade 8 bolts, with a 130 ksi yeild and 150 ksi tensile there aren't many other stronger options. (Depending on the grade stainless your yield stress will be no greater than 100ksi and tensile 125 ksi). I might also recommend coating the bolt with a little bit of anti-seize, and torque properly.

[GUY_RPM]

You can always buy a carbide flat bottom endmill and put it in a air drill(spins much faster than electric) which will allow you to create a starter hole in the correct location but do not go very deep as carbide is very brittle and will break off in the hole and is a pain in the *** to break out of hole. Once you have a starter hole you can use a cobalt or HSS drill to drill the rest of the way thru the bolt then you can use a good easy out and it should come right out.