Well..... Everything was going really well. It was a cool 60 degrees, I had all morning to get it done, everything was awesome. Removed the old driveshaft. Measured and cut the output shaft was no problem. I used the jig to perfectly drill through the (perfectly cut) shaft. Flawless..... Then I took my special tap and my special cutting oil. I was soooooo nervous about breaking the drill bit or tap. I carefull gave the tap a quarter turn and then backed it out, cleaned off, dipped in fresh cutting oil and repeated. I was about halfway done with the tapping part and snap. It got a little tight going in but nothing too bad. *******~&euro;]*|+<!]>_*.!,*<+[%}*#+!!!!!!

Help! What are your go to ways to fix this?

Walton extractor?

Torch then Walton extractor?

Upside down air can (freeze) and then tap with hardened chisel and hammer?

 

First things first...were you using a fluted tap? You should be using a flat bottom tap for blind holes...otherwise you will bottom the tap out in the bottom of the hole, and bingo, snap. Getting out a broken tap can be a real PITA, is the TC on the jeep? If not, it will make your job easier by you not being on your back. If it is, you can still do it, it will just be a tad more difficult. You're on the right track, heat and an extractor can be done depending on how bad it is jammed in there. Try that first, if you're having trouble, use a small punch and hammer to try to break the tap free, don't bash on it, just persuade it out a little and try your extractor again. If you can back it out enough to grab onto it with a pair of vice grips, you're probably golden. Just go a little bit at a time, and go slow and you should be fine. Let us know how it works out for you, broken bolts/taps suck hairy sweaty man *****, LOL

 

Yeah the transfer case is on the jeep. The broken tap is pretty much flush with the output shaft on the transfer case. I guess I'll try to torch it a little and try to tap it loose with a punch. I can't find any quality extractors at ace/lowes/sears/Home Depot.

I really felt good about this whole project, like I really had gotten good at taking on bigger projects.

 

You won't find an extractor like that locally, an industrial tool and supply place such as Grainger would be your best bet, or maybe you could call around to local machine shops or a tool rental place to see if they have one you could borrow/rent...and don't let it get you down, it happens to the best of us. Were you using a flat bottom tap? Also, try extracting without heat first, it may come out, if it gives you issues, then heat the shaft only, as close to the end with the broken tap as possible, and don't get it red hot, just heat it up as evenly as you can, and try tapping out with a punch again.

 

I know just the place to bring it to. It's an engine/machine shop but the damn thing broke at 4:45 yesterday afternoon. So now I'm stuck till early Monday morning.

Quick question though. When I apply the heat should I heat the output shaft or should I try to just head the broken tap as best I can?

 

Got any small needle nose pliers try backing it out on the sides of tap that dont cut threads ?

 

Ya know for about 2 seconds I attempted that with my leatherman but it started flexing a little so I stopped (didn't want to ruin the leatherman) but maybe I can find a an actual stronger pair of pliers as give that a shot.

 

small punch maybe....

 

Gotta make sacrifices some times for the greater causes...

 

Maybe use screw driver in between tips of pliers as to not put stress on handles ?

 

Heat the shaft, not the tap
I would avoid this as you can really screw up the threads you just cut, use the punch to back it out a little first. Then once you get it backed out enough, try it...just to give yourself a little more room to grip it first. Back to the subject of the tap...which did you use? Just for the future, when tapping a blind hole like that, use a flat bottom tap on it...it is okay to use a fluted tap just to get the threads started, but once you have a few threads cut, switch to the flat bottom tap to finish it off....

 

I got mine out with a small chisel and hammer with light taps in a circular motion it slowly spun out enough to spin out with pliers . I did a sye on my next one less aggravation.

 

Yeah, this is the recommended method in my mind....you don't want to jam anything else up in there that doesn't belong, if you break off plier tips or push metal from the threads you just cut deeper in there, it's going to make extraction that much harder...

 

Finesse is whats needed and tounge must be at correct angle during this operation...lol...

 

LOL'd at the tongue angle, too true