Front control arm rear bush securing bolt snapped - help!

[FEP]

Naturally enough, I have very little experience of bolts on my E30's seizing or shearing, so when removing the two bolts that hold the bush banjo to the chassis , I happily leant on the breaker bar and promptly broke the head and about 5mm of the shaft off one of the 17mm bolts.

This is not good!

Can someone please tell me how I get the rest of the bolt out?

A garage I spoke to today were a bit doubtful that welding to the stump would work on the basis that if such a big bolt was seized it is probably well rusted in. They are talking about having to cut the whole captive thread out! Ouch!

Any thoughts or similar experience much appreciated.

FEP

[daimlerman]

Can you drill into the remains?

Using plenty of penetrating oil whilst drilling may,just,get the little bugger out...

[bigwinn]

There was a thread on this about six months ago from memory, cant remember the author but it was epic...

[BATTS91]

That was me ! Lol . I drilled and retapped the captive nut . Id say 8/9 ago months haha

Get some pics up ;)

[BATTS91]

Oh and dont try welding the fooker on ! It doesnt work lmao

[bigwinn]

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... highlight=

[mcbonio]

Invest in an easy out..! Will have it out in seconds.

[FEP]

Hmm!

At the risk of getting flamed by the Zone's Committee In Standards in Mechanical Engineering, it occurs to me - having read all 11 pages of Batt's dissertation, that a reasonable course of action may be to weld an appropriate stud to the stump. If the whole lot then screws out with heat and other forms of encouragement, fair enough. If not, stick the banjo on and stick a nut on the end of the new stud.

[Jozi]

Invest in an easy out..! Will have it out in seconds.

I've used these things twice, on both occasions they snapped causing more grief

I found the best way to get a snapped bolt out was to get a large nut, place it around the snapped bolt and build up the weld from the bolt onto the nut. It might not work on the first go. Failing that, drill a hole in the very centre slightly smaller than the threads and pick the old bolt thread out. A drill bit that drills the opposite direction might also help.

[Brianmoooore]

Invest in an easy out..! Will have it out in seconds.

I've used these things twice, on both occasions they snapped causing more grief

I found the best way to get a snapped bolt out was to get a large nut, place it around the snapped bolt and build up the weld from the bolt onto the nut. It might not work on the first go. Failing that, drill a hole in the very centre slightly smaller than the threads and pick the old bolt thread out. A drill bit that drills the opposite direction might also help.

This!