broken oil pan bolt

ourdogblue · May 4, 2016

I've had my 801 Powermaster for over 20 years and never had any serious trouble. She does a lot of mowing. I check the fluids, change oil, and lube and local dealer has had to bring it in to his service shop and do a tune-up and minor repairs like a power steering hose leak maybe every 2-3 years. I'm probably at least the 3rd owner. Now there is a significant oil leak around oil pan gasket. I got a new gasket and some RPV and took off the oil pan. Only 19 of 20 bolts were in. One had been sheared off and the end is stuck in the engine block, up front where it goes into the block and not thru the side flange. There was no gasket, just a layer of gasket-maker or RPV which peeled off easily. So a previous owner broke a bolt, put it back together with goo, and it's worked fine for many years. My question: should I spend time trying to get the broken bolt out so I can have all 20 in or leave it alone and just try the new gasket and RPV? I realize this is a pretty trivial thing compared to the major repair work discussed in this forum, but I'm a newbie here, and would appreciate any advice. Thanks much.

Tiger Joe · May 4, 2016

I would be trying to fix it right while the oil pan is off

Fordfarmer · May 4, 2016

I would also try to get the broken bolt out and have it fixed right. Center punch, drill, e-z out. But if it proves to be a real pain, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it, seeing as that is how it was for years. Just don't over tighten the bolts when reinstalling.

Ultradog MN · May 4, 2016

Sometimes you can take a center punch, sharpen it so it has a little more angle then with a hammer, tap on one side of the bolt and get it to unscrew enough to get a pliers or vice grips on it. Sometimes a small, sharp cold chisel works too.
I would at least try but if the bolt is recessed into the hole where you can't get at it I wouldn't worry too much about it.
PS, Welcome to YT.

old · May 4, 2016

I too would try to get it out. A simple small left hand drill bit and drilling it with a drill set in reverse many times is enough to get a broken bolt out. If the drill bit doesn't do it then an ez-out may just be careful not to break the ez-out off

Shoprat · May 4, 2016

This is what I would try: center punch as accurately as possible, take a good sharp center drill and spot it, then get a left handed drill and go to it. You may be lucky and the bolt will spin back out. I have run a machine shop for over 40 years and found this method to work the best. Not always, but the worst that can happen is it doesn't back out. The worst thing in my mind is to try an easy out, break it and now have a hard piece of metal to deal with.

good luck.

souNdguy · May 4, 2016

yup.. fix it right.

PS.. save the RTV for caulking your windows.

use permatex or similar REAL gasket products.. rtv can squish out and actually CAUSE a gasket to leak.

dogbreath1 · May 4, 2016

Take a brass washer, hold it with a screwdriver so it surrounds the broken off bolt, MIG a blob of metal to the end of the broken off bolt, clamp your Vice-Grips to the blob, and remove the broken off bolt. The brass washer keeps you from welding the bolt to the block. I've not attempted to drill a broken bolt for twenty years.

markct · May 5, 2016

Someone should have told that to International and Cummins and a few other engine makers that have been using rtv successfully for a couple decades now right from the factory. Before they had permatex ultra which is a harder rtv you could buy basically the same product from IH for installing oil pans and other parts on there trucks.It works very well if the parts are clean and flat and don't use an excessive amount

bigbleeker · May 6, 2016

Quick center drill bit center guide try one they have different sizes

ourdogblue · May 6, 2016

Thanks to all who responded with advice on removing broken bolt. A friend with a lot more experience and tools than me came over today and we were able to spin the bolt out using the center punch and left-handed drill. Didn't have to use ez-out. New gasket went on with a very thin coating of a Porsche gasket sealer like Permatex RTV each side, bolts torqued to only 5 ft/lbs. and after oil fill no leaks noted after running her for a while. 5 ft/lbs seems awfully low but maybe appropriate with cork gasket. Mechanic at Ford dealer had told me 25 ft/lbs. but that seemed too high. Any thoughts?

broken oil pan bolt

ourdogblue

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Tiger Joe

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Fordfarmer

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Ultradog MN

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old

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Shoprat

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souNdguy

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dogbreath1

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markct

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bigbleeker

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ourdogblue

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