[gcsb77]

I need help ... I broke an "easy out" off trying to remove a broken bolt. I know these things are made of really hard metal and are almost impossible to drill out. I have tried drilling out around the "easy out" with small drills; however, not having any luck.

Can anyone suggest a way of getting this hard metal out ??

thanks in advance,

gcsb77

 

[Helmut]

It will be hard to get out. The easy out is harder than the drill bits. You might keep drilling and get it out, but it would take a lot of bits, they'll keep breaking or getting dull.

 

[shadetree]

I need help ... I broke an "easy out" off trying to remove a broken bolt. I know these things are made of really hard metal and are almost impossible to drill out. I have tried drilling out around the "easy out" with small drills; however, not having any luck.

Can anyone suggest a way of getting this hard metal out ??

thanks in advance,

gcsb77

man...thats a tough one..i really don't have a answer for that ..seeing how i never use those easy outs..i've never had one break on me..lol..what did you break it off into ?

 

[gcsb77]

1985 TRX 250 exaust pipe. The small carbon purge plate close to the muffler exit that you are supposed to remove peridically to blow the carbon out. One of the two bolts broke off even with the muffler metal. The broken bolt is attached to a nut on the backside of the muffler metal.

gcsb77

 

[shadetree]

1985 TRX 250 exaust pipe. The small carbon purge plate close to the muffler exit that you are supposed to remove peridically to blow the carbon out. One of the two bolts broke off even with the muffler metal. The broken bolt is attached to a nut on the backside of the muffler metal.

gcsb77

well crap..you got two choices..leave it be..or..take a dremel with a cut off wheel..cut the bolt off flush with the muffler..if it was me..i'd leave it alone..it won't hurt anything to have that easy out sticking inside the muffler...if you decide to use a dremel with a cut off wheel..those things are pretty high speed..it may cut the easy off too ?.

 

[gcsb77]

Had not thought about the dremel tool. thanks for the idea. Need to check to see if I have a cut off wheel.

The thought I had was to replace the purge plate to stop the exaust gases from discharging straight down toward the rear brake adjustment springs and wing nuts. However, maybe the amount of exaust and temperature of the gases is not enought to hurt anything .... might cause a little rust but can keep this area coated with oil to stop the possibility of rusting.

thanks,
gcsb77

 

[sgip2000]

You could try a propane torch. If the 2 metals are different compounds, one will expand quicker than the other and may just give you enough play to remove the broken "easy out".

 

[gcsb77]

unfortunately the easy-out broke off even with the surface and cannot get pliers or anything to grip it. The idea of using a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel didn't work either because the easy-out is not sticking out from the surface of the muffler.

So others don't make the same mistake, DO NOT buy an easy-out at O'Reilly's for $2.97 each. They break very very easily. They must be made of glass!!!!!! I just barely applied a little torque and it snapped like a peanut hull.

For future use, I went to Home Depot today and purchased a Black and Decker set of easy-outs and some cobalt drills. It don't pay to scrimp on tools for sure.

My goal is to drill down beside the easy out enough to get another easy-out to grip again.

 

[shadetree]

unfortunately the easy-out broke off even with the surface and cannot get pliers or anything to grip it. The idea of using a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel didn't work either because the easy-out is not sticking out from the surface of the muffler.

So others don't make the same mistake, DO NOT buy an easy-out at O'Reilly's for $2.97 each. They break very very easily. They must be made of glass!!!!!! I just barely applied a little torque and it snapped like a peanut hull.

For future use, I went to Home Depot today and purchased a Black and Decker set of easy-outs and some cobalt drills. It don't pay to scrimp on tools for sure.

My goal is to drill down beside the easy out enough to get another easy-out to grip again.

to save you alot of trouble..here's what i would do..i would take a cut off wheel for the dremel..slice out the whole purge bolt thing..then..with a piece of tin..and some jb weld..i would cover that hole up..and never worry about it again !..lol.

 

[Pain]

Just for giggles, the spark arrester is required to ride on some/many state lands, so if you plan to ride state land, don't alter the pipe. Just leave it alone as if nothing was ever done to it and no one will be the wiser. h34r:

 

[shadetree]

Just for giggles, the spark arrester is required to ride on some/many state lands, so if you plan to ride state land, don't alter the pipe. Just leave it alone as if nothing was ever done to it and no one will be the wiser. h34r:

i may have stated that for the wrong part pain..it's the part/bolt you remove to purge the muffler..not the spark arrester on the end of the muffler he's trying to fix

 

[Pain]

I thought that part was to purge the carbon out of the spark arrestor, so it will work properly?

 

[gcsb77]

Just to provide an update on progress: today I attempted to drill down beside or parallel to the broken easy-out with a cobalt drill with no success.

So I dug out my old trusty brake adjustment tool and worked it into the pruge hole on top of the easy-out that was sticking up on top of the nut. I gave it a couple of yanks and pop !!!!! out falls the entire broken piece of the easy-out on the floor.

I cleaned up the hole with a 7/64 inch drill. I did not attempt to remove the remaining broken bolt from the nut. The old bolt now has a neat 7/64 inch hole in it which is just perfect for tapping out for a 1/8 inch bolt.

Tomorrow I will buy a good quality tap set and install a new 1/8 inch bolt which is kinda small but will hold the purge plate just fine (the other purge plate bolt is bigger... a total of two purge plate bolts).

You all are exactly right.... I need to keep the purge plate in tact for riding in certain federal/state parks plus it must remain removable for blowing out the carbon from to time.

thanks to all for all the help and good ideas,,,

gcsb77

 

[shadetree]

Just to provide an update on progress: today I attempted to drill down beside or parallel to the broken easy-out with a cobalt drill with no success.

So I dug out my old trusty brake adjustment tool and worked it into the pruge hole on top of the easy-out that was sticking up on top of the nut. I gave it a couple of yanks and pop !!!!! out falls the entire broken piece of the easy-out on the floor.

I cleaned up the hole with a 7/64 inch drill. I did not attempt to remove the remaining broken bolt from the nut. The old bolt now has a neat 7/64 inch hole in it which is just perfect for tapping out for a 1/8 inch bolt.

Tomorrow I will buy a good quality tap set and install a new 1/8 inch bolt which is kinda small but will hold the purge plate just fine (the other purge plate bolt is bigger... a total of two purge plate bolts).

You all are exactly right.... I need to keep the purge plate in tact for riding in certain federal/state parks plus it must remain removable for blowing out the carbon from to time.

thanks to all for all the help and good ideas,,,

gcsb77

that bolt/plate..is just to blow the carbon from the muffler..it has nothing to do with the spark arrester part..the spark arrester is in the end of the muffler..more or less..built into the end of your muffler..even if you capped off the purge bolt hole..it has nothing to do with spark arrester...you can cap that off all day long..and it won't hurt anything as far as ridding on certain lands..now..if you cut the end of your muffler out..well..now you just removed your spark arrester..lol.

 

[gcsb77]

I have learned something today for sure. Thanks for that correction. Now I know the score on what and how to make my adjustments.

thanks, I appreciate your help.

gcsb77

 

[jkhuntin]

If you had charged yourself by the hour you would have made enough to buy a brand new HMF pipe, and you could have skipped all this. But then, what be the fun in that. The only way to learn things is to do them.
Ya Gotta Pay to Play.

 

[Helmut]

If you had charged yourself by the hour you would have made enough to buy a brand new HMF pipe, and you could have skipped all this. But then, what be the fun in that. The only way to learn things is to do them.
Ya Gotta Pay to Play.

The problem would be finding a new HMF pipe for a 1985 Fourtrax 250.

 

[Pain]

that bolt/plate..is just to blow the carbon from the muffler..it has nothing to do with the spark arrester part..the spark arrester is in the end of the muffler..more or less..built into the end of your muffler..even if you capped off the purge bolt hole..it has nothing to do with spark arrester...you can cap that off all day long..and it won't hurt anything as far as ridding on certain lands..now..if you cut the end of your muffler out..well..now you just removed your spark arrester..lol.

I thought the wire mesh of the arrestor would get clogged up with carbon and require it to be purged so the spark arrestor would work as designed. Capping off that purge hole would render the spark arrestor ineffective once it fills back up with carbon. If someone were to do any inspection and find that purge hole altered, then they'd say bub-bye for riding on public land. So, with that said, if one wanted to ride on public land, then I think altering or capping off that purge hole should be avoided.

ADDED: http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/html/03511306/03511306.htm

The trap arrester is the most common general-purpose spark arrester. The arrester works in two different ways: either by trapping carbon particles through centrifugal force, or by screening the particles out of the exhaust using a screen with openings smaller than 0.023 in. Through centrifugal force, the heavier carbon particles are thrown against the inside walls of the arrester and are directed into a trap. This is achieved by a series of stationary fins or fan-like louvers that set the exhaust gas into circular motion as it enters the arrester. Gases are allowed to escape into the atmosphere through the outlet, but the heavier carbon particles are trapped within the arrester. Trap spark arresters require periodic removal of the trapped carbon particles.

 

[Green]

Glad you got it. My suggestion would have been to use a hammer and punch on the extractor. They can often be shattered into smaller pieces and dug out with a machinist pick...same is true for broken drill bits. The catch here is that they have to be stuck in a pretty solid surface that won't flex when struck with a hammer/punch.

 

[Pain]

I don't have my service manual for the 86 any longer, but I found this:

The Field & Stream All-Terrain ... - Google Books