[franzl]

8. Bolt or Screw Extractor – There are many styles/gimmicks. Some work, but many do not. They use hardened bits that grab into the inside of the bolt or nut to remove it. Many require you to drill a small hole in the bolt, then thread these bits in. Whatever you do, do not break the extractor off inside the hole, or you are in for a long, horrible process. Normal drill bits will not touch these, so you will need specialty drill bits to drill through them. If the stud is still present you can use a Threaded Stud Remover to extract a stud without damaging the threads or hardware.

[Ervin02]

Below are my top 10 ways to deal with getting these suckers extracted without wrecking the precious part they are in. This include tips on how to remove a rounded bolt or a bolt with a stripped head in addition to those that are seemingly stuck in place for all eternity.

[kaja]

1. Blunt Impact/Force – This is usually my first step when attempting to loosen stubborn bolts. I always use this method before I begin removing exhaust studs from a cylinder head. There are a few methods for this. One is to hit on the head of the bolt in the center with a chisel or punch. Another is use an impact wrench/gun and hit it a few brief times in reverse and forward. Either of these methods work on the theory of freeing the corrosion bond between the threads by vibration or impact. It works sometimes on lightly seized bolts but isn’t a 100 percent winner every time. Keep in mind, though, that it can be combined with many of the other methods to help make the job easier.

[aksjfhasdkfjh8]

6. Weld’er Up! – This is one method for how to remove a stripped bolt that can be used if the nut or bolt head is so severely stripped you can’t turn it with locking jaw pliers. It is also useful if the head is broken off the bolt. You can simply take a washer and a bolt of a slightly larger size and tack weld it to the bolt body. Once you have it tack welded, I like to fill the nut with weld and run a bead around the base of where it meets the bolt body. This allows you to put a socket on the bolt again as well as putting heat into the bolt that will allow it to expand and contract, breaking some of the corrosion. I prefer to use a MIG Welder to do this job as it allows for a little more control than with a stick welder. [links]

[Doozer]

9. Pipe Wrench – This is a pretty basic way to tackle a stripped bolt, and most everyone has a pipe wrench kicking around their shop. Tighten the pipe wrench down on the bolt/nut and as you crank on the bolt with the pipe wrench, it actually grabs harder onto the bolt head. Just watch you knuckles if it slips off!

[smokelesscigs124]

2. Heat – If you paid attention in chemistry class, you would have learned that when you heat and cool metal, it expands and contracts. The way that I have used this in the past for removing a corroded bolt is to heat the head/body of the bolt until it is almost red hot. By doing this the bolt expands due to the heat, and when it cools it will contract, thus breaking the corrosion in between the threads. A similar method is to heat the area around the bolt to make the hole it is threaded into actually expand and open up a little bit. The bolt then fits a bit looser and can be threaded out. Use of an impact wrench or gun helps when initially breaking it loose since the force from the hammering of the impact wrench breaks the corrosion apart as well. Use penetrants like Kroil or CRC Freeze-Off to aid in the removal process.

[SteveL]

This kit is all you’ll need to get out of the mess you’re in. You get tools that are simple and get the job done as quickly as possible. To top all that off, this is also quite an affordable option. here

[wscott]

Once you get your hands on an IRWIN product, you won’t be saying goodbye to it any time soon. This set that IRWIN has created lives up to the expectations. In this set, you get extractors that can remove bolts that are 11mm, 14mm, and 16mm in size. here

[reQunix]

As stripped bolts are something that everyone faces once in a while, there are lots of extraction kits available in the market to help you out. They are all different and come with a variety of accessories. How will you know which one to choose? We’ve come across many extraction kits, yet this one stands in the crowd for us. here

[psbagumba]

While these are quite helpful in removing stripped bolts, the most useful tool is an extraction kit. These kits are foolproof and cause the least amount of damage to your project. here

[jonathan01]

For screws that are a bit larger, you can use a drill and extractors. This process is best when your bolt is stuck close to the surface that you can’t manage to clamp pliers on. Drill a 1/8-inch hole in the center of the screws head. more

[Akilae]

With some determination, a lot of penetrating fluid, the possibility of a blowtorch, and the right tools, there is no bolt you cannot beat. Here’s the informational game plan drawn up by your buds at The Drive for earning that W. more

[hanalin]

Vehicle System: Any or all

[Frost987]

The Drive and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Read more.

[bph2treat]

Estimated Time Needed: 10 minutes to 1 lifetime [links]

[Innomen]

If you have the time and money to order specialty tools, try a Go-2 socket. Simply fit it over the stripped bolt and tighten the screw to wedge the bolt head into the socket. Then use your ratchet to unscrew the bolt. [links]

[sherryparent90]

If you don’t have bolt extraction sockets, try using an SAE (fractional) socket on a metric bolt head or vice versa. You may have to pound it onto the bolt head to make it fit. [links]

[Decksperiment]

But, 12-point sockets and wrenches only grip the hex head at the outer tips of the hex flats, while a 6-point socket grabs the tip and the flank of the bolt head. You always stand a better chance of removing a bolt or nut with a 6-point socket or wrench.

[lightbox]

You’ll find 12-point sockets and wrenches in most inexpensive socket and wrench sets. The only advantage to a 12-point socket is that they require less maneuvering to fit onto the bolt. For example, if a 6-point socket doesn’t fit onto the hex head of the bolt or nut, you may have to rotate the tool up to 60° to get the flats matched up. You only have to rotate a 12-point socket or wrench 30°.

[seopro101]

As I mentioned above, the first step is to soak the stripped bolt or stripped nut with a rust penetrant. more

[marie]

The second most common mistake DIYers make that results in a stripped bolt is not applying a rust penetrant first before applying force to the bolt or nut. Think of rust as a type of glue and a rust penetrant as both a solvent and a lubricant. So what’s a good rust penetrant? NOT WD-40! Yes, you read that correctly. WD-40 is a great general purpose lubricant. It has a solvent base and a light weight oil as the lubricant. In some cases, it can penetrate light rust. But it’s not the best rust penetrant. In fact, WD-40 makes a rust penetrant for this exact purpose. It’s called Rust Specialist and it’s specifically designed to free us rusted fasteners.