HELP...broke a bolt!
 

In the middle of getting my car ready far a new cam, I rounded out one of the t-40 cam retainer bolts. Drilled a hole for an extractor, and snapped that off in there as well. I feel f'ed. I tried drilling again, and the extractor is so hard that I cannot touch it. I am at a loss right now. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I really couldn't say but soak it well and try,try, and try again,don't get fed up...also heat that B@#*! up to give that little crapper more expansion room to work with,had a bolt on a little toyota quite a few years back do the same thing I just kept F@#*ing with it took a whole weekend. You have to stay persistent or as they say: You might pay a little or you may pay a lot. But believe me you gonna pay something! Diamond tip drill bit!

Take a torch with softflame or a propane torch and heat the bolt and then grab it with a pair of vicegrips. Heat the bolt up a good bit and the loctite will release and then it'll come right out.

The above is under normal circumstance's however the ease out could expand the bolt in the hole then you be screwed.

OP said it's a T-40, which means it's the newer torx head cam retainer bolts. There isn't anything to heat and grab. With the broken ease out in there, this will be a problem that may not have a good ending.

Weld another piece of metal onto the bolt where it broke off and try turning it.. Good thing about this is you could do it several times if need be.

Take a something small and put it inside the head of the bolt.. Hit it with a hammer and see if it will turn. This would be a PITA.

My question... How did you round it off? That is something I would be incredibly careful with.

I barely turned on the t-40 head and it instantly rounded. Had the happen the last time as well, but had no issue getting it out. The bolt and extractor are countersunk. Tried to post a pick with no luck. Not too computer savvy.

If you can get the retaining plate off (may have to cut it and get a new one but they are cheap) you should have something you can get ahold of with pliers/vise grips

Take a cutoff wheel and score a groove in the head of the bolt then try to take a big ass flat blade screwdiver to back the screw out.

If you can do like lemons said and try to weld another bolt on top of it and back it out that way.

Lemons & 87 S.B. suggestion is your best bet if all else fails.

Before using an easy-out, I like to try a left-handed drill bit. Your best bet now is welding a wrenchable surface to the bolt

The easyout is hard..find a slightly smaller in dia hardened punch or any small die punches. Hang on to it with vise grips... put the hard steel agaist the easyout and sharply hit with a steel sledge. your punch may brake(wear eye protection)but so should the easyout. keep at It till its shatters. piece by piece if you have to. use Chinese easyouts in the future. There softer.

I was removing it. After looking at my t-40, it looks slightly twisted. This is my 3rd swap.

I dont recall. I try to only use blue if any. If I jack the threads, is tapping an option?

Tack weld a nut to it. Easy outs are the worst thing in the world because they are very hard and brittle. Wish I lived close. Mig weld a 5/16-18 nut to it and it will come out. Nice thing too is that if the bolt is loc-tited the heat from welding will loosen the loc-tite up.

just use a carbide drill or use a dremel cut a slit in it and use a flat head screwdriver in it, if you twist another one get a allen wrench and hammer it in and turn it out

Welcome to the class room of the school of hard knocks, you seen to managed a front road seat. Good luck to you patience pays, you can do it, you will find getting smart is the must powerful leverage we can employ.
I have lots of respect for red locktite so I use blue on only 3 treads and never at the end of the bolt.

Bolt is out. No damage done. Nut welded to the end. Thanks for all the suggestions. I can breathe now.

Good top hear! I was going to comment that the welding trick always works well. Alot of guys dont know that if you weld the inside of a small nut like a 5/16 that was suggested in a above post the weld will only bond with the steel of the broken bolt and not the aluminum of the block/head/...