Threw a U-joint...

Replaced the leaking output seal on my XJ as well as the rear U-Joint, I got 2 miles down the road got a quick vibe then threw the U-Joint. On one side the clip is still in place holding the cap along w/the 2 bolts, on the other side of the yoke the clip is gone and both bolts are sheared off. So I'm gonna have to drill & tap them, right or is there a trick to getting the bolts out?

Also when the u-joint went the driveshaft got pushed all the way forward into the transfer caseand caused fluid to leak thru the new output seal. Do I have to change out the seal again too?

Get a small reverse drill bit and the bolts may spin out on their own when you drill them. I've done it with a punch and hammer too, but it takes longer. Visually check the seal (was the driveshaft maybe replaced before and too long?)

just go to the tool store and get yuorself an easy out kit. the few bucks spent will be wirth it. kit usually contains a few regular drill bits and a few reverse thread bits used with a wrench or socket or what ever works for you. they are very easy to use and take the work out of it. they have saved me numerous times on aircraft and my jeep

mk20rockeye said:

just go to the tool store and get yuorself an easy out kit. the few bucks spent will be wirth it. kit usually contains a few regular drill bits and a few reverse thread bits used with a wrench or socket or what ever works for you. they are very easy to use and take the work out of it. they have saved me numerous times on aircraft and my jeep

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AHHH! NO NO NO!

Gawd, if you had any idea how many times I've had to burn out an EZ-Out because someone else managed to break the thing (which is Hellishly easy to do...) you'd understand why I'm saying that.

Go get a left-hand drill bit - 1/8" or 3/16". Work CAREFULLY so you don't snap the bit, soak the screw in PB Blaster, and maybe heat up the yoke years (which will enlarge the hole slightly.)

It should always be borne in mind that in order to make steel hard enough for tools like EZ-outs, it will get incredibly brittle as well. The harder it is, the more brittle it is. The "cheap" easy outs don't have as much process control on the heat treatment as they should, and end up being too hard (I think I'd checked a few cheapie toolbits at about 70HRC - way too hard to be truly useful! In comparison, a quality penknife blade should be 40-50HRC.)

The catch is, if you break the EZ-out, it's harder than most drill bits, so you're not going to drill it out easily (if at all.) I usually remove broken EZ-outs and broken taps using fire, rather than tools.

If you can't get a left-hand drill bit in the size you need, find a #10-32 or #10-24 tap for a left-hand thread, get a tap drill for it, and use that. You should be able to drill out a pilot hole for the tap, tap a few threads' worth, and if the tap doesn't bite the thing and turn it quickly, go ahead and hit the bottom of the hole and work carefully (so you don't break the tap, which is only slightly harder than the drill bit, and has flutes that can be grabbed.)

5-90

mk20rockeye said:

just go to the tool store and get yuorself an easy out kit. the few bucks spent will be wirth it. kit usually contains a few regular drill bits and a few reverse thread bits used with a wrench or socket or what ever works for you. they are very easy to use and take the work out of it. they have saved me numerous times on aircraft and my jeep

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are you an A&P?

5-90.......I have a hard time seeing how a left-handed tap will work. I have broke a heck of a lot more taps than easy outs. but what works for you, won't work for the next person. I have had to fihgt with broken bits, taps, and what not and found the easy outs are the best bet for me. plus, maybe i should clear something up also. they only work on smaller bolts.

rsliman......Nope, not an A&P mech. I worked on Harriers for 8 years in the Marine Corps. Now I am a mechanic in a hydroelectric powerplant

forget getting those bolts out. too bog a pain in the ass.

just get a new yoke and replace it. they can usually be had for a few bucks at a junkyard.

mk20rockeye said:

5-90.......I have a hard time seeing how a left-handed tap will work. I have broke a heck of a lot more taps than easy outs. but what works for you, won't work for the next person. I have had to fihgt with broken bits, taps, and what not and found the easy outs are the best bet for me. plus, maybe i should clear something up also. they only work on smaller bolts.

rsliman......Nope, not an A&P mech. I worked on Harriers for 8 years in the Marine Corps. Now I am a mechanic in a hydroelectric powerplant

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Left handed drill bits not taps, what happens is 9 out of 10 times the broken screw/bolt will unscrew itself while your drilling.

mk20rockeye said:

5-90.......I have a hard time seeing how a left-handed tap will work. I have broke a heck of a lot more taps than easy outs. but what works for you, won't work for the next person. I have had to fihgt with broken bits, taps, and what not and found the easy outs are the best bet for me. plus, maybe i should clear something up also. they only work on smaller bolts.

rsliman......Nope, not an A&P mech. I worked on Harriers for 8 years in the Marine Corps. Now I am a mechanic in a hydroelectric powerplant

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The left-handed drill is a "first resort" option - since a drill bit is usually at least 10 Rockwell C points softer than the EZ-Out, it won't break as readily. A LH tap is slightly harder than a drill bit, but still a bit softer than the EZ-Out, so it's going to be a bit more durable.

You can spend a few bucks and get some GOOD EZ-outs, but you'll probably have to order them, and they're going to cost rather more than the ones in the hardware store. The ones you can find locally aren't going to be worth bothering with - the ones that A&Ps get are going to be rather better (and rather more expensive.) I would guess that the "tool truck" ones (Snap-On, MAC, MATCO) are also going to be better, but they're not making them a million at a time, so they can control the heat treat process better. Hell, half of the "commercial" ones are made in China anyhow, and the Chinese still haven't fully grasped heat treatment (which is why Chinese steel - even stuff that started as a Buick or a Pontiac - blows.)

Being in hydroelectricity now, you probably have a better budget and access to better tools than the "shade tree" mech - nothing so wrong with that! I wish I had access to good tools and the money to buy them, but I don't. I tend to assume that other people don't as well, and tailor my advice accordingly. I've had too much cheap crap break (that I then had to figure out how to "fix twice") to advise anyone else to use the stuff.

5-90

Thanks for all the help guys, turns out I was able to back the bolts out w/a vise-grips. When I threw the joint it took part of the yoke out so instead of replacing it I guess it just gives me a better excuse to do the D44 swap.