I was trying to replace the burner tube on my Weber Q3000 and the bolt holding a bracket on the grill body snapped on me. I’m pretty certain it’s a 8/32?

All the bolt removal tools I see seem to be for much larger bolts so I’m not sure what to do here? Drill it out?

If that’s the case, do I start with a small bit then one the size of the bolt? I don’t have to worry about drilling out threads and having to retap the hole as the bolt is held on with a nut underneath.

Any advice here would be appreciated!

I think drilling out with a small bit first then progressively larger is the way to go. You might try soaking it with penetrating oil overnight then hit it with a punch. Good luck.

Did it snap due to rust?

This set will remove screws down to 3/32nds in diameter.

https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-I...id=1640543472&sr=8-4

An 8-32 screw is only 0.164" in diameter (and 32 threads per inch). I don't think you really need to start out small and go bigger. Try a left-handed drill bit of approximately equal size. If it catches what is left of the screw and spins it out, great (but not likely as the screw is probably frozen from being exposed to direct heat); if not, you can drill the hole on through.

They do make small ez-outs, I've used them on 2.5mm bolts in my last job.

Fastenal is where we got them from, McMaster-Carr as well.

Make sure to use heat (I drill the bolt, apply heat, then use ez-out).

I have had more luck using a dremel and cut off wheel to grind a slot into the screw, then use a small flat blade screwdriver to turn it out. But it's easy to damage the surrounding area do YMMV

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Did it snap due to rust?

Frozen/rusted in there it would seem

Ugg. Get some Kroil and time.

Other than that look at drilling it out. That is a small screw. How important is it? Could you blow it out to the next bigger size? That small, stay away from a sleazy out.

If you blew it out to the next step up could you find a fastener that would do the same thing?

A small rusted screw sucks. How else could you secure the burner? Safety wire?

Just spitballing here. I hate small broken screws. That's BDAR territory for me.

I'm with Binky. Drill it out. Does not sound like a critical fastener anyway.

Maybe I’m not picturing this correctly but if it’s a nut and bolt is the hole threaded also? If not would tightening the nut on the back pull it out?

Is the nut exposed or is it captive in a slot in the casting?

Since there’s a nut, the casting shouldn’t be threaded. If the nut is exposed, then just take a drift punch and knock the bolt out.

However, from reading the Weber Owner’s manual, there are two burners both held in place on the end opposite the valve with one screw each threaded into the casting. No bolts or nuts. The one manual says the screws are 1/4-20. Did you get it used and someone replaced the screws with bolts? If so, knock them out with a drift punch.

So there was not a nut, I think I was mixing up what was there(a threaded hole) with what I had planned to do which was just replace the bolt with a bolt and nut.

I will try just drilling it out, I will need a left-handed bit and the drill on reverse, right? Do I use oil too?

Kroil and a left hand drill bit, if recessed. If enough is showing, vice grips.

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
Kroil and a left hand drill bit, if recessed. If enough is showing, vice grips.

A little heat never hurt either. If its in a spot thats easily accessible.

Screw extractors, left handed bits, cutting slots, and vise grips are all methods that alone will not work for you. Those methods are for when you’ve busted off a fastener while tightening it, not one you’ve busted because the threads were locked in place due to corrosion. They may work after you’ve broken the bond between the fastener threads and the material surrounding those threads.

If you want to save the threads the fastener is screwed into:
Heat, vibration, and penetrating oil will help break the bond. Penetrating oil could take days to seep into the threads. Tapping the fastener using a drift punch and hammer can speed the process by crushing the corrosion between the threads leaving room for the penetrating oil to seep in. Heat, directly applied to the fastener, causes the fastener to expand faster than the material surrounding it which crushes the corrosion and breaks the bond. Drilling a hole through the fastener may also help apply heat.

If you aren’t worried about the threads the fastener is threaded into:
Drill it. Use a center punch to make a dimple as close to the center of the fastener as you can. Drill a small hole first, using oil, as straight as you can through the fastener.

The drill bit will follow the path of least resistance and you won’t be able to prevent that while using a hand held drill. If you start with a larger bit, it’ll start to walk towards the aluminum. By drilling through the fastener with a smaller bit, you are providing a path of lesser resistance than the aluminum surrounding your fastener.

Chances are your first hole won’t be centered. It may be possible using the right size machinist’s bit (available in 1/64” increments) to drill your next hole such that it just started touching the aluminum. You might then be able to use a pick, penetrating oil, screw extractor, whatever to pull out the remaining part of the screw.

If not, drill it for the next size up screw.

Another option, if there’s room would be to install the burners, drill a new hole next to the old one, and install a self tapping screw there. You don’t need much to hold the burners down, the aren’t structural members of the grill.

A last option would be to drill all the way through the casting and use a nut and bolt. The drawings make it look like there’s a recessed flat area on the exterior of the grill that could accommodate a nut and washer.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
Maybe I’m not picturing this correctly but if it’s a nut and bolt is the hole threaded also? If not would tightening the nut on the back pull it out?

The best penetrating oil is a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF, bar none. Tested and guaranteed.

As for easy outs they are the #1 method of inserting a harder core in soft metal that will dull the best drill bit you can find, and the job still wont' be done. They break off easily, the smaller the quicker. If there is really a nut holding the bolt on then a punch and small hammer should drive it out after soaking.

Add: yes, just drill it out. Do you have the new part in hand to see how it will attach again? It may have a different fastener than you expect because of the nature of the repair.

quote:

8/32?

= 1/4" ?

Center punch.
Small drill bit first.
Go slow and be careful to keep the drill straight. A broken and stuck small-drillbit is a real bear to drill through.
Try a 3/16" or 7/32" bit to see if you'll have any threads left.

I have used these Irwin kits before, just one extractor and a drill bit

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN...Bit-Combo/1003071134

Drill it out, and if you can tap it, or, just leave it smooth and use a nut and longer bolt.