stuck tap in aluminum housing

"mkazemi" wrote: (clip) i am pretty sure

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I am pretty sure it is not cast iron, but I am not 100% sure.

Taps are never cast iron, but would be carbon steel or HSS (High Speed Steel).

Go to the auto parts store and see if they have tap extractors. They have little steel fingers that poke into the tap's flutes so you can turn them out. Good luck!

Ken Grunke

Doubtfull that the tap's made of cast iron, I've never heard of one. Why are you "pretty sure" that it is? And, if it was cast iron the drill bits should have gone through it like it was butter.

If the housing is off the car and you don't mind spending some time, you can submerge the part with the busted tap in a boiling concentrated solution of alum. You'll see bubble coming from the tap and in a while it'll be eaten away, without damaging the aluminum.

Again if it's loose from the engine you could find a shop with EDM eqiuipment and have them "burn" it out.

Which reminds me, about 40 years ago when I first learned about using alum to remove broken taps from non ferrous materials I thought I could get rich quick by selling alum packaged in cardboard cannisters as a "magic" tap removing system. I named the product "Bust-Out" and had labels printed up with a photo of a gal spilling out of her bathing suit to put on the packages. It was the idea which was a bust, I didn't sell enough of them to pay for the labels.

Thanks for the mammaries,

Jeff

Step 1: Boil enough water to cover the part. Step 2: Desolve alum in the hot water until it can't take any more Step 3: Drop part with broken tap into water Step 4: Soak at just below simmer for 3-4 hours Step 5: Remove part and shake out tap.

you forgot step 6 step 6: try to figure out where the impeller, shaft and bearing went 8*)

Make sure that any ferrous bits you want around are not the the alum mixture. Cool trick BTW Pat

Jeff,

What is "alum" and where can you get it? I've seen this mentioned many times here when somebody breaks a tap in aluminum or non-ferrous metal.

BTW, he must have really wrenched on that tap to break it. IIRC they are large threads, to a guy who works with small steam engines anyway.

Bernd

For small quantities of alum , try the spice aisle at your local supermarket ... maybe a chemical supply for larger ?

I'm 99.9999999% sure it isn't... unless somebody made it for a sick joke.... I once ground a piece of 1018 to look just like a HSS lathe tool bit.... kinda funny watching the guy try to troubleshoot his set-up....

Ever tried to drill through chilled cast iron????

Great idea.... and probably his best shot....

Yeah, but.... $$$$$$$

Yes, it *is* true. Dirty old men need love too......... :-)

He did say "Housing" didn't he? :-)

Presumably if you don't know that taps are made of HSS or harder there's a good chance you also don't know how to manage them to keep them from jamming and breaking -- or how to feel a jam starting and keep it from happening.

I've had good luck with a diamond bit in a dremel tool or a small die grinder - used that when I broke a tap in an aloris clone tool holder, among other places - the diamond drill will cut the tap nicely, but you may need more than one drill because they break or wear out. you didn't say what size tap, but if it's a smaller one, then the diamond drill will do - just cut off one flute at a time, when you get the second flute cut off you can remove the tap.

Home brewer suppliers usually have alum. and it can be found at veterinary drug stores.

Randy

-- Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love America

After reading some of the replies, I think the easiest and cheapest solution is to visit your friendly NAPA auto store and buy a new water pump.

Tom

That link references "the as yet unanswered link between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease" which is no longer unanswered. There is no link, says the American Medical Association.

GWE

Bernd

Aw, 'cmon, it's three days before Xmas*, be don't be such a grinch. Maybe he sneezed at the wrong time or sumpin.

Can you honestly say you've never broken a tap? Isn't that how we all learned how to avoid busting them?

Happy Holidays,

Jeff

There is some "chemical removal" info for this in old RCM records. Try a google search for "tap remove"

Jeff,

I didn't write that or are you pulling my leg?

I've broken taps, but never that big.

Happy Holidays,

Bernd

"Gene Kearns" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Great 1 of April joke...

Should be tried with a metal that looks like HSS but fractures with the slightest bit of mechanical loads... : )