Where do you buy a left hand drill bit ? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Where do you buy a left hand drill bit ?

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NuggyBuggy

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While tightening one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts, the bolt just snapped in half. None of it is protruding.

I understand I need an extractor bit. I’ve watched some videos and seen the initial drilling actually drive the bolt in further. I would like to avoid that so I think I need a left hand drill bit to make the hole for the extractor to grab.

Is there any place in the GTA that sells these ? I dont see them at the websites for Parts Source, CT, Home Depot or Princess Auto. I know I could order them online but don’t want to wait.
 
NuggyBuggy said:
While tightening one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts, the bolt just snapped in half. None of it is protruding.

I understand I need an extractor bit. I’ve watched some videos and seen the initial drilling actually drive the bolt in further. I would like to avoid that so I think I need a left hand drill bit to make the hole for the extractor to grab.

Is there any place in the GTA that sells these ? I dont see them at the websites for Parts Source, CT, Home Depot or Princess Auto. I know I could order them online but don’t want to wait.
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Where do you live? Maybe someone will lend you one. Sorry, dont know where you can easily buy one. The trucks have them and I assume tool supply houses have them (kbc, busy bee, atlas, etc).

FWIW, I dont use left hand drills to make a hole for an extractor. Extractors are tapered and hole should be too. I dont like extractors. Left hand drill bits, work your way up until just smaller than the bolt and most of the time the bolt will come out while drilling.
 
KBC Tools or Try Hard Industrial Supply in the west... any industrial supply house.
I have removed more broken bolts than anyone else I know and I have not once removed one with a left handed drill. (Thats' a weird flex, but I used to rebuild electric motors and you break a lot of fasteners on over heated electric motors with aluminum housings)
If the broken bolt turns with a conventional drill... it's loose, turn it out.
If you are to buy an extractor set: Ridgid make the best
 
Don't buy PA drill bits ; buy from KBC or TRYHARD.
Drilling out bolts is a pain, I'd rather weld a nut and extract.
 
frekeyguy said:
Don't buy PA drill bits ; buy from KBC or TRYHARD.
Drilling out bolts is a pain, I'd rather weld a nut and extract.
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That's how I do it. If its at or below the case, put a short copper sleeve in the hole then hit the bolt with a MIG. The heat will release a stuck bolt, slide off the copper, grab the new metal with vice grips it should twist out easy (if it's not cross-threaded or torque locked).
 
I'm with bitzz, never used a left hand drill. Drilled out a bunch over the years. If you get the first hole well centered you can go up in drill size until there's little more than a "helicoil" left that becomes loose and spins out.
 
Long shot but I bought an extractor kit "Speed Out" at the Restore on Bermondsey road for IIRC $7.

That was a couple of weeks ago and I don't know if they have any more left. It's supposed to cover #10 to 3/8". They are hex bits with a LH drill on one end and the LH extractor on the other.

If drilling RH will drive the broken stud in deeper it's a good sign. It isn't seized. I've spun those out with a sharp scriber. If you can cut a small slot in the top a standard screwdriver works.
 
Good point there nobbie48. OP have you tried walking it out with a center punch and a hammer? I had good luck with that too.
 
I did try poking at it with a sharp punch trying to get it to move, it’s broken off pretty flat so there wasn’t a lot of purchase there. It’s a few mm into the hole. I was a little worried about trying to bang with a hammer and potentially causing more problems.

I ended up buying this set Irwin 11119 Metal Index Spiral Flute Screw Extractors with Left Hand Cobalt Drill Bits Set, 10-Piece : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement as it was reasonably priced for dill bits and extractor, and was well reviewed.

Looked at KBC and they have lots of cool stuff but decided I needed a set. Was worried about needing to go back and order more or different bits. Will see my bike maybe the weekend after next, will keep all posted.
 
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frekeyguy said:
Don't buy PA drill bits ; buy from KBC or TRYHARD.
Drilling out bolts is a pain, I'd rather weld a nut and extract.
Click to expand...
I don’t know how to weld and don’t have a welder. Welding sounds like another deep rabbit hole to go down too ;). Every day it seems I run into a new problem and need to learn some new thing and buy some new tools. ! Hooray for Amazon Prime.
 
@bitzz My interest is piqued. Where do I find a similar set of bits on the KBC website ? I couldn’t find cobalt drills that are left handed, but their website doesn’t make searching the easiest. Maybe I didn’t need cobalt but would like to compare apples to apples. I always prefer buying in person; I just couldn’t find what I needed.

@nobbie48 Thanks for the suggestion - I went to the ReStore but they were out of those extractors. Apparently they were a hot seller.
 
frekeyguy said:
Don't buy PA drill bits ; buy from KBC or TRYHARD.
Drilling out bolts is a pain, I'd rather weld a nut and extract.
Click to expand...
I’m usually very skeptical of anything from Princess Auto but a few weeks ago I had to drill into some relatively thin stainless steel food processing equipment and had burned through about a dozen good quality Dormer high speed steel drill bits.I ran down to Princess Auto and picked up some of their cobalt drill bits and they worked flawlessly, and they were dirt cheap.
 
When drilling stainless you need low speed, high feed, and lots of oil/coolant.
 
NuggyBuggy said:
I did try poking at it with a sharp punch trying to get it to move, it’s broken off pretty flat so there wasn’t a lot of purchase there. It’s a few mm into the hole. I was a little worried about trying to bang with a hammer and potentially causing more problems.

I ended up buying this set Irwin 11119 Metal Index Spiral Flute Screw Extractors with Left Hand Cobalt Drill Bits Set, 10-Piece : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement as it was reasonably priced for dill bits and extractor, and was well reviewed.

Looked at KBC and they have lots of cool stuff but decided I needed a set. Was worried about needing to go back and order more or different bits. Will see my bike maybe the weekend after next, will keep all posted.
Click to expand...

I was going to recommend this exact set. They also sell much bigger sets, but you should be ok with this. Spray the broken piece with good penetrating fluid ( Seafoam Deep Creep or PB blaster) and let it sit for a good while. Usually I get lucky with sharp pointy prick punch, you start vertically to make tiny dent and than angle the punch and keep lightly tapping around to remove the broken part. Works 75% of times. If you decide to drill/extract, use the punch to make a starting dent for your smallest drill bit, go slow, use cutting oil. Try to stay right in the centre and then go up in size. Be patient and be gentle, take your time. Maintain good grip on the extractor shank ( adjustable wrench or box wrench) do not use pliers / channelocks. Good luck.


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