Every mechanic will agree

[miketx]

It's like anything else, if you are careful, problems are minimal--I've had E rings that have sprung though--same with snap rings. Shit happens.

I used to keep boxes of them in different sizes if that happened.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

EDM is still the best way to remove a broken bolt or tap.
No damage to the threads and it works every time.
Of course you either have to have an EDM or know somewhere or someone with one. They're really not that expensive but who breaks enough taps or bolts to make it worthwhile?
You can get a cheap one for around $400 to $500 bucks.

 

[para bellum]

~S~

I've seen more broken bolts than I care to think about. I finally cured myself of EZ-Outs. I threw away every single one I had.

If you can find some ancient Vermont's or Cleveland's, maybe. But good quality EZ-Outs aren't made today, and haven't been for at least 20 or 30 years.

It's bad enough to deal with a broken fastener, but it's about ten times as bad to deal with it after the EZ_out breaks. Now I have a broken bolt with a piece of hardened carbon steel embedded in it and I have to sacrifice a carbide end mill too.

Best first attempt is to Tig weld another bolt to the broken one, let it cool and try to ease it out with a wrench. If it breaks off you are only back where you started. The heat will help break free the fastener.

No Tig welder available, make a spot on the broken fastener that will grab a center punch. Meaning take a chisel or a die grinder and make a step or a slot. Then striking from an angle, use the center punch and hammer and tap it in the direction to unscrew. That usually works, it's kind of a slow-speed impact wrench. Also good when the head of a screw is stripped.

That doesn't work, I do it the hard way. Put it on a machine and carefully pick up the center of the hole, then plunge out the minor diameter with an end mill and carefully pick out the threads. Then chase it with a hand tap to clean out the threads.

Bugger up the threads, it's not the end of the world, drill it out and use a heli-coil.