OT Thank You!

As I pulled off the freeway coming home from Sant Margarita at 1:00 am with my power steering fading and the alternator light on, I figured I just needed a new belt, but I was wrong. The bolt that held the tensioner on broke in half, with part left in the motor with no direct access for drilling unless you want to drop the engine about a foot. My poor neighbors have had to look at my Odyssey sitting in the driveway on ramps ever since.

Thanks to Mog5858's excellent advice at Whitefish, he saved me a tow and $$$ (though I did have to add a new Dewalt right angle drill and automatic center punch to my tool collection - which makes me happy).

Martin said I was supposed to drill all the way through with an 1/8" drill bit, which makes a lot of sense, but I got pretty far in and thought maybe I felt it hit the bottom, but I was wrong. The left-handed bit then took it right out.

I don't think I'm ever going to use hardware store drill bits again. The cobalt ones I got at McMaster Carr were great.

My only regret is I got that drill on Amazon, had ACMOC set up as my charity for Amazon Smile, but I hadn't logged in to Amazon under "smile.amazon.com" so we didn't get part of it! Oh well, next time.

Thanks, Martin!

Sue

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A good Cobalt LH drill bit often does the work of the extractor and the bolt piece comes right out. I have used Hansons for years but since they were bought out by Irwin I don't know their quality nowadays.
Bet you don't have a mouse problem.

Hi, Barstart.
Interesting in-fo-may-shun. Thanks for sharing.

Wunn 'kwestyun' - did you take that photo standing on the equator?

I hope this looks more like your front yard when viewed from your latitude. LOL.

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Just my 0.02.

I have used a Dremel tool with a cutting disc to cut a slot across the broken bolt shank and then used a flat screwdriver socket and ratchet to unscrew the bolt. This method will cause damage to the material surrounding the bolt hole in order to cut the slot deep enough in the bolt shank, but it is only cosmetic in most circumstances.
I like your method much better but I thought this other option might help someone out.
Craig