Chevrolet C8 1940 Cab 11 restoration, The Netherlands

[Alex van de Wetering]

I didn't have much luck with the bumper bolts... Even before sandblasting the chassis at the start of the restoration, I tried welding on some nuts to the studs that remained after the bolt heads were broken off......hoping I could get the bolts out....I tried several times, but no luck. So at the time I cut off the last remains and used a centre punch to prepare for drilling out the studs.

Now two years later I was ready to drill out the bolts. Drilling went OK, but tapping new threads proved a bit more challenging. I broke the tap in the last hole.....now what? I tried heat, huge amounts of penetrating fluid, pliers and punches....but in the end I decided to try a tool I got from Ebay, A Tap extractor from Walton. It's basically a holder with 4 pins, that insert around the remains of the tap. With some patience....WD40 and even more patience, the broken tap came out. I was able to tap the last bit with new tap.


Alex