center pin bolt broke in my carrier

[Jasons72]

I started on my gear and posi swap today, this is my first one, the bolt for the centerpin came off easily and i started to try to get the pin off and couldn't get it to budge, i couldn't figure it out until i grabbed my new carrier and unbolted the pin to realize the bolt should be another quarter inch longer of thread with the smooth shaft on the endhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gif:mad:https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gif. With the carrier still in the rear there is no way to get straight at it with an easy out to get the bolt out, i don't know what to do now!

Am i going to have to just get a new gasket and fluid and live with the 3.08 non posi or is there some trick that i'm missing, or am i going to have to find a new rear to build if i can't get the carrier out? Let me know guys, i have to have it back together no later than thursday night or friday morning.https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/09/mad-1.gif

Or is there a trick to breaking the c clips(i have two more) that way i can just get the carrier out and go from there, thanks.

[Jasons72]

Nevermind, i just cut it out with a cut off wheel, that carrier is toast lol.

[fbody_mike]

Actually a common problem, and they do make a special drill to extract the broken bolt. But there are many other ways to get around this problem.

Always use a new carrier pin retaining bolt.

[406 Q-ship]

It is a very common problem on the 8.5 carrier. Like Mike said there is a extractor made just for that issue. I have never broken off the center pin bolt from a 12 bolt or the earlier 8.2 10 bolts. When I was at the dealers the guy in the next stall to me was the transmission and driveline tech, he would cuss up a storm that could make a sailor blush when he snapped that bolt.

[wedgehead]

I use the hot wrench when that happens.

[John Wright]

I had this happened on my 12 bolt too....."Big Gear Head" guided me through drilling a hole in the carrier to get to the broken end of that pin. It worked but I still ended up sourcing an Eaton posi through him plus a new set of gears and the bearing/shim kit to put it all back.

[JEFFTATE]

I had the same thing happen when I swapped the open carrier in my 12-bolt for an Eaton posi-carrier .
The retaining bolt broke off , so I had to sacrifice the pin in order to get it out.
You don't have to cut the carrier itself .
I just drilled a progressively larger hole in the end of the pin and drilled through the bolt until it came loose.
If you heat it up GENTLY with a low heat plumbers torch , it may become loose enough to twist out with a magnet , seriously ..
BUT !! BE CAREFUL when heating stuff inside the rearend with a torch . It may have flammable fumes !! You will also be close to the gas tank . Don't blow yourself up !!!!
Heat can be your friend .

But , you may be able to twist it out with a magnet if it is already loose enough.

[BonzoHansen]

I had this happened on my 12 bolt too....."Big Gear Head" guided me through drilling a hole in the carrier to get to the broken end of that pin. It worked but I still ended up sourcing an Eaton posi through him plus a new set of gears and the bearing/shim kit to put it all back.

http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107063

[John Wright]

http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107063


and....here's the thread I had started about my problem with that broken pin:

http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19652

[Steven]

Mine was a simple solution. Stuck a pick in the bolt hole was able to grab the broken thread and back the bolt out.

[Jasons72]

Well i went to get the pinion nut off this morning and guess what? my socket cracked in two spots so i went out and got a new socket, that did the trick and now i can't get the pinion to come out! Ive sprayed it with penetrating fluid, i beat it with a soft mallet, then about a 1 pound mallet, then the 3 pounder, then i hit it with the air chisel in the center concave area in the end of the pinion. I can't get it to budge! Any tricks that i'm not thinking of?

[JEFFTATE]

What ??
This doesn't make sense .
You do have the carrier out now ??? Right ???
I thought you had a stuck pin ..how'd that turn out ???

[Jasons72]

Nevermind, i just cut it out with a cut off wheel, that carrier is toast lol.

See the second post.

Yeah i had to cut it out since there was too much thread still in there and it wouldn't budge, i was hoping to have this done by tonight but i don't think so now that i can't get this pinion to budge.