How do I remove a broken NPT fitting?

[cnczoner]

Broke a 1/4" NPT fitting while tightening it into a bung in an air-tank, and essentially I'm left with the male part (small brass cylinder now with OD threads) of the stuck fitting in the NPT bung. Is there some easy way to remove this without having to order and wait for some custom extraction tool? I was thinking I could cut some slots with a dremel (then use a flat screwdriver), but that will be tricky since the male part is slightly recessed in the bung.

Is there some home-depot type tool that can work for this?

Thanks,
-Neil.

[Gary55Ford]

Yes its called an EZ-Out I know Ace hardware sells them, I don't know if Home Depot doe's or not

[cnczoner]

Okay, we have Ace hardwares around here. I'll check with them in the AM. I expect brass should be easy for it to bite into. Thanks.

[NC Cams]

YOu may just end up reaming the ID as an NPT is pretty well weded into the threads. Jambing and EZout in may on ly tighten it more.

If you drill carefully into the broken fitting, concentril with the old hole, you can remover the meat of the mass of the broken bolth. As you ting out the wall, you aslo relieve the outwrd pressure that the tapered thread generates.

I've seen them loosen to the point you can simply winde them out with your little finger.

If the fitting galled, You hay have to turn the fitting into what is eseentaily a "heli coil". then yo usimpy grab an end adn pull out a piece of funny shaped wire.

Regardless, "the all you gotta do of a Ez out" may not end up being as EZ as you hope/think. Do plan on cleaning up the threads afterward with a tap. Hint, use the tap first next time. I find this to be quite helpful in getting ones self inot the situation that you're in now.

[dertsap]

NcCams suggestion is a good one , brought back an old nightmare i lived through when i broke a tranny fitting in a hard to reach spot on an old amc eagle , i ended up destroying the hole and the threads with the easy out

[mc-motorsports]

If the fitting galled, You hay have to turn the fitting into what is eseentaily a "heli coil". then yo usimpy grab an end adn pull out a piece of funny shaped wire.

Time Serts!
http://www.timesert.com/

[cnczoner]

If I drill, then only the far end of the "tube" (the stuck brass threaded part) would get thin, because of the tapered wall, unless I get larger drill bits in very small increments and try to step the inside. Sounds difficult already, and easy to destroy.

Also, if I drill, would it be better to use a left-hand bit and drill in the direction that the tube would come out?

One thing that just dawned on me is that this is an air tank -- drill would definitely leave shavings inside the tank, whick would be difficult to remove.

I'm really considering tapping a small steel disc and welding that over the existing bung. Over just welded a disc over it to block off that port. Here's a pic...

[cnczoner]

YOu may just end up reaming the ID ...

Actually you've just given me an idea -- I have a long tapered reamer that may bite pretty well onto the brass part.

Cheers,
-Neil.

[garywfisher]

I had this problem with an NPT fitting and did not want to use an ordinary EZ Out that would expand the broken fitting and make it tighter in the hole. I looked for and found a broken screw extractor set that used parallel ridges to broach grooves into the fitting. This allowed very little pressure to expand the fitting when turning to extract it. This worked and I didn't have to remove a transmission from the truck I was working on. Good luck.

[cnczoner]

Okay, this was too easy with the reamer. It really did bite into the brass piece, and as I thought/felt, the brass piece was not very tight. Not sure why it broke, unless it was just a really low-quality fitting -- that fitting was part of a harbor-freight coiled air-hose kit.

Thanks,
-Neil.