Drilling out Aluminum Cookbox Bolts


 
Jon Hutcheon

Jon Hutcheon

TVWBB Member
Hi folks, any tips on drilling out the left side cookbox to frame retention bolt? One of my cookboxes I'm restoring has a rotted bolt in it and it's sticking out on the frame side. I have new Durawood going on and will need to put in the new spacer bracket on that side of the frame.

I'm thinking cut off the current nub that is sticking out, centre punch, and drill a pilot hole before working up. Any thoughts on specific bits that you've had good luck with?

Thanks,

Hutch
 
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HOW TO: Cook Box Frozen Bolt Removal

WHAT: This is a How To on one method of removing the frozen bolt in the cast aluminum cook boxes of various Weber grills. WHY: The cook box mounting bolt as well as the manifold mounting bolts tend to corrode due to aluminum and steel being in close proximity to each other. The dissimilar...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
Due to how brittle cast aluminum can become, I highly recommend grinding it off flat, then use a centering bit to get started prior to using a drill bit and not hitting it with a punch and hammer
 
Did you get new durawood and new spacer bracket from old stock in a hardware store?
I have been successful standing the cookbox on the end where the bolt is, on a pair of 2x4s right next to the hole, and driving the bolt out. Lots of pb blaster before doing this.
 
A picture of what your dealing with is helpful but not necessary. I have gotten those stuck bolts out by heating it up from inside the cook box with a propane plumbers torch. The bolt usually falls right out after about thirty seconds of heating and you don't have to mess around with trying to drill it out.
 
First of all, thank you everyone for the quick replies, definitely appreciated! I'll snap a pic of what I'm dealing with, which is essentially a stuck bolt in the casting with a shared off/rounded stub protruding outside the cookbox (frame side). Inside the cookbox the bolt is flush.

I'll look at some of your recommendations and report back on progress. I'm thinking of grinding the stub down and then drilling it out, but the propane torch idea has me intrigued as well.

Thanks again!
 
HankBates said:
Did you get new durawood and new spacer bracket from old stock in a hardware store?
I have been successful standing the cookbox on the end where the bolt is, on a pair of 2x4s right next to the hole, and driving the bolt out. Lots of pb blaster before doing this.
Click to expand...
Yes I did. Up here in Canada I found a random place online in Saskatchewan that has new old stock on a lot of different parts. So I was able to get some plastic pieces, a Durawood side table and one bottom rack. I'm also going to have some z-bars made by RCPlaneBuyer for the other 5 grills I have in my garage in restore mode - just need to provide him some measurements.
 
Those are good scores Jon. I've managed to find a brand new durawood side table on FBMP and a brand new control panel on eBay. I'm saving them for a restoration of a grill that I can make brand new top to bottom. I just need to find the right grill.
 
Jon Hutcheon said:
First of all, thank you everyone for the quick replies, definitely appreciated! I'll snap a pic of what I'm dealing with, which is essentially a stuck bolt in the casting with a shared off/rounded stub protruding outside the cookbox (frame side). Inside the cookbox the bolt is flush.

I'll look at some of your recommendations and report back on progress. I'm thinking of grinding the stub down and then drilling it out, but the propane torch idea has me intrigued as well.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Jon, if you don't want to try the Stuck bolt removal method. Then hit it with some penetrating oil and let it sit a while. Then easily hit the protruding part of the bolt sideways in various directions. Chances are good that it will break the bond and then should tap out easily. No real chance of breaking the cook box itself. If it doesn't work, you can always move on to plan B. I have removed at least 100 frozen bolts out of cook boxes and have only cracked one or two cook boxes in the process. Each of those were with "I don't give a F___" attitude. I had spare cook boxes and was not real concerned if I ruined a cook box. I have also done several with the drilling out method which usually works eventually. But it is a lot more work and there is always the chance that you won't keep the hole centered down the middle of the stuck bolt and wind up snapping off drill bits inside the bolt or sliding off the bolt and into the cook box itself.
 
Jon Hutcheon said:
Yes I did. Up here in Canada I found a random place online in Saskatchewan that has new old stock on a lot of different parts. So I was able to get some plastic pieces, a Durawood side table and one bottom rack. I'm also going to have some z-bars made by RCPlaneBuyer for the other 5 grills I have in my garage in restore mode - just need to provide him some measurements.
Click to expand...
I wish I had space for five grills in my garage...
This is what my garage looks like. I need #8.
puzzle.JPG
 
Yeah, here is my $.02 OP, go ahead and pound away on the cookbox. Will it break? Well, the answer is a powerful maybe. Many of the restoration "vets" (who do wonderful work and I will not disparage in ANY way) telling you to go ahead and use a hammer. Well they have spares (cook boxes not hammers). So it's like the story of 95 yo widower who marries a voluptuous young woman. When his son says "Dad what are you thinking?" His answer is "If she dies she dies".
Well, that is how it is for them and cook boxes. If it breaks they have another waiting.
If you have spares then "whack away". If you don't have spares and DON'T want spares, then grind it off, buy some proper centering bits and drill it out carefully.
It will take a little longer but will be safer.
You have a 60% chance it won't break. Choice is yours grasshopper
 
I’ve done too many cook box anchoring bolts. The best method for me is heat from a propane torch providing I have some bolt left protruding to grab with a vice grip and turn while hot.

I did try an experiment with a 9/16” hole saw bit for metal. I surrounded and went over the frozen cook box anchor bolt. Since I was hogging out the cast aluminum I went through very quickly maybe 10 seconds. Very easy and quick but now I have to figure how to deal with a 9/16” hole where the spec calls for 1/4”
 
BPratt said:
I’ve done too many cook box anchoring bolts. The best method for me is heat from a propane torch providing I have some bolt left protruding to grab with a vice grip and turn while hot.

I did try an experiment with a 9/16” hole saw bit for metal. I surrounded and went over the frozen cook box anchor bolt. Since I was hogging out the cast aluminum I went through very quickly maybe 10 seconds. Very easy and quick but now I have to figure how to deal with a 9/16” hole where the spec calls for 1/4”
Click to expand...
The torch method works for me too, couldn't be much easier. The bolt usually pretty much just falls out on it's own. Your other idea seems reasonable, just put a steel washer on the bolt to cover the larger hole.
 
Steve Hoch said:
The torch method works for me too, couldn't be much easier. The bolt usually pretty much just falls out on it's own. Your other idea seems reasonable, just put a steel washer on the bolt to cover the larger hole.
Click to expand...
I end up with the same sized hole after trying to drill out the bolt with a twist bit. I have centering bits but I get impatient and start drilling around the offending bolt and punching it out.
 
I’ll admit to having drilled all around a stuck bolt and then cleaning out the leftover star pattern with a step drill on one occasion. I wound up drilling the frame rail too and running a 3/8” bolt through all of it. That cook box ain’t goin’ nowhere now!
 
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