My A/C hasn't been working for about a month now and I finally found where it was leaking at, right where the Low pressure line bolts to the compressor. I went to a shop and had them recover the system. When I got hom to replace the o-ring on the low pressure line the 12mm hex bolt snapped off. So now the low pressure line is just sitting there and the broken bolt is in the compressor.

My question is can I just get the bolt to put in the compressor or do I need to replace the whole compressor?

Here are some pics:

 

Bump

 

it looks like there is a stub of the bolt sticking out so maybe you can get it out with a pair of vicegrips. But soak it with something like PB Blaster or liqiud wrench first. If there isn't enough bolt sticking out to get a vicegrip on, you'll have to drill and use an easy out.

 

Thanks man...I can get vice grips on it but can I just buy a bolt to go in there of is it a special one?

 

if its in there good enough to snap the head off, i doubt youll get it with vicegrips. if you have a friend with a welder, you could have him weld another bolt to it long ways where the head snapped off so itd basically be like a T handle. but be careful bc too much heat can warp stuff and do damage especially with aluminum. but other than that, id prob just get a new compressor. they arent too expensive and youll have a new compressor


edit: oh yea, also i dont believe that is a special bolt or anything. if/when you get it out, just take it to hardware store and match it

 

I'd ty this first, go to like home depot or something they have something called left handed drill bits, they extract screws and bolts that are broken, it works by u Putting the drill in forward and the bit head is trying to turn the screw left and if the bit digs intO the head a little it will turn the screw out. Very interesting, if that doesnt work pull the compressor out of the car and do what you gotta do, last option buy a used compressor on ebay or www.car-part.com theyre pretty cheap

 

I'd ty this first, go to like home depot or something they have something called left handed drill bits, they extract screws and bolts that are broken, it works by u Putting the drill in forward and the bit head is trying to turn the screw left and if the bit digs intO the head a little it will turn the screw out. Very interesting, if that doesnt work pull the compressor out of the car and do what you gotta do, last option buy a used compressor on ebay or www.car-part.com theyre pretty cheap