Installation Assistance: Broken exhaust manifold studs [Merged 4-8]

[jfarber]

I am in the middle of installing my EVO mani/Big16g/3 in o2 eliminator setup and ran into 2 broken studs in the head when I was pulling the manifold. We are going to try and EZ out them with the head in the car friday (wife won't let me bond with my car on turkey day). My question specifically is, do i have to go back with the factory studs or can I pull all the studs and use "regular" bolts from ARP or some other similar source?

Thanks.

 

[mitsured420]

I have 2 broken exaust studs I have been putting off for long enough,if any of you have a good link or want to break it down for me,i have plenty of mechanical experience just need a tool list and a quick how too,just dont want to mess it up,any help would be great thanks

 

[oldman]

Anything left outside the head you can grab on to?

 

[DROOPY209]

before you do ANYTHING, spay the studs with a good penetrating oil like PB blaster,
take off your manifold, and spray them again.

If there is a little bit of stud left, try to get some vice grips and turn them out.

If there is not enough stud to grab on to or it is flush with the head, you will need to get an extractor kit with a drill bit.

On mine, there was not enough stud to grab on to, and an extractor didn't work, so I just drilled it out and helicoiled it with a M8*1.25 helicoil kit made by Belkamp. I got the kit at Napa auto parts.

 

[Bmxr152]

They way to get the ones out if neither the Vise grips, or penetrating lube work you can try welding a bolt head or nut onto the stud coming out.

 

[mitsured420]

Studs are broken off just inside the head, all good ideas thanks for the info guys

 

[Pat D]

If your a good welder, weld a nut on there even if the broken stud is countersunk. Mine was like that a few weeks ago when I replaced all my studs.

 

[bastarddsm]

if your unsure of you abilities you might be better off taking it somewhere that cn fix it...you can really #### it up easily..and mke it rel expensive to fix

 

[Cs4g63]

It is pretty simple to use anextractor kit to remove the broken studs. Its just intimidating when you first look at it when not having done it before. Just make sure you are careful and take your time when you do it.

 

[Laysher91]

When this happened to me, I drilled them out with a bit slightly smaller then the stud (inside the threads) to prevent damaging the threads on the head and then retapped them. It was a quick fix but you have to drill and tap them straight. So if you go this route, do it once and make it count. But if you screw it up, helicoil it like stated before

 

[mitsured420]

All exelent advise,thanks again guys.Anybody know the extractor kit part#?

 

[snox135]

These are the best ones that I've used.

 

[oldman]

I would not recommend using extractors at all, they're known to break off and turn it into an expensive fix, ask me how I know. The best approach to this is to drill through the center of the stud using cobalt bits, start small and slowly increase drill bit size until the stud falls apart, pull out what ever is left of the stud and run a tap through it. If the thread gets damaged, use helicoil or drill and tap to the next size up.

 

[mitsured420]

Exellent that was exactly what i was looking for,thanks old man and the rest of you guys

 

[saintsairforce]

There are these extractors called "super outs". They look let torx bits. These are made of high strength tempered steel and are a lot stronger than your standard screw extractor. They are about 3 times the price out the standard screw extractor sets but are amazing. I have a set and they are great. You can use then for left and right hand threads which is a nice option. To use them you drill the bolt to the reccomended size depending out which extractor you use, and they you hammer the extractor into the hole. And then you just put your wrench or rathect on that.

 

[oldman]

There are these extractors called "super outs". They look let torx bits. These are made of high strength tempered steel and are a lot stronger than your standard screw extractor. They are about 3 times the price out the standard screw extractor sets but are amazing. I have a set and they are great. You can use then for left and right hand threads which is a nice option. To use them you drill the bolt to the reccomended size depending out which extractor you use, and they you hammer the extractor into the hole. And then you just put your wrench or rathect on that.

Tried that myself, snaped right off. I have an old head sitting here with 3 broken studs each with a different type/brand extractor tip stuck in the center of the stud that I experiemented with. One Sears, the worst of them all, a Black&Decker #3 and one of your "super outs", none of them came close to getting the job done.

 

[squeak104]

Another possibilty is drilling a hole and hammering in a torx bit. Worked on one of the studs on my girlfriends cylinder head.

 

[IslandTSI]

I would not recommend using extractors at all, they're known to break off and turn it into an expensive fix, ask me how I know. The best approach to this is to drill through the center of the stud using cobalt bits, start small and slowly increase drill bit size until the stud falls apart, pull out what ever is left of the stud and run a tap through it. If the thread gets damaged, use helicoil or drill and tap to the next size up.

Yup. I just finished doing this exact process. I tried using extractors but was having no luck. So I just kept using bigger bits till the stud fell apart.

Then I used a very small screwdriver and pried the remaining stud pieces away from the threads and then pulled them out with a very small set of needle noses. Then ran a 8X1.25 tap through very slowly to eat up anything left in the threads and clean up the threads.

 

[Raph]

There are these extractors called "super outs". They look let torx bits. These are made of high strength tempered steel and are a lot stronger than your standard screw extractor. They are about 3 times the price out the standard screw extractor sets but are amazing. I have a set and they are great. You can use then for left and right hand threads which is a nice option. To use them you drill the bolt to the reccomended size depending out which extractor you use, and they you hammer the extractor into the hole. And then you just put your wrench or rathect on that.

you can use the kit,but instead of using the supplied extractor, use a 3/8 th TORX socket(outwards duh)
like a t20 or t25 ,hammer that in and then extract it, those wont break off as easily..

AND- most importantly..DRILL through the entire stud,sounds scary ..but it works..as doing so relieves the tension .

 

[calcifer]

Ok, this is probably a real dumb question (and maybe it doesn't belong in this thread), but why can't you replace the studs with standard bolts? Why are studs used in the first place?

 

[bmoha2]

It has been done hard to say why it wouldn't work just as good

 

[oldman]

Mainly for two reasons,

1. Alignment, self explanatory.

2. More consistent and accurate torque spec, a stud and nut setup reacts to only one force which is parallel (stretching of the stud) to the stud where as a bolt reacts to two, stretching of the bolt as well as rotational friction of the threads.

 

[romeen]

In addition to the good points that Bruce mentioned, with a stud once it's placed you don't have to remove it in order to remove the manifold (at least that's the way it's supposed to go ). If you have to remove/replace the fastener in the head each time you remove the manifold the probability of accidentally stripping the threads in the head goes up.

 

[DROOPY209]

In addition to the good points that Bruce mentioned, with a stud once it's placed you don't have to remove it in order to remove the manifold (at least that's the way it's supposed to go ). If you have to remove/replace the fastener in the head each time you remove the manifold the probability of accidentally stripping the threads in the head goes up.

I agree with you.

Think of studs on your manifold like ARP's on your cylinder head. More equal torque.

With bolts, they will stretch, especially in that really hot area. I don't think you want to break a few bolts in their every time you take out your Ex manifold. I know I'm not taking that chance. Thats why I bought the SS studs.

Here are a few pictures of my Helicoil job that I did. I too tried extractors, but they didn't work for me. The stud was broken just below the surface of the head.

The helicoil kit

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The finished helicoil

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finished helicoil with SS stud already in place.

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[mitsured420]

So much knowlage on one site i love it!exellent pics droopy.how deep do the threads go?flush with head? so im thinking colbalt drill bit,m8x1.25 heli coil and pateince,correct?thanks again for the guidance guys!

 

[snox135]

Yes, lots of pateince don't rush anything. Cobalt drill bit will work good. I'd order a left hand bit. You may get lucky and the left handed bit remove the stud for you.