Exhaust manifold studs removal?

[rodm1]

I have two broken studs and two that are rusted but still in one piece. My question is should I cut the heads of the rusted studs then try to remove with vise grips or heat and use a impact and hope for good luck?

Hate to mess with this but winter is coming and would rather deal with it now.

 

[PoorOwner]

Use gentle propane heat around the aluminum head may allow the stud to release easier.
I would try stud removal socket first, Vise grip is a last resort since you chew up the threads

If you have a welder you can weld the exhaust nut to the stud and the heat along with ability to turn it like a bolt usually gets it out if it does not snap first.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Over night soakings of PB Blaster helps a lot before tackling ex. manifold bolts. JMO

 

[outlawz2004]

Over night soakings of PB Blaster helps a lot before tackling ex. manifold bolts. JMO

yep, I started spraying them a couple times a day a few days in advance and they usually come right out.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Dripping candle wax on the stud works well on aluminum intake manifolds...

Tommy

 

[Bobf]

The local engine rebuilder shop heats em up, lets em cool down, then heats em up again and applies paraffin wax (canning stuff) lets it run down into the threads and usually they're easy to remove after it cools.

 

[Finky198]

I usually do this, ^^^ but with water First. Then reheat and apply either Atf/Ace, wax, or pb...

You can also use vibration tapping the stud and surrounding area with a hammer can help break the bond... As well.

 

[raddksn]

Don't know what engine your working on but on my 97 Expidition 5.4L they came right out shocked me!

 

[btdobie]

Getting a temperature difference between the stud and the head helps. I heat them up then cool the stud with an icecube held in a pair of pliers. The bolt shrinks while the head remains expanded. Also lots of PB as mentioned before.

 

[ZRX61]

you could try a screw knocker.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I had some broken ones on my GMC. I was able to remove the remaining ones. Then once they were out and the manifold was off I was able to simply remove the broken ones with the vice grips. They weren't very tight at all actually. I think they broke due to someone over tightening them to try to stop an exhaust leak.

Some vehicles are different though. These were actually bolts instead of studs and they don't have a lot of torque. I have also used the stud removal sockets on other vehicles. They work reasonable well. If not then heat has always worked for me. I generally heat then cool as described. I never tried the wax. Never really needed to. I have only had minimal luck with any of the sprays but the one I like best is Aerokroil.

 

[jlipsky14]

Welding a nut to the end is my go to and seems to be the most effective.

 

[Finky198]

I forgot to add the Simplest step....

Cleaning the Area with a wire brush or the like, will always aid in getting more out of your penetrating fluids.

 

[ScottsGT]

Are you referring to the studs that hold the exhaust pipe to the manifold? Common problem on '90's Fords. First, (if Ford) get your replacement stud from a dealership before you start. Mine were $15 each. All the aftermarket ones are just too short.

I used a MAP has torch to heat up the flange around the rusted stud and vise grips to back them out. Get the flange red hot. One time I had to remove the manifold and hold the stud in a vise and spin the manifold after heating.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Welding a nut to the end is my go to and seems to be the most effective.

BY FAR THE BEST SOLUTION for studs broken off inside the head !

If you have to drill, you need to be smart about it. Clean the surface and try to grind the top of the stud flat. Using a good punch, make your center mark. You really only have ONE CHANCE so be careful to be accurate !

Use a "center drill" to start. Then use a left hand drill. On Ford Modular engines you need to use special small diameter bolt extractors.

For Modular engines, they do sell a couple of different "drill guide".

Ford has approved the use of stainless steel replacement studs, but make sure to use the special high temp anti-seize.

 

[Firebrick43]

I have found that a powerfull air scribe/etcher is the best way to remove bolts, but a nut welded on always works as well after heating and putting some bees wax on first. Sometimes it may take 2 or 3 nuts but it works. Just in case you wondering an electric scribe is useless for removing broken bolts and studs, not enough force.

 

[cjcocn]

also, chase the threads before installing your new studs .... a few minutes of time is well worth the aggravation of breaking a new stud

x 2 on the power steering fluid / acetone 50/50 mix as a penetrating fluid ... aerokroil used to be my #1 go-to fluid, but since i tried the 50/50 mix it is all that i use

 

[Lee Celtic]

On Bikes where steel studs are stuck in ali heads we used apply heat to and around the stud until it was hot then spray the stud with Plumbers freezing spray..it shocks the corrosion free inside the threads.. repeat this a few times and they just wind out.. works really well on snapped ones you've already drilled for an eazi out as the spray has a thin straw nozzle and gets right inside the stud.

Used to do the same thing for getting valve guides out too.. heat the head in the wifes oven and shrink the guide with the spray..

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Well OP...did ya get those bolts out or not ?

 

[Modern Jess]

Welding a nut to the end is my go to and seems to be the most effective.

This is my approach as well. As an added benefit, it heats up the stud to a ridiculous temperature. When it cools down again, it generally seems to have broken free from whatever was holding it in place.

I've pulled out more than a couple of studs this way. I even managed to build up enough weld on a stud that had broken below the surface of the aluminum head, to the point that I could then get a nut welded onto the weld.

 

[Finky198]

On Bikes where steel studs are stuck in ali heads we used apply heat to and around the stud until it was hot then spray the stud with Plumbers freezing spray..it shocks the corrosion free inside the threads.. repeat this a few times and they just wind out.. works really well on snapped ones you've already drilled for an eazi out as the spray has a thin straw nozzle and gets right inside the stud.

Used to do the same thing for getting valve guides out too.. heat the head in the wifes oven and shrink the guide with the spray..

That a good one I've got to pick up a few cans of dust off... THANK U

 

[Rossco]

BY FAR THE BEST SOLUTION for studs broken off inside the head !

If you have to drill, you need to be smart about it. Clean the surface and try to grind the top of the stud flat. Using a good punch, make your center mark. You really only have ONE CHANCE so be careful to be accurate !

Use a "center drill" to start. Then use a left hand drill. On Ford Modular engines you need to use special small diameter bolt extractors.

For Modular engines, they do sell a couple of different "drill guide".

Ford has approved the use of stainless steel replacement studs, but make sure to use the special high temp anti-seize.

Just done the manifolds on my 08 5.4 3v. Broken stud. Made my own guide.



For the rest of the Studs that didn't come out with the nut, I just heated them cherry red and out they came with a small pair of vice grips.

 

[Kaizen]

I just avoided doing my manifold on my ford 5.4 2002. I did the other side and it took me 20 hours. not exaggerating. tried everything. oxy torch was the only thing that worked. problem on the 5.4 is the bolts are double end threaded with a flat spot in the middle. so when they were installed that flat spot pulled in and ruined the first few threads. after 10 years of rust it became one. you can't get to that area unless you cut off the manifold in pieces. trying to remove the stud only breaks it. so oxy on the outer nut and you can pull the mani off. then if corroded use the smallest drill bit you have and right next to the stud drill in 2 threads deep all around the bolt. once most of this is done it will back out with vice grips. mine took so long because I broke 2 and someone else broke 2 so I had to drill out the bolts which were flush with the head. easy out in an aluminum head is nerve racking.

 

[Kevin54]

An O/A torch is your best bet for removing the studs. Either heat the studs cherry red then try to remove them or heat the manifold and then try to remove the stud. I have done it this way for years and never had a problem getting one out

 

[rodm1]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I tried this project today and removed the two rusted bolt with heat and a impact but the two broken bolts are being a problem. I'm working on a cast iron head to make the problem more difficult and I'm finding the Grabit bolt extractor I'm using won't relay drill it.

Any other ideas?

 

[lazer50]

If you have exposed metal of the stud and your using heat you dont want to heat the stud because it will expand too. Try too heat around it. When i have a frozen bolt i use deep creep made by sea foam the stuff performs rings around p b blaster a picture of your project would help us help you.

 

[rodm1]

Unfortunately the threads are bellow the surface. I will "Try too heat around it" I've forgotten about that tip. Wish I could just weld a nut onto it but being cast iron and bellow the surface I don't see it working.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

It works fine. I did a 366 on my friends box truck, and had to do half of them.

 

[rodm1]

It works fine. I did a 366 on my friends box truck, and had to do half of them.

Are you saying you had luck welding a nut to a cast iron head that is broken bellow flush?

 

[Finky198]

After this discussion I was re thinking oh no. Lee Celtic might be onto something so while this is completely hypothetical it may just work...

I think Vibration and rust cleaning should be first. If you can't see the threads then how well is your penetrating solution really going to work??? If you have to use a a roll pin punch and small hammer and give it 50-100 lite taps so be it. Then Hit them with penetrating solution and leave it overnight if at all possible.

Next would be to run a few heat cycle around them with the torch and hit them again with Ace/Atf and then let cool...

In general Steel is supposed expand at a rate of 0.00000645in/in/deg F. I'm no engineering, but if stud or bolts in question are heated regularly above let say 300-1000*F you would have to get it even hotter to make any 20yr old rust bond crack especially if your were only to use heat....


But I think this is the part could be very beneficial?
Drill a small hole on center say 1/16" (enough to get a spray can straw into) about 3/4"-1" deep then re drill the hole to the proper size for the extractor. now your ready for the show...

Hit the surrounding area with heat get it nice and hot when your ready give the bolt a shot of the arctic freeze and intermediately place the extractor and remove. I think you would have a short window, but that small extra step might make the slightest difference.

Or I could be totally WRONG and just cracked the bolt deeper down the rabbit hole...

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Are you saying you had luck welding a nut to a cast iron head that is broken bellow flush?

No I welded to a stainless stud that was broke off below the surface of the cast iron head.

IMO expanding the bolt is fine, as long as you get it hot enough to be malleable, it will come right out, even if you rip it new threads in the process.
I try to induce enough heat in the process that the bolt part is glowing when I try to remove it, but it doesn't always go that way.

 

[Finky198]

I've used a simlar trick once or twice before on jeep trailer hitch mounting studs that broke
they're large stud and bolts well I was able to get my ground on the back side of the stud and stick welded a bolt with a point to a counter sunk stud it worked. I then torched The welded nutsert red hot from inside the rail and wrench it out by hand...

The trick was Using a smaller bolt and thinner rods and grounding to exaclty what I wanted to weld it gave me just enough access and a weld that held 50+ lb of Torque granted it would probably not be possible for this instance but just for some Insite.

but in theory Couldn't you do that welding trick on an
aluminum head and a steel or (stainless)stud ? As well...

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Yes. Gm's stainless studs aren't a really stainless stainless, but they also are not quite regular steel.

 

[rodm1]

Thanks guy's, That gives me some more ideas and encouragement. I'm back for round two!

 

[Biginch]

Heat stud red hot, bend stud over 90 degrees, cool stud, heat manifold red hot, and use boxed end wrench on bent over stud to unscrew stud from manifold.

 

[rodm1]

Heat stud red hot, bend stud over 90 degrees, cool stud, heat manifold red hot, and use boxed end wrench on bent over stud to unscrew stud from manifold.

That is a grate idea for long studs! I think I have exceeded my skill level and gave up on this project. I replaced the bolts I removed with new ones and fixed the exhaust flange today. I will just have to live with the broken bolts and maybe tack weld the manifold in place if it becomes a problem.

 

[Kaizen]

if it works then yea call it a draw. glad its back working.