Broken Stud, searched, looking for all options

cptpain · 07-30-07, 01:16 PM

I was removing my stock exhaust manifold to make way for my RB header and pre-silencer with stock y-pipe and mufflers, and lo and behold the only thing that didnt go smoothly was removing the final nut for the manifold.

I broke the stud off the lower rear housing.
i have the header installed, i couldnt bare the ricer exhaust that was on it when i bought it no longer. (header, presilencer, stock ypipe back sounds quiet till more than 30% throttle and only slightly loud at WOT)

with the header on theres just bearly enough room to put a nut on there, about 2/3 the depth of the nut. with the header off i have plenty of room to double but it.

the problem is, it looks as if the stud itself is bent at a slight angle. and i cant get the nut on because there is some material sticking out to the side preventing it from catching any thread. right now im driving with an annoying exhaust leak with the new exhaust on.

my question is what are my options for getting this corrected effectively on my own? i really dont have downtime to take to motor out and take it a machine shop and have them deal with it, but it is my last resort, as well as drilling it out and retaping.

i have seen at advance a re-threading kit for a couple bucks and was wondering if i was to take a torch to it and heat it up enough to try and straighten it out and re-thread it and try to double nut it and go from there. i am going to buy a new stud and nut from mazdatrix if this works.

also will i be better off replacing just that one stud, or should i just replace all of them while im down there? i can see some you suggesting that i should do all of them, since i can see a possibility of snapping another one off.
But i do plan on applying thread sealant to them to prevent the galvanic corrosion as i did with the rest of the exhaust, just in case i need to remove any part of it.

BTW, do nut use any PB blaster or wd 40 or any product of that nature to tighten down nuts or bolts.... its decieving when tightening them down cause its so slick so you cant get a real good sense of your own torque(?) than with using a torque wrench.

P.S. always clean any old studs you plan to reuse and apply thread sealant

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Don49 · 07-30-07, 01:35 PM

If you take the manifold off, you can slide a larger nut over the stud and weld the nut to the stud. The combination of the heat and a larger nut should make removal easier. I have done this a number of times and it always worked.

cptpain · 07-30-07, 01:40 PM

well the thing is, i dont have a welder at all and no access to one until my buddy comes back from vacation in vietnam to open up his shop again which will be another month or so

BTW i forgot to add, i want my options to be cheapest and easiest, to harder more expensive.... im on a full-time work schedule and im a guinea pig for medical research so i dont have much time for long repairs. also im attending school in the fall in case i need to take the motor to a machinist

toplessFC3Sman · 07-30-07, 02:23 PM

well, if some of the stud is still sticking out, go at it with some PB blaster, possibly a torch (not at the same time tho...), and a pair of vice grips, and try to just unscrew it

arghx · 07-30-07, 02:27 PM

yeah it sounds like some of the stud is still left. So either use a stud remover socket (you can find a set on ebay for pretty good price) or use vice grips if the threads are screwed up.

cptpain · 07-30-07, 03:45 PM

the thread overall is ok, just where it snapped, can i still use vise grips on a good thread? or would it be better to use the stud remover socket mentioned above?

oakback · 07-30-07, 03:51 PM

I've had good success with pb blaster and vice grips, removing various studs. Just make the grips as tight as possible.

Then replace it with a good stud, that way you won't have to worry about messing up the threads.

toplessFC3Sman · 07-30-07, 03:52 PM

yea, if you dont get it as tight as possible the first time, it'll just make it harder to get a good grip later.

cptpain · 07-30-07, 06:26 PM

kool, thanx guys, i'll keep this alive if the vise grips dont work. i guess im going shopping on payday next week.
im gonna get a torch as well to heat up the aluminum around it that way its a bit easier and take a couple whacks on the stud before i let it cool, and before i use some PB...... is this also a good idea?

btw, this question hasnt been answered yet as stated in the OP. is it best to just replace all the studs while im at it? or should i not take the risk? cause im not going to buy the new stud(s) yet until im sure i want to change them all

patman · 07-30-07, 07:48 PM

tapping it with a hammer is a good idea. I generally do the nut/welder trick, but if you havent got that option, try the vice grips, you might get lucky. hopefully you do not break it off in the housing, then you would have to get a reverse drill bit and easy outs and all kinda of painful shit...

yes, it is a decent idea to replace the studs, but only if they come out easily. if you have to force one to get it out, just leave it in there. A different/better option is to buy a die and chase the threads on all the studs, and DO NOT use the stock locknuts. just use a good shoulder nut and a grade 8 lock washer. those stupid all metal stock locknuts break the studs right and left.

clokker · 07-30-07, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patman

yes, it is a decent idea to replace the studs, but only if they come out easily. if you have to force one to get it out, just leave it in there. A different/better option is to buy a die and chase the threads on all the studs, and DO NOT use the stock locknuts.

Good advice.
Follow that with...
-use anti-seize on the studs and brass nuts
and all your future problems go away.

jwc3299 · 07-30-07, 10:41 PM

I have never had good luck with vice-grips, I would use Knipex pliers.
It's easiest the best set of pliers that I've used to get stud and rounded off bolts out. They are pricier than vice-grips but I've never had them slip off a stud/bolt/nut that I've put them on.

Spectator · 07-30-07, 10:48 PM

Which one? There are like 50 kinds of Knipex pliers.

cptpain · 07-30-07, 11:15 PM

i never heard of Knipex pliers......

patman · 07-30-07, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwc3299

I have never had good luck with vice-grips, I would use Knipex pliers.
It's easiest the best set of pliers that I've used to get stud and rounded off bolts out. They are pricier than vice-grips but I've never had them slip off a stud/bolt/nut that I've put them on.

vice-grips is just a generic term these days. whether you have vice-grip brand ones or knipex brand ones, they are all pretty much the same tool. I am not aware that knipex makes anything else other than just a conventional vice-grip for this application, correct me if i am wrong...

cptpain · 07-30-07, 11:31 PM

i just searched on the sears web site.... knipex makes a lot of pliers and wire/cable cutting tools.... but im not payin no $30 for some vise-grips.
looks like they make some high-quality pliers.....

initial D is REAL! · 07-30-07, 11:34 PM

If you still have room to grab it with vise grips, Grab it with 2 vise grips 180 degrees from another if there is space. Heating helps.

Another method is cutting a slot in it for a screwdriver to fit in, and use a hand impact driver to try to get it out.

You can also try easy outs

You can use Heat with all these methods to help out a little too

cptpain · 07-31-07, 12:16 AM

wow 2 vise grips? its a tight fit but it might do the trick........ do they sell easy outs at sears? thats the only store in town that sells real tools

initial D is REAL! · 07-31-07, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cptpain

wow 2 vise grips? its a tight fit but it might do the trick........ do they sell easy outs at sears? thats the only store in town that sells real tools

yeah, they sell them. Some of the kits for easy outs come with reverse drill bits so you dont tighten the stud in any further while drilling. I would keep the easy out as a last resort. Since the studs dont break off even, drilling as center as possible is very important. I would use a very small drill at first to get as center of a whole drilled. I even had to grind one broken stud a little flatter so I could get any bit to drill straight
If you can do the 2 vise grips, that is prolly one of the best ways if it can fit

dwb87 · 07-31-07, 01:29 AM

Hopefully you get yours out... mine has nothing sticking out. I am going to have to use the "welding trick".

jwc3299 · 07-31-07, 10:50 AM

The knipex cobra pliers were the ones I was talking about. I have a 8701-180 7" ones. Ya i paid 50 cdn for mine, I got tired of the other vicegrips slipping and smashing my hands on everything.

Good luck getting the stud out. If you can't get the stud out, you could always drill the hole and re-tap it if an easy out doesn't work.

HAILERS · 07-31-07, 01:26 PM

Ah man. If the end is buggered up where a nut won't catch and thread on, just get a file and dress up the end of the mangled stud, so the nut will thread on. Your gonna butcher the threads using the stuff mentioned in the posts above.

By dressing up the end, I mean removing the mangled part on the end using a file. Then work the nut on the stud with another nut. Jam them together and then get on the inboard nut and unscrew the stud. Seems that's what you were wanting to do but can't get the nut on.

cptpain · 07-31-07, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HAILERS

Ah man. If the end is buggered up where a nut won't catch and thread on, just get a file and dress up the end of the mangled stud, so the nut will thread on. Your gonna butcher the threads using the stuff mentioned in the posts above.

By dressing up the end, I mean removing the mangled part on the end using a file. Then work the nut on the stud with another nut. Jam them together and then get on the inboard nut and unscrew the stud. Seems that's what you were wanting to do but can't get the nut on.

my man!!! you know exactly what i wanted to do in the first place!!!! my hero!!!

imma do that next weekend.... bills are gettin my ass this summer

lax-rotor · 07-31-07, 07:17 PM

Whenever I break a bolt or a stud, I usually end up drilling and tapping it (after I try the easy outs, those work about 7/10 times).

cptpain · 11-04-07, 12:05 PM

i know this is an old thread but a week after this happened to me, my contract job shipped me out to korea and then jersey and cali for all sorts of crap.

i came back with the same exhaust leak and i had already purchased all four studs and nuts from mazdatrix.

needless to say i did more harm than good yesterday. the broken stud does not want to come out and the upper stud stripped the threads at the very end of removing the nut.... so now i have the same exhaust leak. i torqued the 2 surviving nuts to 60 pounds just to keep as much of the leak as quiet as possible.

now i really have ran out of options..... i spent most of my money on christmas gifts, payed off my parents new truck, and am looking for an apartment. so my options are very limited, and any solutions cannot put me without a car cause i cant afford another car right now with my money being as tight as it is.

im going to sears this afternoon and see what i can find