What have some of you guys done to get a broken exhaust stud out of the housing. Mine broke pretty close to the housing.

 

drill and tap. don't bother with a screw extractor unless you want to make your life more difficult.

if you screw up drilling out the old bolt you can heli coil the housing.

 

Extractors work well when used properly. Over 20 years experience had allowed me to gst goood at extracing broken bolts and studs.

Method 1: Use CRC Freeze Off and use good Vise Grips if there is enough exposed stud.
Method 2: Heat stud with Oxy-acetylene torch and extract stud with Vise Grips.
Method 3: Weld nut onto stud and extract with wrench, our other tools.
Method 4: Grind stud flush and center punch in center for left hand cobalt drill.
Method 5: hammer extractor into drilled hole in stud. Use heat or cold to aid in removal.
Method 6: drill oversize and install a thread insert.
Method 7: drill oversize and tap to larger size.

 

If u try an reverse drill bit extractor use a drill with a clutch. The hole must be very centered and there is a limit/feel for how much turque you should use. If it doesn't move easily stop. If u break the extractor off inside the stud you will not be able to drill out the bolt!

There is a good thread extractor that looks like a hex socket. Hammer it on and try hope for the best. It's safe to use and works great. Harbor freight sells them cheap.

 

the problem is that they only work some of the time, mainly only when a bolt breaks due to over torque on the bolt. in this case it is a stainless steel stud in an aluminum housing that absorbs quite alot of heat and deforms the aluminum over time, seizing the bolt.

the main issue i have with extractors is that when they fail they become part of the problem, a larger part of the problem.

welding a new bolt to an exposed piece is about the only method i still use regularly, since it applies heat to the bolt to begin releasing it and also gives you something to remove the bolt with.

think about the amount of force it took to break the stud in the first place, now think about how much force it is going to take to remove it, even with heat/cold applied.

 

You have to know HOW to use an extractor properly to prevent issues. When it starts to flex, stop. Find another approach. What I'm getting at is its not difficult if you know what you are doing. I make good money fixing things like this that other people have screwed up. Anyways, best of luck.

 

and it's good to consider most people won't know the breaking point of an extractor, which is why i usually point people away if they don't have much experience with them and can cause more harm than good.

getting a broken extractor bit out is near impossible and will just round off drill bits when that fails. leaving you with hours wasted trying to figure out what to do now.

but people should experiment and find their own way, i'm not saying drilling is the only method but when it comes to the exhaust studs in the housings it usually is. there's many ways of getting a broken bolt out, extractors can work sometimes, sometimes they fail miserably. welding a bolt usually works but not always. eventually just reaming out the old bolt works but is probably the most time consuming and takes a little practice to do just right also. if you get it perfectly centered you can usually salvage the original threads, in some cases you have to go a step further.

 

Grind the broken piece flat, use a center punch to mark the dead center of the broken stud, centering is very important. Use a 1/4 drill bit to drill all the way through the broken off piece of stud. Use cutting oil while drilling to keep the bit from overheating. Step up the size of drill bit to come close to the minimum diameter of the stud without breaching the threaded portion. Now use the correct size extractor to slowly remove the stud...

 

i got the same issue i need to removed the buttom 2 of the exhaust, im planning on removing turbo and see if i have any space to work on. 1990 T2

 

This method has worked every time for me without breaking extractors or damaging the housing, however... doing the repair while the engine is in the car is another story. It will be very important to keep the drill bit centered and straight.

 

Yeah thats the main issue im having is it being in the car. I have enough stud left to get a bolt on there and weld it so ill try that first. If that fails then i guess ill grind it flat, center punch it, and try to drill it out. Thanks for the help guys never really had to deal with broken studs before and when i did some vice grips normally got it out but thats not gonna happen in this case.

 

im going thru the same issue please let me know how u fix yours

 

Drill and heli-coil. Or use threaded inserts. They can be bought from Grainger and they're better than heli-coils cause its an insert. Or buy Time-Sert. They come in a kit with everything you need.

My studs were seized so bad no extractors or anything would work. They would have just broke off.

 

Anybody know off hand the size need of the time-sert or heli-coil? I had two of the four studs bind up and break on removal on me today.

 

I think theyre m10x1.50 so buy the heli coil kit for that. Or buy the inserts..google grainger theyre website has them.

 

I would try heat first. No wimpy propane torch but a good fine point oxy/acetylene one, right on the bolt, or even hold a tig torch arc (pedal it so it doesn't melt the bolt) on it for a bit. Let it cool and give it a try with the locking pliers.