This is my second time doing my exhaust manifold studs. I did it successfully on my 89 SE, and now I'm changing them on my 90 GXE. I think only a few are bad on the GXE, becuase it doesnt sound as bad as the 89 SE did. (I had 3 broken studs on the SE)
None of the front studs on the GXE were broken, but for some reason they are much harder to get out than the ones on the SE were. Maybe because the SE has 215k miles, and the GXE only 100k.
This one stud is a real pain. I've used PB Blaster, and Liquid Wrench. I've beaten it soo much, I'm scared if I hit it any harder ot might snap off (which may be a good thing...read on)
The only thing I havent used is my propane torch, which I'm kinda scared of using on the heads/block..anywhere near fuel..
The "two-nut" method was'nt working, I tried pliers and vice grip, both completely rounded off the stud. Then I finally drilled into the stud, as I would if it was broken off in the head. For some reason the stud was EXTREMELY hard to drill through. 2x as hard as they were on the 89 SE. At one point when I was drilling into the stud with the bit, smoke started coming out of stud. I removed the bit, and it was burnt black at the tip..makes me wanna wonder if my car came with Turbo (upgraded studs)??? The car has been with us since day 1, so they could not have been changed out.
So after drilling the hole, I got the #3 easy-out, and hammered it into the stud. It took extreme force, but I was able to turn it about 1/4 turn, then "snap" the easy-out broke. When it was turning it was making a screeching noise...(like when bolts are reallllllyyyy tight..
So this is where I stand now. With all the studs on the front off except this one, with rounded threads, and a broken easy-out inside it. So whats next????
I was thinking maybe I should drill through the stud vertically, and then stick a metal rod, like a 4-5mm hex key inside it, and then try to turn it????
i dunno....

ANY IDEAS????

The pic is really big, so here is a link

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/4171/p80200442zx.jpg

 

I had my friend rotate that flange 45 degrees. There are holes in the head so it will work.

 

heat stud or the head...your call.

the heat will expand the stud and once it cools hopefully it'll be loose enough for you to turn it out.

OR heat the head CAREFULLY and the alum will expand off the stud and you can turn it out that way. don't heat the alum so much that it's going to warp the head.

worse case...cut it...drill and tap.

 

Spray with penetrating oil and let sit over night. Use the propane torch to heat the head. I think the head would have to get cherry red before warping becomes an issue, use your judgement.

Use a stub remover like this one


A socket type like this one would be a lot better

 

Smbdy here said that welding a nut in the end will do it. Worth a try: gives the heat treatment and smtg to hold on.

These thingies are best left with the stealership: if they have the '2hour' gasket replacement charge warranty. My ol peugeot was like that; I paid for the 2hours while actual was 8...

 

I'm sure you've tried penetrating oil, but that was the first thing I thought of.
Also, I agree that heating the head around the stud moderately with your torch shouldn't hurt anything --this IS the exhaust manifold, after all, and gets very hot during normal operation.
I think having so much of the stud still intact is a good thing -- having something to grab hold of is a definite advantage (rather than having it broken off inside the head).
That socket-type stud remover that Candiman was talking about looks like just the ticket for this job.
Best of luck! I'm starting this job on Monday while my transmission is out and I have room to move around under there, so I'm looking forward to your post about how you beat this one!

 

Weld a lever to the stud. Prolly the cheapest/easiest thing to do.

 

That's a good way to break the stud too. Use the tool(s) mentioned above. It's what I've used. It grips the stud nearer the base.

 

....Or you could just cut the stud and rotate the flange. I'm sure that a weld shop could do it for twenty or so.

 

Im gonna try and get this. what is it called and where can i get it??



A socket type like this one would be a lot better
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right click on the pic and see this: http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/OBJECTS/34100/34093.JPG

...looks good tool!

 

snap on....better chase down a truck.

 

or go online

 

i want to look online, but what is is called??

 

a stud extractor

 

NEED HELP!

I know I'm a rookie here, but I have had to get my 94 max gxe rewired to some extent. I currently have a problem where the car sounds like a motorcycle (exhaust manifold.)

I have no doubt that this is the exhaust manifold, but when I drive the car, the car has next to NO POWER, and hesitates... until I get to around 3500 rpms, the car begins to surge up and accelerates "adequately" but nothing like how it accelerated before the problem.
Let me emphasize that this isn't just sluggish. The car hardly starts moving until 1500 rpms from a stop in slow urban traffic.

I just need to know if
1: I am being poisoned by CO.
2:The Exh. Manifold prob would really take THAT much hp out of normal acceleration.
(I have seen this is a common prob.. but would my car really be DEATHLY SLOW?)
3. Am I hurting the engine or other components by continuing to drive the car like this, and/or flooring the engine so N.Eastern drivers on I-95 don't barrel over me?

Please help. I don't wanna scrap this car.. but I will if I have to.

 

No need to go online, go to your nearest auto supply place and I'm sure they'll have a "socket type" stud extractor. It's doesn't have to be Snap On, just make sure it's a good quality brand.

 

just wel;d a nut on liek i did on mine (had to build i up alot first so your lucky) and it will spin rihgt out,work it left and right in small increments... Don't bother with a stud extractor as far as i am concerned.. weld on it and be done wiht it

Also for the above post baout power,my car was a piece of juink wiht the studs bad,no bottom end power just a bunch of noise and it hesitated and bucked like no tomroow,fixed the studs and all was well... the best thing i ever done to the max i must say.

BJ White

 

I dont have a welder, or any welding experience.

 

Welder:
- best investment in u life
- immediately get new friends
- hands always plastered from now on; no big deal. But make sure u never watch the electrons jump, you'll lose night vision, eyes hurting from any light for ten yrs.

Instant Expert:
- inexperience is the starting point of an exPert

WhatElse?
--> twentieth possibility: grind two sides flat of your stud end; use wrench. Still can use welder, extractors if no good.

 

Your are, rest assured. You'll not die because of this.

Correct it now, will never heal itself... There are also myriad other issues affecting performance, start with standard maintenance, checkups...
some info: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/1

 

In Before mattcomet82

 

Are you guys for real, why in the world should he weld a nut at the end of the stud? Welding a nut at the end of the stud only increases the chance of the stud breaking when he tries to turn it out. As stated, it's already to his advantage having so much of the stud available and not broken flush with the head. Most at home DIY mechanics will never have the need for a welder, so why go thru the hassle of buying, renting or learning how to use a welder.

When you used the vise grip, did you grab the stud at the end or closer to the head? From looking at the pic it looks like you grab the stud at the end because that's where it look at rounded off.

If room permits try grabing the stud as close to the head as possible with a vise grip. Since the stud already turn a 1/4 of a turn, try tighten the stud first that same 1/4 turn. Working it back and forth in small increments is definately a good idea.

 

one question, are you turning the stud in the right direction.........hey, people do stupid stuff, i have......

 

I turned the stud from the end, closer to the radiator, not the part towards the head. Something is obstructing from grabbing it that close to the head.
and yes I am turning the stud the right way.

 

lol alright, just checking, goodl uck

 

Does it shake real bad while ideling? If so it sounds like a bad fuel injector. Mine has the same problem. I could tell by disconnecting each spark plug wire at the coil one by one and noticing if the sound of the engine changed. My #3 cylinder is not firing causing bad performance, bad idel, and it sounds kind of like a motorcycle too. All until you hit about 2500 rpms.

 

I'm about to do my y-pipe as I thought it was the source of my new leak (cat-back has been done), but now I'm wondering if it could be a broken stud. Any tell-tale signs I can use a reference point to find out where the leak lurks? There is no obvious hole in the y-pipe i can see, but the sound seems like it's comming from the flex portion. And since I had about four huge holes in the cat back portion (damn ocean breeze) I just assumed y-pipe.

 

signs of exhaust leak...look for the black carbon soot build up.

 

If something is obstructing you from grabbing it closer to the head then you definately should use one of those two extractor. Be warned, using a extractor like those does not guarantee it will not break. The key thing is small increments while going back and forth.

Good luck

 

since it was mentioned... what kind of welder would we need to buy?

How much money would be a minimum in order to be able to satisfy our automotive needs? I have been thinking about buying one and have heard many things..

 

damn.... i didn't know we were racing.... i borrowed a pneumatic 90 deg. angle drill to drill out the busted studs on the back head. hopefully it isn't more than one. i think i'll have the face of both maniflods shaved to make sure no leaks. i was debating on wether i should pull my other vg and rebuild it ground up and not worry about the studs, but i'll fix them anyway. i'll rebuild the other vg later for when this motor dies out.

 

I have 10.5:1 CR pistons waiting

 

those would call for some serious cams...

 

nah, just a better knock sensor

 

you wouldn't happen to have these available would you?

 

I'm pretty sure I have one or some that are bad. The local muffler shop couldn't find a leak but I can hear it. They were only checking the exhaust and not the manifold area. How can I tell for sure? I'm no mechanic. What will I be looking at for repair costs at a shop.

 

it depends on what muffler shop you take it to. lots of places won't even work on our motors if they have a busted stud. the aluminum heads make it tricky. you should take it back to the muffler shop and have them pinpoint the leak, and find out if all your studs are still intact. if one or more are busted, i hope you or a really good friend of yours is mechanically inclined with lots of tools.

 

The muffler shop couldn't find any leak. They would only look at the exhaust, not the manifold, even though there is clearly a leak somewhere. I can hear it and smell it. I'm pretty sure it's the manifold because the muffler shop went over every inch of the exhaust. What are the repair costs for this problem if you take it to a mechanic?

 

i always use 2 pairs if vise-grips...make sure they are clean or relatively new.