What is the best way to check them to see if they are bad? Can I get a visual on all of them from the engine bay?

 

Start the engine, pop the hood, and listen! In some cases you can also feel the exhaust by holding your hand above the manifold. If they haven't ever been replaced, then chances are you need to do it.

 

They are bad. They all are bad.

 

Most of the bolt ends can be seen from the engine bay, but some needs to be seen from under the car, mainly the rear stud/bolts.

If the nut is missing, then the stud has broken.

 

LOL! Well said. Greatest post in this thread.

 

just replace them all.

 

Indeed. Even max's that have been repaired before have broken studs again a few years down the road. Or so Ive read on here. But the quality of the workmanship and replacement studs (non OEM etc etc) was questionable.

Do it right with OEM studs and it should last a while.

~Alex

 

Use Z31 turbo studs.

 

IIRC the maxima/z31 manifold studs have been superseded into the same part.

 

Well that should make them easy to pick out...

 

Our cars seem to have a " sickness" for broken studs Both of my 3rd gens had broken ones. Both VE AND VG... Use z31 TURBO studs and replace em all.The tricky one is behind the power steering pump..lol

 

I've been extremely lucky on my ve, 320,000 miles and only one broken stud, but no exhaust leak from it as of yet..

 

There is a write up how to replace them. I did it the first time to the 't' according to the write up by drilling and EZ outting them. That took me 6 hours to back out about 8 broken ones. The 2nd Time I did it it only took an hour with a Mig welder! Just build a weld out by hitting the broken stud, then weld a bolt on to it and wrench it out

 

I bought mine at 124K with no broken studs. By 130K I had broken 4. I replaced ALL of the studs, washers and nuts with the z31 parts in the driveway of my apartment complex over one weekend. Thank God for right angle drills and left twist drill bits..... oh and PB Blaster!!!!!

 

none of my 4 had bad studs

 

I sometimes hear a tick, like the noise you hear after turning off the car. Should I assume it is exhaust studs?

 

does it tick faster when you rev the engine? if so, its definitely a leak. with the engine cold and off, stick your head in and take a peak.

 

sometimes u can smell exhaust fumes in the engine bay too

 

Study these diagrams, then when the engine is COLD, simply stick your fingers there and feel for the studs where they are supposed to be..

For VG





For VE

 

nissan gets away with a lot between the studs n window regulators n trannys

 

I agree...great post.

On my original engine, they weren't making noise, but when the engine was pulled, I could see some black around some of the studs. Of course, a couple were gone...

 

The replacement studs (Z31) are little better, but not perfect

I did the studs TWICE. Back in 1998 and then again in 2007.

I did replace one window regulator, but transmission still shifts like it did 11 years ago when I bought the car.

 

VGE poem: My tickin stopped as bolt dropped.

goon9: "There is a write up how to "

---> where is there?

 

Why in the stickies of course. http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...68&postcount=7

Here's what I did recently.... Not studs but was super cheap and pretty strong, surely not as strong as a turbo stud.

The bolts are rated 10.9 and thread in much further than a regular stud.

 

goon you rock. what length did you use? and what class are the turbo studs? I'm using some class 10.9 bolts on my pressure plate, hope that's strong enough.

 

um, be careful when you use longer bolts. some places a longer bolt will either come out the other side or bottom out and break something inside the block (seen it happen many times before)

 

I measured and trimmed the bolts.... I them 1-2 mm shorter than the full length.

I don't know the what class the turbo studs are.

 

it was more of a warning to those reading it. people get happy with air tools and don't feel the end of holes crack open

 

I want u to come and help; free lodging promised in exotic midnight sun summer... I promise to swap all the mosquitoes.

--->I guess no scheduling in bolts change with these gasoline prices... Stud broke and now O2 semi-froze.

 

you might want to add a few of the Scandanavian Blondies to the list of promises... and maybe a few pints of something that burns a little on the way down that we don't get in the States.

 

The green pastures are full of em for u to chase - take care, some even driving on red.

Maxima drinks all, driver none.

 

I agree, plus the OEM ones are possibly weaker than other generic stuff available out there. I bought 2 long ones from Nissan and there isn't even a strength rating on it. I found 12.9 bolts for .80 a piece - not through Nissan.

 

One reason behind broken studs could be Y-pipe heat expansion strain. Why not weld a short flex in the front pipe while doing this job? Objections?

 

Broken motor/trans mounts may have something to with it also, imo.

 

Good post answers my ticking question; turns out i have a bolt missing. But now my other question. This week i have been having trouble starting my car from cold.(its fine once its warm) So of course i have been popin the clutch but anyway i stop today at the gas station to fill her up. When i went to start her and pull off i couldn't get the car over 2000rpm with out sputtering. I have not put the bolt in but could that be the cause?

 

would it still climb to any RPM you asked of it (just sputtering on its way there), or would it hit 2000rpm and say "no more!"? if it's got a 2000rpm ceiling then look at your maf wiring and stuff.

 

Yes it would still climb but slowly so i would just switch out. But under futher review it looks like i am missing 2 bolts and also seems like the gasket has burned away. Ill take some pictures to show. VG motor.

 

The studs don't break off because they're too weak. The studs are breaking off because they were installed improperly at the factory.

You're not supposed to bottom the stud out in the bottom of the hole OR butt the tapered shoulder against the side of the head. either of these actions will cause points of high stress in the bolt and will cause premature failure.

I'll scan the article I'm referring to when I get some time.

 

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2v0zzbc&s=3
pic of studs / gasket

 

how do you get the stud in and then tighten the nuts onto it without it bottoming out into the holes in the head? seems the nuts would force the stud to spin in some more? or would that not happen?