| Author | Message | ||
     Wardan123 |
Here it is...  It is enough to put vise grips on so... I have tried heat and vise grips- the grips do not grip too well and slide around the now hot stud. I also have 2nd degree burns on my left hand from picking up the heated vise grips.  Any help would be much appreciated. (not so much for the burned hand but getting the damn stud out.) Thanks | ||
| Nautique4life |
I have successfully broken and repaired 3 out of 4 exhaust studs on my XB. I am not a skilled mechanic by any stretch of the imagination, but I consider myself a decent wrench turner. First, I only see one stud. The stud I see, and from the looks of it in the pic, the one in question (I can see where heat was applied). My saving grace was a Jims tool. It's basically just a drill guide that seats perfectly in the port and allows you a perfect shot to drill out the stud. Now, in your case this might not be the best option, as you currently only have one stud? Have you tried putting on 2 nuts? tighten them both as far as they will go, then only put a wrench on the nut closest to the head and loosen. the second nut will of course prevent the first from backing off. But, I am still unclear as to what is going on here. Where is the other stud? More info please. (Message edited by nautique4life on March 25, 2008) | ||
| Wardan123 |
The last guy to work on this cross threaded it. It was cross threaded and where the nut met the flange- it spun and broke. I tried the 2 nut trick and could not even thread them on. Threads too bunged up. So I went to vise grips and heat and all I did was round the threads off... and burn my hand. | ||
| Wardan123 |
the other stud came out unintentionally... | ||
| Zane |
Go to the auto parts store or a Home Depot tool section and get a set of easy outs. Basically you take a high speed steel drill bit and drill out a hole in the center of the broken stud. Hole depth needs to be in the ¼ inch range. That depends on the diameter of the broken bolt. Then take the appropriate sized easy out and use that to extract the bolt. Easy outs are tempered steel bits that are tapered. They have a left hand thread so turning them counter clockwise will cause their threads to dig into the pilot hole you drilled. When the easy out threads have enough grip it will back out the right handed threaded stud. Can’t remember what I paid for a set of four different sizes. In the $10.00 range I think. It also helps if you’ve sprayed WD-40 on it and let it set for a day or two first. WD-40 also works good as a coolant/lubricate while you’re drilling your pilot hole. Just spray a little bit on the drill bit itself and the area of the bolt you’re working. That will keep your drill bit cooler and keep it from getting dull too soon. | ||
| Spiderman |
noooooooo do not use a easy out!! And if you do, drill the correct diameter pilot hole but drill all the way thru not 1/4 deep. This way if the easy out breaks you can push it thru if needed! Use a Jim's Drill guide for exhuast stud removal. If you post this on the Tuber board there is a tool that someone will lend you for shipping cost. | ||
| X1glider |
This is a PITA problem that a lot of people have had for years...actually, that any HD product owner had. Don't bother with the drill out method unless the stud breaks off flush. These studs are interference fit so all you'll do is break an EZ out. Grind flats on the stud then take a wrench to it. Or weld a nut to the stud. | ||
| Oldog |
+50 NO EASY OUT, You were on the right track the stud is protruding heat that thing hot as you can get it, with gloved hands clamp a vice grip on it as tight as it will go and turn it out, if heat fails, try penatrating oil PB Blaster gets the nod from me, and as suggested allow it to set over night try removal again you may want to have a nut WELDED to that stud and try extraction. sorry that you got burnt if you do the EASY out the burn will be minor.. most ez out attempts in fasteners that small end in disaster. EZ outs are harder than most drill bits so removing the bits is a major issue I used to extract broken bolts and taps as part of my job.. | ||
| Zane |
Olddog, Sounds like your garage is a lot better equipped than mine. Welding a nut to the broken stud is the best answer. I didn't mention that cause I wouldn't expect most garages to have welding equipment. Still might be worth draggin' the bike to a weld shop to get it done. couldn't cost much for that small a job. | ||
| Oldog |
Zane I have Access to welding but no equipment in the garage. | ||
| Reepicheep |
NO EASY OUT! I broke an easy out the first time this happened to me (M2), and learned my lesson. So when it happened on the XB, I broke a tap in there instead.  But I digress  All good suggestions here, that look like more then enough to have a good run at it... I read on another list about a new penetration oil setup that will both apply penetrating oil, but also cool the stud to some rediculous cool temperature. So you heat the stud and the head like crazy (if you stick to propane, I don't think you will melt anything), then hit it with this can of stuff. The head stays hot, the stud goes to like 10 degrees F or less, and you put on the vice grips and go for it. Don't recall the name, nor for sure where I saw it. I have had good luck with the needle nose vice grips for this stuff as well. You typically end up ruining them buy stressing the heck out of them clamping them on, so they become a one time use tool, but their narrower teeth grip better and let you see what you are doing better. If this fails and you have rounded the stud to a semi-circle nub, then you can try welding (where you will add material back). Or just shear the stupid thing off and use the Jims tool. I built my own, and it had a critical flaw that I now know how I would fix, but the tool is only $80 or something, just pay the man (like I didn't twice now, and regretted twice now). Easy outs aren't. If you go get one to try anyway, you might as well buy two tungsten carbide bullet shaped dremel bits at the same time... you will need them (and several hours) to remove the sheared off easy out. And the little metal spears that get ejected as you machine it out will become little slivers deeply and painfully buried in your hands for the next several weeks (DAMHIK).  (Message edited by reepicheep on March 25, 2008) | ||
| Just_ziptab |
It looks like enuf protrusion and clearance to use a stud remover. The tool slips over the stud and turning torque locks it ever tighter on the stud. Heat the head, not the stud. Red hot is WAY too much and the stud will be so soft it will break off flush...let alone peripheral damage to the head. Don't forget to give the stud a stout smack with a hammer after you heat the head to shock it a bit. Welding a nut on it should work as well........if you let it cool. The head absorbs the heat from welding making the stud cooler(by some degree) than the head.......shrinks the stud and swells the head. | ||
| Jlnance |
I've had to deal with this problem more than I ever want to think about, I'm sorry you've got to as well. As someone else mentioned, there is a tool called a stud extractor that slips over the stud and grips it from the side. It fits on a socket wrench and costs about $30 at an autoparts store. I'd try that first. You may or may not have enough stud sticking out for it to work, but its an easy solution if it does. If you end up having to drill it out, get a Jims tool, it's worth it. And if it doesn't go well, all is not lost. Read my tale of woe and redemption. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/171 43/324608.html?1199867858 | ||
| X1glider |
Half of the time this happens, people end up removing the head for a machine shop to drill out. They can set it up on a press and drill it out dead nuts straight, no broken drill bits. Getting a broken drill out is worse than a broken EZ out. Also, as someone noted, heat the head not the stud. That top fin looks as if you can not get a stud extractor past it. I don't see any hope of rethreading with a die either. If you need to remove the head, remove the other one too and send it to NHRS for a work over.  | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i'm no mechanic and haven't stayed at a holiday inn for decades but an old trick i was taught by a very good mechanic was to give the bolt a couple light taps with a hammer(just to give it a little shock) and instead of trying to unscrew it, use a little pressure trying to tighten it up(not much pressure though) then turn the vise grips around and try to take it out. as the old saying goes, sometimes you have to take a step backwards in order to go forward. | ||
| Brianb |
Use a die to chase the thread. Install a stud Installer/Extractor. Then heat the case, not the stud itself. The aluminum will expand faster than the steel stud. Heat the case to approx 200 deg. You can also chill the head then heat the area around the stud. If that does not work than grind the stud flat and center punch it. Then use the drill guide. Step drill to the largest diameter so you can use the largest extractor possible. This also weakens the stud allowing it to warp and come loose. good luck. | ||
| Wardan123 |
Update - saturated the stud with WD 40 (going to buy PB Blaster tomorrow) and will do so for the next couple of days. I plan on looking for a new pair of vise grips. I will try this on thurs or fri. 1. Heat the area around the stud. (not the stud itself) 2. give 2 sound raps of a hammer on the stud. 3. attach new viscious vice grips. (with gloves on) 4. cross fingers and toes and extract the old stud. I really appreciate everyone's assistance and expertise. Andrew | ||
| Phat_j |
Welding a nut on it should work as well........if you let it cool. The head absorbs the heat from welding making the stud cooler(by some degree) than the head.......shrinks the stud and swells the head. as someone who has done a similar fix no less than 50 times, this is the rout i would go on this particular bike........ now if it were flush, the jims tool is the way to go... | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Use a coaxial stud extractor if you can't get the vise grip to work. Also, what Oldog said. PB Blaster is the BOMB! Go to Sears web site and then the tool section. Search on "stud extractor" you will see some of the coaxial extractors from OTC. They work. Don't ask how I know for sure. Brad | ||
| Nautique4life |
++1 MILLION No Easy out, and dont use WD40 as a lube, its to thin. Use motor oil.(as a drilling lube when drilling out stud) I have a jims tool, send me a box, and I will LEND it to you. Easy outs break, then you are really SCREWED. If your attempt fails, grind that sucker off flush and go with the J tool. Also, check out some bits by McMaster-Carr. They have anything under the sun for helping you out. Look into countersinks. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Or.......you could just weld the exhaust flange to the header pipe and call it a shovel head(they only have one exhaust stud per pipe) | ||
| Wardan123 |
Well... I finally got the stud out. I bought a Lisle Stuck Bolt, Nut and Stud Remover and it came out easily. Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I really appreciate your help. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Lisle Stuck Bolt, Nut and Stud Remover........now that is a new one on me and it looks like it should work in a lot of applications where the stud is exposed. I should get a set of those to add to my tool collection. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Congrats! Thats as good an outcome as you will ever get for broken studs. |
