Stripped studs

[clintr]

Thank you all for the warm welcome, now I have a question: What is the safest / easiest way to remove stripped studs?
I found out that 1 stud at each exhaust flange is stripped so the exhausts are semi loose and popping like crazy. I have the new studs but it seems like the old ones are in solid and I would hate to break one :(
Any suggestions?
Thanks

[cactusjack]

Ewww, those aren't going to be easy. I've never messed with them on my Nomad. Have you tried removing them, or did you just notice that they were stripped? What you have is an aluminum exhaust port and a steel bolt, which is a potential problem in and of itself. There's an electrolytic reaction which can occur between dissimilar metals and can really complicate this. I think I'd probably try removing them with the engine hot, but I will defer to others who may have more experience with this situation.

[blowndodge]

Not pretty...

It may take some severe heating and cooling because as CJ pointed out the dissimilar metals.

When you say the studs are stripped are they beyond a clean up job? ie; smooth? You may be able to cut new threads on in with a barely slightly smaller nut "cutter" hmmm....

What you need to do is oil them with a good penetrating oil, repeatedly, over a period of 2 or 3 days. Smack them sharply on the ends with a hammer 2 or 3 times a day while soaking them. This should loosen them up without using a torch.

Then back them out with a vise grips.

The problem here is since they point down it's hard to get the oil to soak into the threads. You'll need to spray oil on it over and over and over, and it will eventually soak in from capillary action because the rust and aluminum oxide are porous. Once some oil has soaked in the rust a bit, rapping the end of the stud with a hammer will help distribute the oil further plus disintigrate the rust and aluminum oxide. Put some more oil on, let it soak in, and smack it again.

Not so hard you crack the head though, and a lighter rap with a heavy hammer works better than a strong rap with a light hammer.

OH, yeah. WD-40 is really NOT a good penetrating oil. Use Break free, PB Blaster, Liquid wrench, Kroil, or similar.

[caddman11]

If there is any threads left, you may want to try and put on a double nut, one locking the other instead of vise grips.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by caddman11

If there is any threads left, you may want to try and put on a double nut, one locking the other instead of vise grips.

Thats what I would try first ,with penetrating oil of course. You may be able to clean the threads up by running a die down the stud, or rethreading the stud so you can doublenut it to get it out.

[clintr]

Both of those studs are almost completely stripped so I can't lock 2 nuts on them, the only way to re thread them is to a smaller thread, which I have considered. However I cant get a die on them since it hits the cylinder, so unless I can find a smaller die that will not work. So at this point it looks like liquid wrench, hammer and vice grips will be my only option :(( No one said life is easy...

[macmac]

What ever you do DO Not break them off!

There are stud tools as well. One type does a variety, and another kit does each size of 2 common sizes.

Double nutting works well so long as you can wind on 2 nuts and jam them. Some times you can and that will just strip as well but then maybe you can weld them on..

With that oil and heat are your best friends, and if it takes a few days so what, so long as you DON"T Break them off.... Start oil NOW.. And as cadd says alots little wacks help, but do this with only nuts on before, as you want a flat surface to hit, and the nuts will prevent mushrooming (upsetting) The idea is you are vibrating tghe metals, and this assists the oil getting to be where you want it to be.

It will be really handy to have the gas tank off too...

Once these are out install new with anti seize!

I didn't say to hit the studs on the end, but yes, hit them on the end. NOT the sides! You definately don't want to weaken them and have them break.

I wouldn't worry about any mushrooming myself. You're never going to hit them that hard as you don't want to crack the aluminum, and if they do mushroom a little, you're never going to put a nut on there and make it stay anyhow.

It will help to smack them as you are turning the vicegrips too.

The commercial stud removers I've seen are probably all too big to get in there, which is why I mentioned the vicegrips. But use a nice new pair of vicegrips with sharp teeth, even if you need to buy new ones. If the teeth are dull and worn you could just chew up the stud until there's nothing left of it.

That might want to happen anyway, so before it does, stop! Before you break them stop!

At that point it's time to heat the studs with a torch, and you DEFINATELY want to take the gas tank off for that procedure, plus make sure the loose hoses are tightly plugged so there's no fumes. Before attempting that, you might want to come back for another round of discussion.

[ringadingh]

Once you break them your into a whole new can of worms, trying to drill them out. its no picnic when their seized in.

[scott2007nomad]

Did you get these out?
Have you tried a small stripped nut remover?

[radco]

HOW did you make out?? If still locked in there is a STUD EXTRACTOR tool that look like a socket,,with tons of steel fingers in it,as you try removing the stud the fingers tighten on the stud,,,Got mine out that way,,BORROWEd from our Garage we gas up with,,and USE NEVER SEIZE....

[macmac]

Gee I wonder too..... I have a set of camming stud tools just to install and remove studs.

When it's summer and we don't hear back in two months from somebody, I kinda feel like they gave up and took it to a shop, and it's still sittin' there at the shop, waiting for them to get around to it because the shops are all too busy in summer.