Removing broken exhaust studs

[@TheCreedBratton]

its all fun and games when its on the bench. its a whole different ballgame on the car!

[@arguingwithstupidpeople2047]

So take it off the car.

[@Itsoktosidewithtruth]

I don't think you realize what he is talking about. mine is broken off where the exhaust connects with the manifold and yeah taking all that off is another problem in itself.

[@Sam_mila]

Creed Bratton yes agreed

[@robertpsarudakis3474]

yes! It is, never that easy :(

[@tedmarakas2626]

It is absolutely awful if they are broken on the manifold and the car is turbo charged. No room to work, turbo has to come off, exhaust manifold has to come off and hopefully no studs will break or the aluminum heads get damaged. Then you have manifold gasket to replace, hardware, blah, blah, blah. Horrible Can it be done? sure, with time and money anything can be done. well, almost anything.

[@jonwikan3986]

I am glad someone posted this! Bravo I have been doing this for decades and my father has been doing this for 50 years. We use it on marine manifolds etc...in Alaska but also works awesome for old threaded galvanized water pipe (use a respirator). Heat the female part. As it cools you can spray a penetrating oil. The trick is to be patient. If you can get it to move even a millimeter just gently work the stud back and fourth, repeat and be gentle, especially if on the car. Yesterday I used this trick on a VW jetta to get the down pipe removed from the manifold. The rust was so bad that I used three different sockets. 12mm (OEM) 1/2 "(rusted bigger) and 11mm (rusted smaller) Always use 6 point sockets or end wrenches! Use copper plated pinch nuts and copper never seize when you put it back. The copper often burns off but the graphite stays behind for the next time around.

[@stever5887]

A few things: When heating the part(s), it's important to heat just the portion of the manifold you are trying to remove the stud from, and not the stud itself, which will also expand. By the way, the wax trick is great for removing rusty lug nuts, too. I noticed the tech beat the stud back into the manifold to break up any corrosion, which may have damaged the existing threads. It would be better to smack the manifold itself in a couple of places before twisting to limit the amount of damage to the internal threads. It would be prudent to run a (restoring) tap and light oil through the threads to ensure they are clean/undamaged.

[@squ86]

there's quite a few pretty trick methods as most have mentioned here. but the one thing it seems no one mentioned, is too always remove th O2 sensors(unless your replacing them also) as the impact from hammers etc, seem to damage/crack heater elements etc, inside the O2

[@dreiher2]

I think hammering on the stud while hot mashes the stud into the hole making it tighter. Hammering is not needed if you have a torch. Another trick I use is to dremel an 1/16 slot in the stud and using a flat screwdriver tip on a drill. Then heat the flange and once the drill starts it spinning it will keep on going. If the thread protrudes out the other side it is best to cut it off flush first on the other side so the rusty threads don't start dragging when they hit the flange threads.

[@tedmarakas2626]

how about a hammer drill after you create that slot?

[@silvernblackattach]

I would have welded a nut on and used a socket.... as long as I have the toys out.

[@armedgunman01]

heat the bolt not the manifold, once the bolt is cherry red lay a wet rag over if to cool it, after it cools you can damn neat take it out with your finders, works eveytime for me with no struggle..doing it your way there's a good chance your gonna fuck up the threads on the manifolds

[@kevinhancock4064]

I'll try thus again I'm having an issue with some snapped header bolts on my bike doing me nut in my torch isn't the best as its only butane so not as hot .....I guess keeping on the heat for longer shouod do it ?.,I got 2 out fully 3 snapped 3 to go lol

[@FlyfishenAdv]

Thanks for the great tip. I did this on my GMC flange studs and it worked great!

[@junkman9]

Thanks for your advice, i will definitely try this, i have been looking for a solution to this problem for about two weeks now. So this is definitely worth a shot.

[@RandallFlaggNY]

How'd it work?

[@jamesdeanii1981]

Wow that is so convenient pull the manifold off. Show me on the vehicle like most people would do.

[@rainmechanic]

The only way to do it while its mounted on the vehicle is to have access to a mig welder and weld an oversize nut onto the manifold stud and hope that it backs out with a six point socket with an extension connected to a 1/2 ratchet.. If it doesn't there's no way to do this job on the vehicle.

[@MisterTwo-40SX]

Thanks! I had been trying heat for ten minutes but had no luck until using the wax. Great trick!

[@blackbirdxx928]

cool it. pu the vice grips back on and carefully wiggle back and forth...even if it doesn't move right away keep wiggling..sooner or later it will either come loose or break the weld..repeat as many times as necessary...works great on broken taps, easy outs and drill too..I like broken bolts...they have earned me a lot of easy money

[@toddcorrigan4874]

Just worked on one that had enough length to put my small RIDGID offset pipe wrench on it not a cheap off brand. Tried vise grips but they were siding, heated it up and WD40 still did not do it until I used the pipe wrench and very little force it came right out. Hope this will help others wondering after trying every thing they can thing of and still fail, been there may times. I prefer the offset because the more you push the more it locks down. The wax may help but have not tried it and I did not have my oxy acetylene handy and was using just a propane so I could not heat it enough. Good luck because retaping cast iron can be a bitch.

[@lmtdgvrnmnt3918]

I cut and ground both ends of the studs. Prop the flange flat and torch the center of most of the studs out. Then clean out the holes enough for bolts to fit.

[@kennethbrown6553]

If you use water it allows the rust to act as a lapping compound instead of seizing the thread with lubricant. Apply alot of water while moving the fastener left and right in small amounts and the rust water will flush the micro rust particles out of the thread. Use anti seize upon reassembly.

[@MrSlasher80]

When I can I'd weld nut onto the stud. Then heat it till it's red hot then quickly pour or spray cold water onto the piece till it's cool. The stud almost falls right out. I guess the thermal shock breaks the rust loose! Works 100%

[@ALEX62592]

@Scruit you weld inside the nut then or weld a washer on then weld the nut on. i have done it before when it was broken flush off

[@patricksharkey4669]

Good video & heat is the key.I welded a nut on the bolt & after some heat it came right off,

[@cesarzapata9839]

Been trying to replace one messed up stud on my Exhaust header. This video definitely helps

[@arnoldcustom]

I weld a nut on, (using stainless rod, no other works as well) then use an impacted, run it out a little, then run it in, repeat until it comes out, your lucky you have some stud still sticking out, that never happens very often, when they brake there normally broke flush or inside a bit....... we take big rig wheel lugs out the same way, been doing it like that for over 27 years

[@xexorz]

hot wrench works great. Careful doing this while its still in the truck - really hot metal flakes falling in your face from the bolt while removing it with sharp-toothed pliers. Better to weld a nut one size too big on the stud close to the manifold and use a deep socket to get to it. The welding itself helps brake it loose (lots of heat) Wax really did seem to help that last time cause the temp dropped some so it didn't just vaporize - find a wax with higher vapor point

[@idolized1]

two thumbs up!! thanks for the vid! really helped me take out a snapped/ seized/ rusted bolt on my rear trailing arm on my car! Good technique!! Thanks again!

[@richjnord]

Thanks for this video and information I would have never thought of using wax. I was trying heat and PB Blaster and they wouldn't budge.

[@DASHAWNJOHN]

The rust dissolver works better than WD or they're other products

[@Shane-Singleton]

If you don't have a welder could you use two of the same nut using one as a jam nut and then use a wrench instead of the pliers? I've got some exhaust flange screws on a little Kubota diesel that are allen drive so i'm looking for unique ways to get them un stuck. going to try the propane torch tomorrow to heat the flange and see i can make it happen, i'll try the wax too.

[@axesbowledaslove]

Great video fellas, thanks for taking the time to make it. I have used a torch lots of times, but this is the first time I have heard about using wax. It really looks like it helps.

[@ThomasJoseph315]

PB Blaster works better and doesn't ignite. Also, your using the torch incorrectly. Your only heating up part of the bolt/manifold. You got to run the heat all around the bolt evenly and heat the bolt till it's just turning red then you stop and wait till it's cool to almost touch, you may have to repeat this a few times. Hitting the manifold with a hammer while it's hot will only cause deformation. Basically what you should be doing is heat up everything because when metal gets hot it expands and when the manifold is soft and the bolt expands eventually it creates a space between them and that's where you spray the PB blaster. Since using this method I've never broken any bolts, ever. In fact if you used this method on the nuts you wouldn't have broken them studs in the first place. Anyway, thanks for the vid!

[@TKDbruce]

yup. i see this is an old comment but, i Recently learned this by accident working on my exhaust I would heat it up with a little tiger torch that you would get at a hardware store and, then i spray some PB Blaster and wait for it to get kind of warm I then would try to twist the bolts free. if it doesn't work i will then heat it up again , taking my time heating evenly. then i spray some more penetrating oil on it wait for it to cool and try it again. I think the key here is to be patient I would also loosen and tighten the nut as I go along. I was working on the exhaust manifolds on a 98 Blazer and they were really stuck on

[@Anonymous-it5jw]

Thanks for the tip about the Knipex gripping pliers.

[@douglasrice8548]

What about pressed in bolts at the converter?

[@rainmechanic]

Since you have an Oxy-Acet torch, another trick is to forget the pliers and place an slightly oversize nut onto the stud.. Heat it cherry red, and use a fluxed brazing rod to braze the nut onto the stud.. let it cool, then heat just the manifold next go around and turn the stud out with a box wrench.

[@CKilger12]

i was thinking since he had the oxy-acet torch just burn them studs right out and replace with nuts and bolts

[@KillSwitchNY]

Snap On, KD Tools and other brands have the awsome stud removal tools for situations like this. I have the KD set and its great. Totally worth buying just to have in the box.

[@Toolaholic7]

An easier way instead of tapping on the stud and tapping on the stud with a hammer is weld a nut on it first.You can use a socket or wrench to turn it easily.This does work.

[@guitarguy3221]

What if the stud is broken flush or inside the manifold? I hear that works with aluminum heads but probably not for manifolds

[@Toolaholic7]

@@guitarguy3221 build up with weld

[@guitarguy3221]

@@Toolaholic7 it won't stick to the manifold threads?

[@Toolaholic7]

@@guitarguy3221 do it right,won't stick

[@fire67bird]

Good technique. If this fails cut off the studs and grind them flush with the surface. Take a scribe and run it around the top thread. Hit it with penetrating oil and then weld a nut on. This technique worked for me when all else failed.

[@roadstar499]

Okay i had two break off and they are the ones that have a bolt from muffler connection to the pipe connection(bolt head is like a smooth button) to the cat converter... i had to take a grinder to it... i only have propane to heat it up with...i think i took some hardness out of the bolt,but still a bear to drill through so i can just replace with normal nut and bolts... I am thinking maybe map torch may be hot enough to soften old bolts so i can drill them out.... any suggestions are appreciated...thanks...

[@Merc399]

would irwin bolt extractors work to gran onto the stud after you heat and wax it?

[@stedb77]

How much would this usually cost to fix?

[@fistmeetsurface]

The hardest part is resisting the urge to take it out with your fingers once its loose

[@guayacan07]

@eastyg the torches with the gas tank what bbq's use don't put out enough heat. As a backyard mechanic I'd cut both ends with a hacksaw and drill whatever is left to make a new hole.

[@dannylongest6138]

Okay I have a question on my muffler that comes down to my manifold got the muffler hooks into the three bolts what is them called and can I replace them I accidentally hit him with a hammer and now I can't get my nuts on there so can I replace them and if I hit them with a hammer will they pop out where I can put three new bolts in them

[@blackericdenice]

What about 96 tahoe still on truck? 1 bolt striped.

[@oto169]

Just heat the cast iron around the stud until it glows a bright red and the stud will unscrew like it has never seize on the threads no wax or penetrating oil required. Wait till it glows bright before you put the Vise grips on the stud. Trust me, it does not matter how rusty the stud is. The trick is to get the iron/steel bright red.

[@irfanm9396]

oto169 .

[@sleepz698]

Marvelous mate!! Use this method just yestarday for my first time and it worked a treat. Cheers man, keep up the good work. :D

[@lowrided07]

What brand channel locks are those? They look pretty gnarly..

[@ALEX62592]

@Scruit never failed for me using that way. just do a couple of good tacks on the washer then the nut.

[@seahawksforever9504]

What size are the bolts. I can't even find it.

[@3Moose666]

Is that header off an Lt1 by chance? I was just working on mine and it looks just like that

[@samjohnson466]

I didn't have a lift and the 2 bolt manifold with donut ring had 1 stud broken off. I did it the hillbilly way, 1 bolt and clamped an old vise-grip on the broken side, it worked, must sacrifice quality vise grip, not cheap set. Unprofessional but it was mine.

[@jjenson2006]

I've never had a problem removing a frozen stud with just a torch and vice grips. I would heat the flange around the bolt until it was glowing red and then I would clamp the vice grips on as tight as I possibly could squeeze them. Then I would twist it right out; almost like butter. The trick is to get it hot enough around the fastener.

[@b1blazin13]

to weld on a nut can I use propane torch?

[@coollasice4175]

+b1blazin13 No. Not hot enough.

[@rainmechanic]

Propane is not hot enough to braze.. If you don't have access to Oxy Acet than you will need to get a cheap MAP gas set in order to braze a nut onto the stud.. Solder will not work as the bond is not strong enough and probably wouldn't take.

[@pocoapoco2]

what do you do about a head bolt that goes into an aluminum block?

[@kimbuck-2]

Why are exhaust bolts splined?

[@V8mo50]

@rangaman86 Its not about over charging people, some mechanics do that but for the most part its not easy or fun to do. so if you dont wanna do it then pay someone who will...Thats all there is to it.

[@Scruit]

@ALEX62592 Wait... If the head of the bold sheared off, what makes you think a nut welded to it won't just shear off too?

[@tactical-bucket]

Cool. Tried this and it tore all the thread from the manifold flange. Have to cut it off and replace now, thanks.

[@MyLifeThai371]

I just tried it this morning with a little blue propane torch and candle wax. I could not get the bolt to move. You must need to use a rose bud torch...

[@stevecharley3679]

Can a small torch bottle do to?

[@nikushim666]

Go read your sensor specc again, a standard O2 sensor has a operational temp of around 500f and max tolerance of around 1500f. The torch used is a oxy-acetylene torch they produce temps in excess of 5500f, even with a low mixture ratio orange flame your still exceeding well past the max tolerance. If it was a standard unassisted propane torch the sensor would be fine, however that is not the case.

[@pyro8818ak47]

the heat is far enough away that it wont damage it... also do you kno how much tempature you get revving an engine 5000 rpm for a couple seconds in a exhaust manifold?? doing burnouts in my old 351 f250 i would make the manifold glow

[@jetninjamonkey]

Very helpful! Hope it works on my motorcycle head! I've got a broken exhaust stud.

[@MC-rz8fx]

Bit of a late reply - but for others! Better to use one of those Left Hand extractor dies on a head stud.

[@Palaciosjujitsu1]

what tool can i use to put the new stud back on!?

[@pyro8818ak47]

What brand are those channel locks? Look sick as hell

[@davidjames666]

If you cool down just the bolt, it will contract, and the outer flange will stay hot and expanded. Touch the bolt with say an ice cube or a wet rag, and it will get doused in some cooling water specifically on the bolt

[@christhomas267]

In my situation, heat and an air hammer worked great

[@jonesgerard]

Wax works at lower temps, getting it cherry red just vaporizes it.

[@robertadams793]

you

[@richardshort3914]

*jonesgerard* I think you're right.

[@Anonymous-it5jw]

Worked here. Every time wax was applied, it got easier to turn.

[@jayk2k]

@jet79637 hi , did u get the stud out of ur bikes head ? if how plz , i wanna my bike back

[@jjenson2006]

If it was a union shop there would be 5 guys working on it. 1 to heat the flange, 1 to turn the stud and 3 to crack jokes.

[@skaaltel]

Personally I prefer quenching with any sort of spray oil and using vice grips, but hey, the important thing to use is the good old blue wrench!

[@kenman1717]

interesting idea, the wax that is. I usually spray deep creek on it when its hot, the heat sucks that stuff in really good. when I have to remove broken studs on a manifold I usually have to do it from underneath while its still attached to the engine.

[@michaelszczys8316]

I've been doing this many years usually quite successful but recently my Ford kicked my ass and I heated and played with it for hours and never got either one to any more that move back and forth 1/4 turn. So I had to do it the polack way as I needed to get it back together and ground a slot into each end so I could use carriage bolts. Really rustic.

[@xmconx]

Great technique! Worked perfectly. Thanks a lot.

[@CoolasIce2]

The kid really chewed the hell out of his $30 Knipex pliers. Just weld on a nut and use a wrench, boyz.

[@kevinwest3689]

I've ran into this issue before and ran across this video, I have the issue again with another motor and was looking for a solution once again, I think my bigger issue is retaining information more then broken studs, 🤪

[@midnitep8pa]

matco has one exactly like it. have you taken a broken head bolt? thanks for sharing, great video

[@chrismitchell6478]

Thanks for the tip with the wax.

[@poop4256]

can u heat with a propane torch?

[@viryhernandez3626]

Uh..how do you take off the other 2 video is incomplete

[@y2k6507]

will ear wax work

[@pentiuman]

What did you say? (I can't hear you).

[@y2k6507]

haha

[@ernestmilford5775]

Wonder if they broken on both sides all the way where you can't get nothing on it

[@grahamhall2662]

Why do they always make them bolts so long?

[@CoolasIce2]

Right, but an experienced garage like RFRF certainly should have a welder for this and other fixes.

[@miss.wright3035]

I don't got a torch, how else can I remove the stud ?

[@makoshark26]

@guayacan07 and you have all the equipment?

[@ej96hatch]

Great video/advice on using the wax! Thanks

[@oppanheimer]

Great to know how to remove with the wax trick. Thanks.

[@RktShipp]

You think this would work on a turbo stud?

[@bks1979]

How about getting broken glow plugs or seized glow plugs out of a duramax 6.6 head?

[@mikehock3717]

Good tip but doesn't need that much heat for wax.... the best tip is getting some of those pliers! This will work better than welding nuts on too because the stud may snap again you gotta break that surface tension somehow and capillary action is a strong hydraulic force with just a little tap of the hammer...blah blah ...just get some of those pliers!

[@memybikeni9931]

If using pliers, grind flats on the stud and get a better grip, it may weaken the stud, but increases the grip massively so more control.

[@cornfusedatbest6693]

You got any videos on this subject while manifold is still on the vehicle? I don't want to open up a can of worms. Supposed to get a shit ton of snow, and I have no garage. Ideas anyone???

[@yourlocalalexis4578]

i tried once with the manifold in the car, but the space available to use the torch made it too dangerous, so i ended up taking the manifold, while i took my time, because let me tell you, taking out a manifold can sometimes be a bear...

[@legallimitoutdoors9917]

Thank you.👍

[@undergroundpredator]

@realfixesrealfast I have a 1994 Caprice lt1 I need to do a exhaust manifold replacement next week. I asked a shop how much they would charge me just to remove the 3 bolts and put in new ones so I can replace the manifold myself once I get a new one-They told me $80! How much WOULD you charge for something like that seeing that you made it look so easy?

[@KySilverfish]

Rob Moore - Did you ever save up the $80?

[@lateboy4]

can you use scented candles?

[@HalenTaylor02]

10 years later and that’s all I got... guess I’ll see haha

[@steve6548]

It worked for me! Thanks!

[@monkeytutz2]

@FrankiePintado +1. O2 sensors are fragile little critters

[@TheCondor300]

Weld a nut onto the stud from the inside with a mig welder and then used rust blaster and an impact wrench set on low...

[@jaggass]

wouldnt a vice or press work?

[@Hole_Motorsports]

Not if they are threaded

[@CDBZ88]

What about welded on studs?

[@alwayswright85]

i bought a pair from sears for like 20 bucks and they do work better than vice grips

[@knurlgnar24]

1 stud removed. check. 1 $70 tool with damaged teeth. check.

[@arguingwithstupidpeople2047]

That stud didn't hurt those pliers in the least. But at least you got to whine because someone posted a better video than you.

[@007applejacks]

Worked perfectly! Thanks

[@doughboy1966]

I call those neps pliers. They sure work good.

[@dandearman2871]

In this case the best way to get the bolt out is to keep the area around the bolt orange hot as you turn out the bolt. If you keep it hot it will come out easy. Be careful not to let a clumsy friend burn the skin off of your fingers with the torch.

[@DIYApprentice]

Beeswax works really well. I used a torch with Mapp-pro gas on my latest project, but I didn't heat the part until it turned red - seemed to work best at a medium temp.

[@coollasice4175]

Beeswax? How about regular paraffin or "candle" wax?

[@DIYApprentice]

+Cooll Asice Both work, but I've heard that beeswax is more effective on stubborn fasteners.

[@GixxinStars]

if thats what you have yeah. i mean ideally a breaker bar. but if not the wrench will work.

[@halosux4life]

WAX..... WORKS SOOO MUCH BETTER THAN EVERY KIND OF WEASLE PISS OUT THERE