Sheared exhaust stud, help.

[gtemplarbond]

I knew it would happen, i could feel it go but would I stop? Nooooo
Broke both studs (Alright they're actually bolts), about 1/2" left.
Any suggestions in getting out?
Thanks y'all.

GS1000L 1980

 

[Nessism]

Soak with PB Blaster for a couple of days. Strike bolt with hammer - straight on, not sideways, and not too hard. Heat bolt with propane torch until it's hot but not red hot. Grab with vicegrips from the side and turn. If the nub is too small to get a good grip, have someone with a MIG weld a lever bar to the nub so you can turn it loose.

Good luck.

 

[robertbarr]

Heat bolt with propane torch until it's hot but not red hot.

Why would you heat the bolt?

 

[Nessism]

Why would you heat the bolt?

Breaks down on the chemical bond holding the screw in the aluminum (or so I've been told by some pretty knowledgeable people).

 

[belovedlion]

This just happened to me only one broke with plenty sticking out I tried a pair of vice grips on it without success.
I was going to purchase a stud removal kit and try that first before going down the welding path as I will have to get the bike to someone that can weld.
Is the stud removal kit a waste of time?
I have a 1981 GSX1100E looking at the front of the bike it is the bolt furthest to the left.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Please post how you finally get the bolts out gtemplarbond.
Bye

 

[Suzuki_Don]

This just happened to me only one broke with plenty sticking out I tried a pair of vice grips on it without success.
I was going to purchase a stud removal kit and try that first before going down the welding path as I will have to get the bike to someone that can weld.
Is the stud removal kit a waste of time?
I have a 1981 GSX1100E looking at the front of the bike it is the bolt furthest to the left.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Please post how you finally get the bolts out gtemplarbond.
Bye

What suburb are you in BELOVEDLION

 

[Guest]

Just drill it out and add threaded inserts. Be VERY careful not to let the drill hole slide into the aluminum.

Lots of time can be wasted trying to get these things out.

 

[RotaryRodder]

Just drill it out and add threaded inserts. Be VERY careful not to let the drill hole slide into the aluminum.

Lots of time can be wasted trying to get these things out.

dont do that, If you have to make sure you use a center punch on the bolt, its so easy for it to get off the bolt.

If you have acces to a welder, weld a washer to whats left of the bolt and then weld a nut to the washer. It should come right out after that. If not PB blaster works very well if you let it sit for a long time after you tap on it.

 

[79-GS550-L]

If you try the heating method, I've been taught to heat the bolt with a propane torch, then immediately spray WD-40 on it. The thought being you will expand the bolt and the metal around it, then quickly cool the bolt, leaving the aluminum still kinda hot. Oh and I'm sure having a bit of WD-40 creeping into the space it leaves can't hurt. Anyways I did this on a bolt in my crankcase with the head drilled off, it worked nicely.

 

[Busafied]

alot of good ideas mentioned-

ones I have tried and had success with.

#1 and most preffered by myself*
Wax Method, same as wd-40, tranny fluid, ect.
(heat the bolt, then touch a candle to it till it does not take anymore- like sweating plumbing pipes together)

#2 Tack Welding piece of stock onto the stud of the offending bolt.
Tack welding a Bolt onto the offending stud.
(those are pretty self explanatory)

I have never had success, other then completely destroying what I am working on by using EZ out sets.

 

[robertob]

alot of good ideas mentioned-

ones I have tried and had success with.

#1 and most preffered by myself*
Wax Method, same as wd-40, tranny fluid, ect.
(heat the bolt, then touch a candle to it till it does not take anymore- like sweating plumbing pipes together)

#2 Tack Welding piece of stock onto the stud of the offending bolt.
Tack welding a Bolt onto the offending stud.
(those are pretty self explanatory)

I have never had success, other then completely destroying what I am working on by using EZ out sets.

I too have had some success with both methods above, and NO success with the EZ-out/stud extractor method.

One option, if you live in a large city you might be able to find a mobile bolt extractor. Don't laugh - a guy with an EDM machine will come to your shop or house and electrically remove the remains of the bolt from the head. Works perfectly, but expensive.

 

[nabrams]

Just drill it out and add threaded inserts. Be VERY careful not to let the drill hole slide into the aluminum.

Lots of time can be wasted trying to get these things out.

Yes, sadly, it is true that you will have to resort to this about half the time. Those who've never had to do this simply haven't broken enough studs/bolts yet.
The weld-a-nut approach only works when there's enough the bolt sticking out and you have welding equipment.
The wax/heating approaches will not work every time and you need to have a torch.
PB Blaster soaking simply will not work in extemely severe cases.
If you work on bikes long enough you WILL be doing the drill/tap/helicoil routine eventually. It's also cheaper than getting all that special equipment (welding, torch, etc.). And yes, using a center-punch will greatly improve your chances of success (and practice on something else first!!).

 

[Guest]

Whatever method you choose, be patient and careful. If you feel any need or desire to twist hard, stop and return another day.

In my experience, sometimes soaking the bolt can take weeks to work.

When trying to turn it, only turn it a few degrees at a time. Tighter, then looser, then tighter, then looser. Repeat until it's boring. Don't exceed the elastic limit of the bolt. Hit it with penetrating oil often, while you're turning it, to let the oil work in. Come back the next day and repeat.

If you need to drill it out

1) You'll need to drill straight down the axis of the bolt. You can't see the angle to hold your drill at with the little tip sticking out. Put a long stud in another hole, and hold your drill parallel to that stud, in both planes. It may be useful to find something to rest your drill on to make this easier.

2) You need to drill down the center of the bolt. Unless you're very lucky, the exposed end isn't even flat enough to mark the center with a punch. Carefully file it flat, keeping the file perpendicular to the axis of the bolt.

3) Carefully mark the center with a punch. Make your first hit very light, in case you slip. When true center is marked, hit it several times.

4) Buy two new bits, the best that you can find. Sharp bits cut much better, and new technologies really do make a difference. One should be about 1/16"
or 3/32", the other should be about 2/3 the diameter of the bolt.

5) Make a pilot hole with the smaller bit. Keep drill speed slow, several hundred RPM, and pressure moderate. Stop about every 30 seconds, and put some oil in the hole to clean out chips. This also cools the bit and lubricates it, so it won't wear out so fast.

6) Stop drilling when you're at the end of the bolt. You can tell how deep this is by looking at the bolts that came out OK. If it gets easier all of a sudden, stop NOW.

7) Switch to the larger bit, and repeat. Plan on taking at least a half hour drilling. Rest when you get tired.

8) There's a good chance that you can now twist the hollow bolt out. If not go to a bit that's about 1/32" larger and repeat, until you can.

9) Clean up your threads with a new tap.

10) Install new bolts, preferably stainless, using anti-seize compound

 

[gsgeezer]

kroil, kroil, kroil

 

[uudfourty]

Ease Outs

Ease Outs

Ease outs work great for broken pipe fittings, but that's about all I would use them for unless you had NO other choice.

 

[nabrams]

Plan on taking at least a half hour drilling.

For exhaust studs/bolts that is a wildly optimistic time expenditure estimate for the drilling. If you follow the excellent advice given by themess (proceeding cautiously, slow drilling, stepping up bit sizes, etc.), it will more likely be 2 hours per stud/bolt - especially if you're a novice at this.
I've drilled out more of these buggers than I care to remember (just thinking about it makes me cringe). Going SLOWLY and CAUTIOUSLY is the key to success.

 

[belovedlion]

Broken Header bolt removal

Broken Header bolt removal

Hooray it came out without damaging anything else, I actually called out when it released.
I used an Extractor screw I purchased for $12 Australian.
The broken Header bolt still had some good thread so I put a nut on the end thinking that it would give the bolt more support when I was drilling.
I was thinking at the time it would be great if I could weld and just welded the bolt on.
I was seriously considering using a trailer and just taking the bike to a mechanic as I really did not want to damage the head.
I centre punched the bolt and using a good drill on slow speed with a new bit I managed to slowly drill into the bolt using lots of WD40 to clean out the hole frequently.
When I finally got the Extractor screw to bite in the hole the broken bolt came out quite easily, upon removal I could see that I had drilled at an angle lucky I put the nut on the end as it held the mess in place.
I meticulously cleaned up the header bolt holes finally put on the Vance & Hines 4 into 1 pipes on my bike and took it for a short run and the bike is running very nice now.
Thankyou for the information it is always interesting and helpfull.

 

[Matchless]

We heard that loud shout of joy over hear!

I saw an interesting repair the other day. A bolt had broken off in the aluminium and was drilled out but the tread was damaged. The guy took a bit of aluminum rod, threaded it then drilled the messed up hole a bit bigger and tapped it to the same thread as the rod. He screwed the rod in with locktite and cut it off flush with the metal face. Then he drilled a new hole and just tapped it to the original size. No helicoil and you really have to look close to see what he had done. He showed me an aluminium master cylinder where the small bolts had stripped and he did the same - like new!

 

[Guest]

Glad that it worked out!

 

[rphillips]

I've advised this before, Always when drilling a broken bolt or stud, use a left hand drill, not always, but many times, the heat & vibration of the drill & the turning backwards, the drill will hang, or snag, the part & back it out. If it doesn't, you still have a hole, just like the one you would have if you had used a right hand drill