Exhaust studs

[lisk]

Hey Guys,

It's been a while since I've been on but wondering if you can tell me if the exhaust studs on the motor can be removed or are they permanently in the engine?

I have one that's stripped and need to replace it or figure out what to do with it. Any advice?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[natemoen]

The studs can be unscrewed and removed.

In theory that is.....

[James England]

Yes, they can be removed but it's a tricky job. Or it can be. I just did my XJR ones and will be doing the same on an XS1100 engine too. The studs fuse to the alloy and can be incredibly difficult to shift.

My advice is...never use an Easy-Out on a sheared stud stump. They often snap and make the problem much, much worse. Some goes for stud removal tools which will often trash the threads on the stud and leave it unuseable.

Recently, I removed 7 studs, after soaking in freeing spray for days, by using two nuts on the studs. They began to shift the stud and then it's a case of tightening a bit, undoing a bit more, more spray, in a bit out a bit more and so on until the stud comes out. It's even possible to strip the alloy threads in the head with a stud that is actually turning, they suddenly get stiff and if you continue to try and unscrew, it will wreck the threads. Hence tightening up a bit, then untightening a little more...

Nightmare scenario is a stud which shears off, leaving a tiny stump. People advise carefully drilling out the stud but if you snap a drill bit in it, you are really stuck, as you'll never get it out.

On my XJR, I used a stick welder on a stump and welded a bolt onto it. The heat frees up the stud enough to get it moving,

When I remove the studs on the XS next week, I'm going to try the two nut approach first and, if no joy, I'm going immediately to use the stick welder to heat up the studs, rather than using self-grip wrenches etc...

[Crusty Snippets]

Studs

I have and do use a stud removal tool. Cost me $2.80 in the early 60s. It will damage the threads if the stud is tight. But it has way more gripping power than two nuts. I think it makes sense to heat the alloy around the stud and then remove. Use new studs and you will not worry about the damaged threads.
I have not had one break on me so far.
Used it to remove all the head studs on my R Type Bentley engine.

Unkle Crusty

[MPittma100]

Studs

You can heat the studs with a torch (stud only) and they should loosen. If not, reheat the stud and apply a wet rag to it cooling it quickly. One or both of these methods will allow relative ease of removal without damage. This works especially well on aluminum heads.

[BA80]

You can heat the studs with a torch (stud only) and they should loosen. If not, reheat the stud and apply a wet rag to it cooling it quickly. One or both of these methods will allow relative ease of removal without damage. This works especially well on aluminum heads.

Heating the studs is the ONLY way that works. Heating the aluminum is futile. It dissapates the heat too quickly.

The studs might need to be heated (to an orange/yellow) repeatedly to get them to release.

[ViperRon]

Just this weekend I replaced all my studs with 38 mm long ones. The new pipes I put on were different and I needed the extra length. I was lucky enough to use the double nut tightened together to unscrew all of them. None of them give me any problem. No heating no rust breaker no penatrating oil no whacking etc... So sometimes they just are not that bad but I have heard the horror stories.

[mikubuilder]

Yesterday I pulled exhaust of my newest project , nuts were frozen and 6mm socket was stripped
I hammered 13mm hex socket on outside of the nut, heated up with MAP torch, quick spray of ATF and every single one came out with a stud

[lisk]

Thanks guys!

I really appreciate the input from all of you! I'll give it a shot in the next few days. At least I know now how to approach the problem!! Wish me luck!

Thanks again and ride safe!

[James England]

I've posted this pic before, but here it is again....the Stud from Hell (no, not one of those movies...)...

I'd welded a bolt onto it and then the head of that bolt sheared off. Then the weld broke. Finally, I welded a blob onto it to get more leverage with an Irwin wrench..... The remnants of the stud finally moved slightly and, even then, it took fifteen minutes of to and froing, with liberal sprays of WD40, to get the thing out........

The above drama was on a 10 year old bike with 7,000 miles on the clock.



As Greg said above, heating the stud is the only thing that works. In retrospect, I should have got the welder out the minute the stud refused to move with the two nut treatment.

I'll be removing all 8 studs off my latest XS1100 project by trying two nuts, then the welder immediately afterwards!

[natemoen]

Titanium studs again James?

[James England]

Titanium studs again James?

Not this time, Nate. Weight doesn't really matter, so it'll be stainless.

I had a hell of a job today getting the studs out of the XS. Six came out dead easy with the two nut method. Two would not budge, even after using the stick welder. Both sheared even after being red hot.

I ended up drilling one of them and using a tap. The other one very obligingly turned when I tried to make it shear shorter before drilling and I was able to remove it.

The drilled one ended up very slightly off centre as the tap hit thread remnants which simply would not move. Unbelievable bond between the threads! However, the stud is rock solid in the hole and the flange goes on fine, so it's more than good enough.

Here's some pix..






Stud in but slightly at an angle



Flange on, no problem




Having gone through today's pantomime, my advice is 'hope for the best but prepare for the worst'. I realise now how lucky I was with the Stud from Hell on the XJR, which was partially hidden behind on you the frame cradle tubes. There is no way at all that the above job could have been done with the engine in the frame. Absolutely no way. So.....I've revised my opinion on studs... Only replace them if absolutely necessary. Try the two nut method or stud remover if it doesn't damage the threads. If they won't move, you may have to take the engine out. And even then, you may end up having to do what I did ...thankfully, it was only one stud in my case. I dread to think if it had been several......

[James England]

PS. I still didn't consider using an Easy-Out!

[IanDMacDonald]

... Only replace them if absolutely necessary.

Sounds vaguely familiar to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[James England]

Sounds vaguely familiar to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Touché. I agree