While trying to remove my downpipe from the manifold on my 95 pickup with the 3vze, I broke one stud on the flange at the manifold. All I wanted was to change my burnt flange gasket! Haha.

Surely I'm not the first this has happened to. How did yall remove the broke stud? I tried welding a nut to it about five times, three of which the stud broke again leaving me now with only a couple threads for more nuts. Should I just keep welding nuts? Any wizard magic I can call upon?

 

Exhaust studs are the worst. I plan on stripping threads and/or breaking them every time I have to touch one.

If I were you, it'd be time to drill it out. If that's even feasible. I've had pretty good luck using a bit slightly smaller than the stud. If you're good you can shoot right down the center of it missing the threads along the way. Then it's usually pretty simple to remove the remains. Just get in there with a small punch or nail set and tap the remaining bits and pieces out. Maybe run a tap through to clean the threads up afterwards, if necessary. Works for me...most of the time.

My other favorite tactic is a pipe wrench. Then if that doesn't work, though it almost always does if there's enough left to grab hold of, I bust out the drill.

 

I thought of using an ease out or drilling and tapping a new hole but my current drill doesn't have the balls to do it, i don't believe! Haha also theres no way I can tell to get a drill on it without a two foot extension or removing the manifold from the head which I believe would cause the same problem!

I just bought more nuts and a pipe wrench. Hopefully this will work or I'll be doing almost another head job for the third time!

 

Ok, it's confirmed. My drill will not begin to touch the metal on that stud! I wound up pulling the whole manifold off and trying to weld more nuts on, pipe wrench, vise grips, oxy/map torch, candle wax, pb blaster, combinations of all of them, nothing worked!

My dad is gonna try to get the fleet mechanic at work to get it out of the manifold. Hopefully that'll work. If not then it's off to the machine shop for God knows how much money for a removal!

Wish me luck guys! Haha

 

I don't think the machine shop will charge you as much as you think, it is usually quick work for them as they have the correct tools. Freaking exhaust studs, always a pain to deal with or for me anyways.

 

Just got back from the machine shop. I broke down and took it! The guy there just welded to the stud until it was a big ugly lump on top and heated it with a torch and spun it right out. Ten minutes to him and $15 to me. I'm beyond satisfied with that hahaha. He said that welding a nut doesn't always bond so good but if you add a lot to the stud to grip then it holds better. Now maybe I can get her back together!

Thanks guys!

 

Be sure to say something nice about that machine shop, on Yelp or Craigslist or whatever is useful for that in your area. He did okay with $15 for 10 minutes, but compared to the time you've already put into it you REALLY came out well!

(PS Check out the welding classes at your local community college. Just sayin' ....)

 

I will be sure to! Haha and trust me I'm far from a welder! I just last month learned how to keep an arc going! Hahaha

 

Great to hear he got it fixed for you. Sometimes the $15 is well worth the head ache. May have saved you that in aspirin.

To me that is a very fair price and it is well worth knowing a shop that does great work in your area for yourself and others as well.