rounded off header stud

[1quick6]

Damn. The last stud to get the driver's side header out of the car rounded off. It is the one on top closest to the firewall. Any tips on how I can get this last stud off? I have a set of replacement studs, but I am not sure how to attack this last one.

Tips and ideas appreciated for this frustrated dude.

 

[KevinB]

Good pairs of vice grips or a smaller pipe wrench are my two favorites for things like that. Only problem isnthe tight spot especially if you still have the power master.

 

[1quick6]

Yeah, there isn't much room to do anything. No PM, but still not much room even with hydroboost.

I have two ideas right now.

1. try a Sears Damaged Nut Remover kit

2. I was thinking I might be able to take another nut and weld it onto the stud. I don't know how well that will work since the stud is mangled and won't allow a thread. I guess I could just find a nut that fits fairly tightly and weld it on. I don't like the idea of mig welding in the engine bay, though. I am just going to keep that in my back pocket in case the sears kit doesn't work. I'd be nervous about welding on that stud with ground wires attached to the head. Yikes.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. I'm going to stop by Sears over lunch tomorrow and hope for the best when I get in the shop in the evening. I'm anxious to get my new header and remflex gasket in place to seal things up. Seems like everything I touch lately has a roadblock. :0

 

[charlief1]

Yeah, there isn't much room to do anything. No PM, but still not much room even with hydroboost.

I have two ideas right now.

1. try a Sears Damaged Nut Remover kit

2. I was thinking I might be able to take another nut and weld it onto the stud. I don't know how well that will work since the stud is mangled and won't allow a thread. I guess I could just find a nut that fits fairly tightly and weld it on. I don't like the idea of mig welding in the engine bay, though. I am just going to keep that in my back pocket in case the sears kit doesn't work. I'd be nervous about welding on that stud with ground wires attached to the head. Yikes.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. I'm going to stop by Sears over lunch tomorrow and hope for the best when I get in the shop in the evening. I'm anxious to get my new header and remflex gasket in place to seal things up. Seems like everything I touch lately has a roadblock. :0

I know your pain. I got the long set from Matco but you may be able to get it from vatozone. It's made by Irwin (vice grip company) so you can get it from several places. Look on the net and you should find it for less.:smile:

 

[BlackBandit]

if the vise grips don't wok those sears damaged nut removal tools flat out work. I've needed them a few times and never been let down!

 

[NorEaster]

Damn. The last stud to get the driver's side header out of the car rounded off. It is the one on top closest to the firewall. Any tips on how I can get this last stud off? I have a set of replacement studs, but I am not sure how to attack this last one.

Tips and ideas appreciated for this frustrated dude.

As a last chance try, you can get a nut that is much bigger than the stud, slip it down so a little bit of thread is showing, and weld the crap out of it. Then you have a nice bolt in there.

 

[1quick6]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am going to seek out the Irwin or Sears stuff and hope for the best. If I do decide to weld a nut on the stud for removal, does anyone see a problem welding on that stud given that it is in the head? I guess I am not sure what effect that would have on any ground wires attached to the head or if I risk any electrical damage that way. I'd be using a MIG welder. See why I am hoping so much for "option 1?"

I will update this thread this evening.

 

[williamsGN]

Cut off the head of the stud with a small die grinder and remove header and pull out the stud with vise grips... you said you had a replacement set to go in there already.

 

[Disney Lincoln]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am going to seek out the Irwin or Sears stuff and hope for the best. If I do decide to weld a nut on the stud for removal, does anyone see a problem welding on that stud given that it is in the head? I guess I am not sure what effect that would have on any ground wires attached to the head or if I risk any electrical damage that way. I'd be using a MIG welder. See why I am hoping so much for "option 1?"

I will update this thread this evening.

Shouldn't be any problem welding to the stud on the car. Just attach your ground clamp to the engine and not the back bumper

 

[1quick6]

Well, the Sears socket got the stud off. I was mighty impressed because that baby was really round.

Now that I have it back together, I can't get the damn crossover pipe to seal at the ds header. Any tricks to that? It's frustrating because I start it up, check for leaks and then it gets too hot to work on.

 

[charlief1]

Stock flange?

 

[1quick6]

Yep. Stock header and stock crossover.

 

[9secWH1]

i think yall are over thinking... tighten two nuts against each other on the end of that stud then unscrew it. works for me.

 

[charlief1]

Fill the joint up with copper silicone and let it dry for an hour. Start it up and it should hold. I've done this before and it has worked.

 

[BlackBandit]

Yep. Stock header and stock crossover.

throw them away and get aftermarket headers! J/k. The stocker gets egged out, worn out, stretched out and then it never wants to seal. If I had the make the stockers work I'd be real temped to cut the flanges off of the headers and pipes and either weld v-bands on or just make some regular old slip fit connections and run band clamps.

on aother note those sears rounded nut tools are AMAZING! I bought them when they first came out and they sat in my tool box for a year or two before I needed them and like any other specialty tool when you need them you NEED them. I've used them on stuff that I thought might break them and they just takr it. The two nut thing is probably the best idea (i coulda had a v8) but those stipped nut tools are good to have.

 

[Bruce Urie]

You've sold me on that Sears damaged nut remover set....a tool that I think I'll need very, very soon...thanks for making me away of this and glad you got that stud off without screwing up anything up....good job there.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[1quick6]

I am going to work on getting it to seal up today. I do have another crossover pipe from a low mile car I might try.

Yes, I was HAPPY to pay $17 for the Sears damaged nut socket set. After fussing for quite a while, I bought the set and the stud was out in 30 seconds and that nut was really round.

 

[QUIP'6']

I am going to work on getting it to seal up today. I do have another crossover pipe from a low mile car I might try.

Yes, I was HAPPY to pay $17 for the Sears damaged nut socket set. After fussing for quite a while, I bought the set and the stud was out in 30 seconds and that nut was really round.

use copper permatex and let it sit for a little put it in the cup of the crossover pipe. then after letting it sit install and tighten the outer then inner bolt and only do a little at a time while you alternate between sides.

 

[fleebag]

ditto on sears rounded nut removal
it took me 2 days to remove a rounded flexplate bolt last weekend
jb blaster, heat, hammer, drill, nut removal socket got it eventually