broken exhaust stud

[kujo]

Help ...... I need some info on how to remove a busted exhaust stud , It snapped off clean with the exhaust port. I thought a easy out would do the trick , The darn easy out busted too. Now it's a hard out . I've herd of an EDM a machine that will basically brake it apart with no damage to the threads. Any thought on this or ideas that will work . It's the rear port top stud on a 01 flhtci 88.

[claydbal]

bummer man. i bet you just adopted the same policy i did years ago----never use ez out!

you may weld a nut on the stud and get lucky, but safty and common sense dictates removal of fuel tank. add the time it would take to foil and tape the surrounding area and hoping for the best, you could have the head off and heading to the machine shop--------------you know what has to be done, after milling, tap and replace both studs on that head, go back to your already PB blaster soaked front head and double nut those studs, replacing now, before the tank and exhaust goes back on.

peace

[baggersport]

Bite the bullet......remove the head and take it to the machine shop.





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[GPO03FatBoy]

Originally Posted by baggersport

Bite the bullet......remove the head and take it to the machine shop.






.

yep!! when mine broke like this that was the only way to get it out cleanly.

[Bikertrash99]

Bummer, kujo.

Jims makes an exhaust stud drill plate that will let you accurately drill out a broken stud with the engine in the frame (page 144). That's gonna be tough, if not impossible with a hardened broken ez-out in there.
There are companies in this area that specialize in removing broken taps - which are hardened like ez-outs. They use Tap Disintegrators, which is a simplified EDM machine. To me, that's the best bet at this stage of the game.
Be prepared to pull your head, spend some $$$, and wait. There's only one chance to do this right now. If some butcher blows it, your head is ruined and will require welding and machining to repair. Good Luck!

[kujo]

thanks all, I was just hoping that some one would have a new trick, I called the guy with the EDM machine said he could do it for about 170.00-200.00. I then called a shop to have it fiixed and they quoted me over 300.00 just to pull the jug off and plus what ever the machine shop would charge. So I think I'm gunna go withe EDM thing. The down side is that I'm gunna have travel about two hours south of me to Riverside,ca . They guy says he does work for the local harley shop too. I'm gunna give them a call and see how his work is.

[Bikertrash99]

Hey kujo,

If you're gonna pull your head, and the cylinder lifts up a bit, you'll disturb the base gasket. That's the gasket between the bottom of the cylinder and the engine case. So, when you button it all back together, you may end up with an oil leak there.
Try to devise some way to hold the cylinder rigid when you pop the head off, so as to not disturb that seal.

Or.. since you're already there, you can pull the jugs, get 'em bored, get a set of 95" pistons, and call this whole experience an upgrade.

[berserker]

Originally Posted by Bikertrash99

Hey kujo,

If you're gonna pull your head, and the cylinder lifts up a bit, you'll disturb the base gasket. That's the gasket between the bottom of the cylinder and the engine case. :

Its a oring on a 01.

I agree take the head off. get manual fairly easy, bolt on bolt off. PIA draining gas.
Other then that only thing that is little differant is figuring out TDC. But not that hard.

[Hillside]

You can do it(and we have done it many times) in a mill if you move the head around. Just takes time.
As for the easy(not)out, we have seen these things cause more trouble than they are worth, but a solid carbide drill makes quick work of those, too.

[K1NG]

I drilled and tapped mine while still in the frame

[Geezer-Glide]

Georges Garage has a stud guide and drill setup for 60 bucks. I busted a stud in my rear head. Got the tool, two hours it was all fixed.

[coastie56]

Same thing happened to my Buddys sportster Friday night. Once the EZ out broke he then agreed to pull the head. Took it to an aircraft mechanic on Saterday. Took all day and multiple broken bits to drill through EZ out and then retap hole. The tech at my local dealer said not to even try, cheaper to pay machine shop to EDM. Even they don't do it themselves. If my friends labor and mine weren't free he would have been exactly right. Also he took a hell of a risk of oblonging the stud hole. That tool from Georges would have been a godsend. Kudos to Mick da Prick for gettin her out. Buddy put her together the third day. Easier to spend a few bucks if in the budget.

[johnny_red]

Drilling and easy outs usually just make things worse. If you have access to a steel mig welder all you have to do is put some weld on the end of the broken stud, and slowly build it up 'till you can weld a nut (through the hole on the inside of the nut) to the lump of weld. The steel mig weld won't stick to the surrounding alloy and the heat helps loosen the stud. Then you just unscrew the stud using the nut you've welded to it. I've been removing broken studs from various alloy engines for years that way. Takes about 3 minutes. Just watch the fuel tank and any "weld spatter" on the surrounding area.

[FX-Rider]

Cheaper to buy a used/take off heads on e-bay for $100 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rear-...item415d6bbf28

[ChadU607]

Originally Posted by johnny_red

Drilling and easy outs usually just make things worse. If you have access to a steel mig welder all you have to do is put some weld on the end of the broken stud, and slowly build it up 'till you can weld a nut (through the hole on the inside of the nut) to the lump of weld. The steel mig weld won't stick to the surrounding alloy and the heat helps loosen the stud. Then you just unscrew the stud using the nut you've welded to it. I've been removing broken studs from various alloy engines for years that way. Takes about 3 minutes. Just watch the fuel tank and any "weld spatter" on the surrounding area.

this is probably the best idea i have seen for broken bolts.. but i have a question. My 1960 panhead engine has a broken bolt. have you used this method to remove a bolt from the engine block? i'm concerned about welding to the engine block and really making a mess..