As I've mentioned before, the underneath of my wagon looks how the Titantic looks today! I have some bad exhaust gaskets that I need to change out. Yesterday, I warmed the car to operating temp and applied candle wax to all four studs. I also carefully hit them with a hammer, trying to break them free. All four of the nuts and studs are completely rusted and deformed, and I figured not even a torch would help. I twisted the first one off, and the other 3 are not budging.

 

I had to do a helicoil several years ago on my 83 GL exhaust studs, so I'm not completely terrified of the process.

 

I just need some ideas on getting the other 3 stud/nuts off/out, and the size of new studs to get and how far can I safely drill towards the head? This is such a pain. Thanks for any help.

Take a file to the end, then I wire brush the studs. ALl to free up the threads of crap.

 

If you can get them cherry red with a torch they usually come right out. On old member here Skip helped me do a few that way.

 

I've been lucky enough using these procedures that I've never broken a stud in an engine I cared about (did break on e in a 2.5 that was junk so I didn't care). So no pointers about the one already broken.

 

And I anti-seize the crap out of them. And use the expensive nuts from the dealer. Whatever that coating on those nuts is works pretty well. The same nuts as uses on exhaust , eng/trans nuts, cross member nuts.

Torch until red.

just getting the engine to operating temp often helps, that is pretty hot, not cherry red, but heat helps, and if you got no torch,

http://www.amazon.com/Assenmacher-Specialty-Tools-201-Installer/dp/B00063UMZ4

 

With one of those, put the nut in a vise and twist the stud out. Usually re-usable at that point.

 

The studs are 10x1.25. I only use Timeserts after having problems with Helicoils. They aren't a coil, they are a solid steel insert and they hold forever.

 

I can ship you studs and nuts if your dealer is ridiculously far away or priced. In the meantime you could put bolts in to get you by a few days. Most hardware stores will have 10x1.25 bolts.