Topic: Broken cylinder stud(Snap!)

[Bob Wessner]

    I know this topic has been covered but I couldn't find it. I'm replacing my stock cylinder studs with a set of heavy duty Ape studs. 11 of the 16 studs spun out with moderate effort, but 5 of them are not budging. One of those 5 has snapped at the base and will need to be tapped out. Needless to say I am taking a break and seeking the wisdom of this forum before I proceed.

    Here's the process I've been using, feel free to add to it.

1) heat stud using propane torch

2) apply "Lliquid Wrench" at the base and allow to cool a bit

3) using "double nut" at the top and vise grips at the base, attempt to spin stubborn stud out

   I'm thinking that I should hit each remaining stud with Wd40 or Liquid Wrench each night for the rest of the week and try again next weekend. In the meantime, I need to figure a way to tap out the broken stud as getting the engine to a machine shop is going to be difficult at best. Can anyone reccomend a method using tools found at a hardware/auto store?

Thanks in advance

So how is this progressing? I, for one, am interested to hear what worked, what didin't. 

[scondon]

So how is this progressing? I, for one, am interested to hear what worked, what didin't.

     For the moment I am going the patient route. I picked up a can of PB Blaster that Dusterdude swears by and am spraying the studs before work and again in the evening. I've left one stud with the vice grips and double nut on it and give this one attempt in the evening. Last night(24 hours) it was still stuck.

Hey Scondon,

   I really had hoped you did not have to go through this.  Sorry Terry, but I would not use the square type of EZ out.  I have found that the slotted relief cuts of the square ones can crush closed and then lose their gripping power.  The trick to the regular spiral EZ outs is to use a crescent wrench on top or even a tap wrench ( like when tapping threads in a newly drilled hole) and keeping everything vertical/perpendicular, not letting it get canted at all. Get the drilled hole deep enough to take a goodly portion of the major diameter of the EZ out, don't try to work with 1/8 of an inch diameter of a 1/2 inch diameter EZ out.  Take your time, be patient, be careful.  You can do it, just no need to rush.

   With all the words and advice you have been given, I do not envy your task of choicing and deciding.  Proper use of heat is a good idea.  In my case,.........

   I had many a time when I could not use heat, for obvious reasons.  I had to remove more than 200 stuck bolts and screws, made out of titanium, in one day, on an F-15 Screaming Eagle.  The primary ground crew on that particular bird consistantly over tightened the bolts and screws.  It was no biggie, they knew they would not have to be the ones to remove the stuck screws.  It was the month of July at Edwards Air Force Base in California.  Back then, ( I'm an old timer, this was the early '80's), it was only a 40 or 50 million dollar plane.

   I have removed thousands more in all types of different aircraft, from prop driven Cessnas to a 100 million dollar B1B bombers,  never got to use heat on a single one of them, for, as I say, obvious reasons.......

   ~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

   Thanks jaknight, ya can't argue with experience like that

[scondon]

I just got the studs out last night. I ended up with 4 broken studs and opted to take the engine to my local machine shop where they welded a bolt to each stub and spun them out. I had to wait for the welder to get back from his skiing holiday, hence the delay.

        I was prepared to try the drilling method when it was just one broken stud, but 4 studs seemed like a big risk for a newbie with a handheld drill. Even with the high heat of welding and using a air wrench it took a couple attempts per stud to get them out. I'm sure I would have broken at least one had I attempted to use a EZ Out.

        I am building another engine that will be getting heavy duty studs and will be practicing my drilling technique on my "junker" motor in case I end up with more broken studs.

[coolcat2002]

Heating the Stud is the worst advice I've ever gotten.

You heat the case, aluminum heats faster.  Plus all that heating and cooling makes the metal brittle or whatever.  In any case, I notice the metal getting all deformed because  I heated the stud (was I suppose to let it cool first???).

I was so disappointed that not 1 but 2 studs broke with 1/8" sticking out on both of them.  I don't know where I could go to weld a nut.  The darn thing is 320lbs. 

Funny thing was that all the studs came out really easily except the two I broke. I didn't use heat on any of the other ones because they came out easily.  The two I broke were the only two I heated with a propane and immediately stared twisting with a stud remover! 

I think I'm going to tap it out or try this Easy Out.

[MRieck]

Heating the Stud is the worst advice I've ever gotten.

You heat the case, aluminum heats faster.  Plus all that heating and cooling makes the metal brittle or whatever.  In any case, I notice the metal getting all deformed because  I heated the stud (was I suppose to let it cool first???).

I was so disappointed that not 1 but 2 studs broke with 1/8" sticking out on both of them.  I don't know where I could go to weld a nut.  The darn thing is 320lbs. 

Funny thing was that all the studs came out really easily except the two I broke. I didn't use heat on any of the other ones because they came out easily.  The two I broke were the only two I heated with a propane and immediately stared twisting with a stud remover! 

I think I'm going to tap it out or try this Easy Out.

I have a set of 73 cases for Sparty with the studs removed. Propane, PB1 and double nutted on top. Now I've cursed myself. You heat the case.....period.

[Soos]

You might try a liquid other than wd-40 or liquid wrench.

My favorite used by a few machinists I have known(i thought it was BS, but it works) is ATF fluid cut with a solvent.
50/50
Acetone works well.

If not re-using the studs(next time you try this) apply the ATF/acetone mix, hit the head of the stud with a fair sized hammer.
Hit the top hard, but not with a gorilla swing.then use either a pipe wrench, stud extractor(proto/craftsman/etc) at the base of the stud.
A proper stud extraxtor is like a odd looking socket for a 1/2 or 3/4 drive(i'm sure thay make smaller, but those sizes can take some good torque) It grips as close as possiblt to where the threads start to minimize twisting of the shaft.
The item#92502 at the bottom of this link is what I'm talking about.
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/cutting-threading-stud-extractors-and-bolt-extractors.html
not suggesting you but that one, there are better and worse models, just don't buy the cheapest ones you can find they can/will snap apart if poorly made.


I have removed many studs this way out of various machinery and engine blocks.
I use heat when they prove stubborn still as a last resort. Heating the case would be better than the stud as others have pointed out. When REALLY screwed, put dry ice on the stud prior to heating the case. (USE GLOVES FOR THIS)
And at last resort using some metheod of extraction by drilling and a (square ones are better than the spiral ones IMO) easy out type remover.

l8r