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Exhaust bolts in head


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easy to deal with, no big deal.

 

if it comes out - put it back in.

 

if it strips the threads in the head then get a helicoil kit to "install" new threads. you could consider drilling out larger holes and tapping them to use larger studs. be advised, you may have to drill exhaust flange/header as well for the bolt to pass through. if only one of them strips out....leave it out. i currently have at least one missing on each side for whatever reason and it's been like that for quite some time...and no leak at all. not even a little. AND I EVEN INSTALLED THE ORIGINAL FREAKING GASKET when i did my head gaskets. i resealed the entire motor and because i was planning on doing more work i just reinstalled the old, horrible looking exhaust gaskets and held on to my new ones. that was 30,000 miles and over a year ago....still no leak....and still none of that *more work* i was planning on doing....well that's not true i did weld up new exhaust beyond the y pipe.

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Yep....I had to do the drill and tap thing. And I used plenty of anti-seize putting things back together, so hopefully, it won't happen again.

Just make sure you use studs and not bolts. I've tried both. Bolts tend to come loose for some reason even with lock washers. Studs, lock wahers and nuts hold tight.

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I just put mine back together, and here's what happened to me:

 

Both studs came out of the head on one side, and both nuts came off the studs on the other side. When I went to put it back together, on the side with the studs still in the head I just put the nuts back on - no problem. On the side I had to put the studs and nuts back in I had no trouble with one, but the other one wouldn't tighten down at first. The problem was that the nut had run all the way in and shanked out on the stud, not leaving enought thread engagement in the head to hold. So I backed the nut out of the stud almost to the end, then double-nutted it so it wouldn't advance down the stud while I was trying to turn the stud into the head. It tightened up and I removed the double-nut and I was done.

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The bolts on my exhaust are so corroded they look like little nubs :banghead:

 

I don't dare touch them because I know they will break :mad:

 

I have always wondered what other people have experienced when they attempted to remove them?

 

Thanks,

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer

01 Forester

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The bolts on my exhaust are so corroded they look like little nubs :banghead:

 

I don't dare touch them because I know they will break :mad:

 

I have always wondered what other people have experienced when they attempted to remove them?

Removal isn't a big problem. Just give them a little whack on the end with a hammer. Apply WD40. Ease them out. This means, turn them out a little, turn them in a little, turn them out a little more, turn them in, repeat.

 

Always replace exhaust studs with new ones. Yesterday, I only paid $2.08 Canadian each, from a fastener supply place. The nuts are stainless steel. If in doubt, replace them too. Always apply lots of anti-seize compound after the nuts have been tightened.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I too appreciate all of this info. Mine are now held on with small c-clamps. What kind of rig is that? My problem is that all 4 studs are gone, and everything is stripped out up in there. Would a commercial parts store have studs that will fit? I do almost all of my own repair work, but this one sort of intimidates me. I am having a hard time sleeping because of the rig I put on it.

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I bought a heli colil kit ( tap, 10 coils ) for $30 at Pep Boys...all you need is a 13/32 drill bit and 45 - 60 minutes of time, real easy job...use studs not bolts for replacement

 

 

Then, is 13/32 the size of stud that I use with the heli-coil? As I say, I have 0 studs there now. Thanks for all of this help.

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the standard coarse thread 7/16 is the best option. helicoils are so damn expensive, and if your hole is stripped out, the 7/16 will almost fit in there without drilling or tapping.(almost meaning i have done it before, hammered it in there an 1/8 inch then torqued her down. on a road trip)

 

also make sure you dont still have half the threads sitting in the bottom of the hole. sometimes only the outside half of the threads get pulled out with corrosion, and the last half still works well

dont overtorque on install =]

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