Yabo

So, yesterday i fixed my ball joint that has been clunking almost a month. Took it for its test drive, my exhaust startedmaking loud clacking kind of like it did when teh manifold was loose. well i just checked it today.. my number 3 cylinder i think, had only 1 stud and was leaking a touch. but it was broken off at teh block and i couldn't really do anything about it at the time. Well now ****'s hit the fan. I thought it was my crack just behind the cat that was causing the leak, and was going to get it welded today... BUT OF COURSE NOT....

The F***ING other stud snapped it appears on that same port... so now that manifold pipe is just sitting there against the block leaking and rattling away!!!! wtf ami going to do now... Thing is so bad sounding that I'm embarrassed to drive it and its probably not good to anyway. Do i need to basically drop my whole exhaust today? wtf this sucks.. i just fixed the other problem too.. Has anyone ever been able to drill otu the studs with the engine in the car? looks to be not much room down there but i dont know maybe once the exhaust is out...

Well, looks like a couple days at least of not driving.

Porsche-O-Phile

Yea, that sucks. AFIK the only way to fix that is to disconnect the manifold and rebolt the header. If the studs are broken off in the head you're going to have a real fun time getting them out since the head material is softer than the bolts. Drilling them out would absolutely be a last resort. I'd "ground" the car, soak the heck out of that area for a while and try to twist out what's left of the studs with a vicegrip (if there's enough material to grab). If not, CAREFULLY drill a pilot hole in the bolt (make sure it's the bolt and take your time here) and use an extractor / easy-out to try and force the stud out.

If that doesn't work, pull the head and take it to a machine shop. PITA I know, but it might be better off being someone else's problem rather than destroying your head trying to get it out yourself. Sorry to hear it.

There's not a lot of room down there to get a drill in either; maybe yanking the head wouldn't be so bad of an idea. I'll bet the "blowby" of the hot exhaust gasses from the first exhaust leak weakened the second bolt.

Peckster

Not surprising the second stud snapped with one already gone.

Pray you have some exposed studs to work with. IMO, this is a job for a mechanic with a lot of experience in this area.

If the studs are broken off flush, I doubt anyone would be able to accurately drill them without removing the head and using a drill press.

Paul C 944

I agree!

Yabo

Well ****. Just took off the manifold.. the studs are broken off flush if not in a little.

I tend to feel that the studs would come out fairly easy if i could find a way to get a hold on them,,,, because when i unbolted the rest of teh manifold.. most of teh studs came out rather than the nut coming off of the stud...

What do you guys think? This blows.. ill try taking a picture now of what it looks like....

Yabo

Oh and the exhaust manifold connects to the head? not the block?

Yabo

here are some pics of what i'm talking about....

Yabo

..

Yabo

another pic.. camera didnt seem tof ocus to well..

Yabo

Okay, my dad just gave me an idea that just might work.. He said maybe if they are flush enought aht i can dremel a slot in it to use a screwdriver? because the other studs came out REALLY easily.. so maybe? I think i'm going to try that.. be back in a while.. please help if you have any ideas.

Mike Murcia

I had two come out fairly easily, but I was using an easy-out and the engines were out of the cars. All I can say is that if you do decide to take it to a shop to have them remove it, be careful. One of the geniuses I took it to told me that he planed on melting the stud out of the head!!!

Paul C 944

did they come out yet???

Matthew West

I just went through this a couple of weeks ago. Pull the head, do the belts, put in fresh gaskets, change to Raceware or ARP fasterners. It will make you about $500 poorer, but you will know everything was done right.

Yabo

Nah not done yet.. didn't work. When my dadgets home ill have him look at it and tell me what he thinks i should do... Maybe i should start fixing my rover...

Yabo

comeon.. someones gotta have a way.. thers no way i should HAVE to pull the head just for these two broken studs.

Theres gotta be a way.. now to find it. if i can get a drill down there,, and a reverse drill bit....