Stripped Exhaust Bolt/Screw, Any Ideas For Removal?

[Guest]

One hex drive screw away from taking off my exhaust and the last one turns out to be stripped by the P.O.!!! Ahhhh!! I would like to get the headers off so I can repaint them, but there is no chance of getting this thing off. Could I drill it out? Any suggestions help. Thanks!

[mmattockx]

Are you talking about a socket head cap screw? If so I would try hammering an appropriately sized torx bit into the socket and see if that will turn it out. If not then I would suggest welding a nut to the head and going from there.


Mark

[landrover1]

Yes. I will try hammering in a torx, but I have no access to a welder so I'm out of luck on that one. I have a screw extractor, but I'm nervous using a drill that close to the head.

[posplayr]

One hex drive screw away from taking off my exhaust and the last one turns out to be stripped by the P.O.!!! Ahhhh!! I would like to get the headers off so I can repaint them, but there is no chance of getting this thing off. Could I drill it out? Any suggestions help. Thanks!

What is stripped? The head or the bolt? I assume the head(it is aluminum) v.s. what is probably a stainless bolt? Use a pair of vice grips to clamp down on the head of the head bolt, why you turn it . The added outward force should be enough to grab some threads and walk it out.
If the threads are farther gone than that, then that the whole thing can just be wedged out. I would try twisting it out with some outward pressure on the hex head.

[posplayr]

Concur, stir in copious amounts of penetrating fluid. Go slow, it's more work if they snap off flush but not the end of the world.

I asked because as you probably already know the stainless screws typically seize inside of the head and simply won't turn. How this is confused with being stripped I don't know. Maybe it is the hex head that is striped rather than the threads?

If that is the case, then I would only proceed using a welder. You can use plenty of penetrating oil, but to break the bond between the bolt and the aluminum requires alot of heat.

You start cranking on the bolt and it will shear right off. If it is stainless then it is even a bigger problem.

[landrover1]

To clarify, the head of the bolt is stripped; completely rounded out by I would assume the P.O. I don't have a welder so I am kind of stuck.

[posplayr]

You have near perfect situation for welding the end of a hex wrench and high probability of twisting off the head if you don’t. Hf $110 flux core welder