Welding to header bolt. Safety pointers needed

[Zero260]

Why not drill it and use easy outs(ie. screw extractors)?

I've used that method on several car engines

[Hammered]

Ive removed broken studs at this level befoer with great success. Heres my input after 28 years of this kinda work. Do not use a zinc coated nut (the silver finish) use a black oxide ones (theyre black in finish) Start your plug weld dead center of the nut to the stud and spiral it out to the nut. allow the nut to cool to touch then if you can, run the bike til the block at the header is at operating temps. If not, a radiant or magnet heater will have to do. just before you start trying to remove it, LIGHTLY tap the nut/stud with a hammer. This will aid in breaking the oxidation between the stud and block. with the block hot, spray the stud with some of the freezing style penatration lube and work the nut/stud in a back and forth motion, always trying to back it out as much as you can without too much force. Tap the nut/stub lightly as you go. I use ratcheting wrench so I can tap the nut as I loosen it. Ive removed so manywith this method I cant begin to reemmber how many and not one has failed. Just remember to take your time and reheat the block as needed. good luck

[cowboyup3371]

Why not drill it and use easy outs(ie. screw extractors)?

I've used that method on several car engines

Easy outs are notorious on here for breaking off inside the same hole and making the job worse. Left handed drill bits will work better although heat and a lubricant need to be used as well.

[Normk]

The problem with easy-out devices is simple if one considers the circumstances.

1) The fastener failed because it could not accept the torque required to turn in the threads.

2) The, much smaller diameter, easy-out cannot possibly accept even the torque which, though insufficient, twisted the fastener off.

Easy-outs are useful for removing fasteners which have been sheared off, snapped by bending, etc. but are not applicable to torque load breakage.

Breaking an easy-out off in the broken fastener adds another dimension of problems although I have seen dozens and dozens. Drilling these is fun unless you have carbide drills so avoid the problem by considering the problem.

There are many valid techniques for removing seized and broken fasteners although nothing is quite so much fun as to cause a dispute between two cranky old machinists or techs. by asking what is the best way.

IME, it is difficult to improve on heating/welding to the broken piece as has been outlined. If someone is determined to learn how to do this work, proceed with great care and do not begin on something of value.

Buy a wrecked bike and use that as the lab rat. By the time you have successfully removed a dozen seized and broken ones, you will begin to understand why those of us who have done hundreds still don't think it is as enjoyable as a sunny afternoon in the lawn chair.

While this is not true 100% of the time, you can be quite assured that trying to remove a seized fastener by use of an easy-out will be a failed attempt leading to more heart ache.....

When you get really good at drilling out 6 mm studs, try drilling out the snapped off end of a GL1100 idle mixture screw.

Didn't think I still had it but eye balled and hand drilled one for my brother-in-law last year. A #72 drill just leaves a foil thin tube of brass.

Still have the piece around here somewhere....

The real answer is not to let them seize in the first place or at least to avoid using too much torque and snapping the stud.

A very useful technique to avoid such problems is to use a "nut cracker" or small sharp chisel and hammer to split the nut axially through two opposed flats. It is most helpful to place a heavy block against the opposite flat in order to avoid breaking the stud due to side force.

One can crack the nuts in half, remove the exhaust to make room if necessary and run a thread chaser over the threads. New nuts with never-seize and all is well. If the thread chaser or die nut won't start over the ends of the threads, a thread file and or small triangular file will do the job.

[JohnT]

OK, in my case I have not broken the Allen bolts (not nuts on studs) off nor have I stripped them yet. 1 or 2 seem ready to remove, others don't.
One thing I have done on car exhaust is to burn the bolt heads off with an acetylene torch. After that the resulting high heat allowed the remainder of the bolt to almost turn out by hand. Is this an option with my GS 1100 engine? Or will the aluminum factor horn me?

[1_v8_merc]

Be careful with EZ Outs...if they snap, you're screwed.(unless you get lucky)
They are good for simple clean extraction areas, but in tricky stubborn areas, you're begging for trouble.
I think you need titanium bits or something harder to drill threw it, if EZ-Out gets lodged in there?

You could just drill the screw out, with metal bits.(slowly Upping your drill-bit size) But make sure you have a TapKit on hand, because you might need to re-thread....not a big deal, but if you're not mechanically inclined, you might just wanna pay someone to drill it out, and re-tap it for ya.

[Normk]

JohnT, it is usually easier to free seized fasteners from aluminum than from cast iron or steel by heating because the aluminum spreads away from the heated fastener more easily. The trick is rapid heating of the fastener in order that it expands rapidly to stretch the aluminum rather than providing time for the aluminum to also heat. The lower tensile strength will allow the heated steel fastener to expand the hole and so result in a loose fit when cool.