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Date:         Sun, 9 Oct 2011 07:49:27 -0700
Reply-To:     Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Exhaust fun never ends
Comments: To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <4E9112E3.9000805@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

John, Thanks for the tip.  I know about EZ Outs and have used them once or twice but am leery in this application.  Numerous posts on the Samba warn against them due to breakage, making further extraction even more difficult.  In addition, there is drill access for the forward stud but not for the rearward one.  I'll post what eventually works.

Stephen

--- On Sat, 10/8/11, John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> wrote:

From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> Subject: Re: Exhaust fun never ends To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011, 11:20 PM

Stephen,

I haven't had to deal with broken studs/bolts on vanagons, but had to plenty on aircraft engines. On those, we drilled down through the center of the broken bolt/stud with a small bit to make a pilot hole. Next, using a larger bit. the hole was enlarged, and sometimes even enlarged more with a larger bit. Then a reverse threaded device of specially hardened steel called an EZ-out (screw extractor but larger) with wide fluted threads in reverse was screwed into the hole. Continued efforts to back the stud/bolt out will tighten the extractor in the hole even more. As the extractor tightens it's grip, it will begin to back the bolt/stud out of it's boss. The penetrating oil soak for a couple of days will really help.

You might give this method a try.

John

John Rodgers Clayartist and Moldmaker 88'GL VW Bus Driver Chelsea, AL Http://www.moldhaus.com

On 10/8/2011 2:14 PM, Stephen Grisanti wrote: > Finally finished my roof this week by taking two nice October vacation days thereby freeing me up to pursue the exhaust replacement on the Westy, which I undertook in earnest this morning.  I had done the muffler and tailpipe a couple of years ago and am now doing the four main pipes upstream of the cat.  Although I could find no receipt for it in the paper pile from the two previous owners, this system must have been replaced because it does not use studs at each flange, but only at two of them. Cylinders #1 and #4 have each had both studs replaced with bolts, and despite my fears of dealing with the dreaded exhaust studs it was two of these bolts that snapped off during the removal, the upper one at each of the two flanges.  Damn!  The studs survived just fine, although access to them was so bad I had to Dremel off most of the nuts. > > So now I find myself with additional challenge of removing the remains of the bolts, two nubs about 3/8” long poking out of the heads.  I’m doing some other cleanup work before tackling that task so if there are any suggestions for proceeding I’m all ears and will check back for your suggestions.  PB Blaster soaks in progress.  I’m thinking propane torch and Vise Grips.  I’ve heard of welding nuts to what’s left and turning them out that way, but I’m no welder. > > I knew going in that this job would be messy, troublesome and potential painful (lucky on that last one so far) and I know why we pay shops to do this kind of work, but I also figured that I could handle it.  Gotta love a challenge. > > Stephen > >


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