Club 80-90 Forums

I've read some great advice on here and I'm hoping there's some more out there!

I have a 1915cc, 4 speed, water boxer engine which I've taken out and it's on a bench. I needed to replace a blown gasket on one side which I did with help, and while at it, we replaced the piston rings and seals. Good as new!

I thought it would be worth doing the same on the other side of the engine but 1 of the 8 cylinder head studs was jammed (corroded) into the cylinder head and would not budge. We heated it, oiled it, banged it... But it would not budge a mm. In the end we cut the stud to release the cylinder head. After about 10 minutes of working it, I have unblocked the hole (of white / grey powder - must be corroded aluminium from poor coolant mix) and we've removed the cylinder head bolt from the cylinder head itself.

I have a friend who has welded a nut onto the remains of the bolt but it won't budge! So I am left with a refurbished half an engine and an open side with 7 1/2 cylinder head bolts!

Can anyone advise me of someone who can remove the 8th cylinder head bolt, without stripping the engine down further, and re-thread the hole if necessary, in Dorset or South?

Please help - I can't afford an new engine!
Chris

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001DYR ... ot_redir=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've used one of these on the past few ive built that have had broken studs, give the remainder of the stud a good clout first.
I spent hours welding nuts on and had limited success, spotted one of these on the snap on van and have had my money's worth out it.

Bigjcc55 wrote:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001DYR ... ot_redir=1

I've used one of these on the past few ive built that have had broken studs, give the remainder of the stud a good clout first.
I spent hours welding nuts on and had limited success, spotted one of these on the snap on van and have had my money's worth out it.

X2 with this tool.. but it must be quality.

Thank you. My current plan is to bathe the threaded end for a week or so with ZX-54 and / or some rust penetrator and try to turn a bit every day...
The engine was working when we took it out - just a blown gasket and that side is all fixed now, so this is very frustrating!

Fingers crossed!

Turning the thread tighter slightly first can also work as it breaks the the corrosion.

I speak from experience here as I changed 5 studs on my engine. If you have enough left use some steel tube just big enough to fit over the stud. Prepare the tube first with a couple of holes on it around 6 mm in the last inch or so. Now weld the tube to the stud at the end and through the holes. Sometimes its best to cl;ean off the broken stud first with harsh emery cloth till its shiny. (better weld achieved). For the next bit heat is so so important. soak the base of the stud as mentioned with plus gas for a few hours and clean around the base with a sharp implement. Now get a blow torch or gas torch and point it at the area of metal where the stud is screwed into. I was using a small butane torch and it took 10 minutes of heat to get the metal hot enough to start smoking and the plus gas to start seeping down the joint. I had already cut a slot in the end of my tube which I placed a strong screwdriver in as a lever bar. I now put alot of pressure on the bar in an anti clock unscrewing direction and continued to heat the area, as it gets hot enough with the pressure applied it will suddenly crack free. You can take the heat off and gently and slowly unscrew. It worked on all mine some of which were still intact so I locked two nuts together to unscrew them. Once it is hot enough it will let go.

Makes sense as Alloy heats up quicker than the steel.
the circumference of the threaded hole will enlarge thus breaking any bond to the steel stud.
Heat..lots of heat
or heating and rapid cooling
will defeat any stuck thread.

Well that and the patience of a saint

Find a nut that is oversize, ie. the threaded hole is bigger than the stud. This allows you to get more weld in there, thus, more heat. If it snaps off, do another one, it may take half a dozen attempts before it releases. Use a T - bar and NOT a ratchet, this allows a more even force as you rotate the socket. As Itchy has said, try to tighten it up a little as well (pretty sure I told him that when I was removing his studs), once it begins to free, rotate it in both directions until it becomes loose.

Most importantly, let us know how your trials are faring!!!