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This is just getting freaky !!!

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Healey Nut

Healey Nut

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So after heat cycling the fresh engine in the 64 I retorque the head . No worries no leaks etc all good .
I go in the garage this morning to do some tinkering and theres a puddle of coolant on the floor ......F%@#&!!!@%#&&@@.
So after a lot of cursing and cleaning I find it leaking from the cylinder head but decide to just run the car later and see if it seals up .
So I move onto a diiferent project but discover a sheared cylinder head stud sitting where the drivers seat should be and the perfect imprint of a cylinder head nut directly above the engine in the drywall ceiling . It must have gone off like a rifle shot !!!
So now my dilema is how to remove the remaining piece . Its sheared about 3/16' above the block , I really dont want to have to pull the head off etc, the idea of all that work just makes me want to set fire to the whole thing .
It shouldnt be tight as I had all the studs out during the engine rebuild so Im thinking of welding an easy out to a rod and drilling into the stud remnant with a long series drill bit ?
Any other suggestions ? Other than setting fire to the whole thing ........
 
Number One: throw away the easy out(s)! Left-hand spiral drill bits (and a reversible drill motor, of course) are the best, most effective "easy-outs" known to professional mechanics. The heat from drilling, and the likely chance that the bit will bite into the shank backs the stud/bolt remnants out 99 times out of 100. An easy-out, assuming you get a hole drilled on center, has to be forced into the stud/et all (straight flutes preferred over spiral, if you feel you absolutely must own a set). Forcing the easy-out into the stud EXPANDS the remaining wall of the stud, making it larger, and tighter in the threaded hole. They're not the solution, just another obstacle.

Faced with the same situation, and if I had a stick-welding machine (my TIG will do stick, so I'm covered here) I'd put a relatively small diameter electrode in the holder, and with the machine off, hold it centered on the remnants of the stud. A second hand (wife, child or neighbor__no particular skill-set required) can flip the machine ON - OFF rapidly (might want them to practice a couple times...), just enough to stick the electrode to the stud. Then you should be able to back it out.

If it really was me faced with your dilemna, the decision would be a very easy one: PULL THE HEAD and REPLACE ALL THE STUDS WITH ARP HARDWARE!! One (1) stud has already proven its weakenss/fatigue__in a rather dramatic way__how much more convincing do you need...?
 
Have to agree with Randy. Once a problem like this arises it's best to drink a cold beer, put your head down, and replace the studs. My son came over with his car needing to take off his wheels to get his tires replaced. Lost his key for the lock lug nuts. Just welded a nut on each one and took them off. It sucks starting over on something, but it is almost always the right thing to do.
John
 
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rjc157 said:
Post a pic of it ,
Click to expand...
Not that it helps fix it but ....
6" from the mark in the ceiling which is 6ft above the cylinder head is an 8ft double flourescent fixture . I would have still been cleaning up if it had busted the tubes .
Anyways Im all set to try the drill and easy out , will let you know the results or you may hear the cheering or cursing from where ever you all are listening in .
 
I'm trying to figure out how the stud did that. It's not like the threaded hole goes into the combustion chamber. Maybe time to have your torque wrench checked for accuracy. I like the ARP bolts too. You can use an allen wrench attachment to torque them to the 33 ft/lbs.
 
GregW said:
I'm trying to figure out how the stud did that. It's not like the threaded hole goes into the combustion chamber. Maybe time to have your torque wrench checked for accuracy. I like the ARP bolts too. You can use an allen wrench attachment to torque them to the 33 ft/lbs.
Click to expand...

Torque wrench ..... I just get the wife to count the veins that stand up on my forehead as I tighten , 3 veins is cylinder head tight , 2 veins is lug nuts , 1 vein is everything else ....
Seriously though . My torque wrench is virtually brand new as I just had it replaced under warranty and I did compare it to a freinds digital torque attachment and it was close enough for me .

The sheared stud has no stretch failure no twist failure it just went off like a rifle shot .
 
Put me in the head removal camp. That 3/16" above the block you have is your friend and will give you something to grip onto with a pair of vice grips or even welding a nut onto. Once you start drilling into the stud to put in the eze out, that 3/16" is going to be gone and unless the eze out works first time, your going to be faced with removing the head anyway and trying to remove the stud. I, too, am surprised with how much force was generated when the stud snapped.
 
YES , YES , YES , YES AND YES AGAIN ITS OUT .
Successful removal completed , sorry to burst your bubble Randy but easyouts do work .:eagerness::eagerness::eagerness:
I first drilled with a bit the same size as the cylinder head bolt hole to create the exact centre on the broken stud then drilled with smaller drill for the easy out, welded the easy out to an old bolt and bingo shes done

Patience , patience ,patience and no fires needed . :eagerness:
 
GregW said:
I'm trying to figure out how the stud did that. It's not like the threaded hole goes into the combustion chamber. Maybe time to have your torque wrench checked for accuracy. I like the ARP bolts too. You can use an allen wrench attachment to torque them to the 33 ft/lbs.
Click to expand...

Read the instructions again Greg. It says DO NOT TORQUE THE STUDS INSTALL FINGER TIGHT OR YOU WILL CRACK THE BLOCK .
 
According to my semi-educated eye, you had corrosion pits on the stud that acted as an initiation point for the failure.

I agree with the others who say replace them all.

Aslo, congrats on getting it out without too much drama.
 
I dont see why not . If you got some jam nuts slim enough that you could lock two together for removal purposes .
 
Barefoot said:
According to my semi-educated eye, you had corrosion pits on the stud that acted as an initiation point for the failure.

I agree with the others who say replace them all.

Aslo, congrats on getting it out without too much drama.
Click to expand...


You could be right . I measured the stud with a micrometer at the shear point and further up the stud , exactly the same size so the stud didnt "neck" at all
 
No skin off my back, but I stand by what I said about not trusting those studs. Nor would I attempt to change them out one (1) at a time; there's a reason the cylinder head studs are torqued down in a sequence.

But hey, you're on a roll, so you might as well prove us wrong about that too! You should buy some lottery tickets, before the luck wears off... :cheers:
 
Randy Forbes said:
You should buy some lottery tickets, before the luck wears off... :cheers:
Click to expand...

Got some last night for the 50 million ...........better go check my numbers:smile-new: :cheers:
 
Randy Forbes said:
No skin off my back, but I stand by what I said about not trusting those studs. Nor would I attempt to change them out one (1) at a time; there's a reason the cylinder head studs are torqued down in a sequence.

But hey, you're on a roll, so you might as well prove us wrong about that too! You should buy some lottery tickets, before the luck wears off... :cheers:
Click to expand...
I've always torqued my cylinder head studs. I cleaned the threads first and then a little bit of oil on the threads and then screwed them in the block and then torgued them. Never had a problem in several engines I did.
 
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