Head Stud Barrel Nut Removal Procedure? - Page 2

SCrescue · SCrescue's Garage

Steve,
JW's procedure doesn't apply in this situation, because there's no way for me to get an easy out down inside the barrel nut. That's my problem. If the nut wasn't threaded so far onto the stud, I could remove it easily. Thanks for the link though, that tip might come in handy yet....

dfink,
I've tried every type of cutter I have, including the ball mill you're referring to. It seems the dilavar stud is quite impervious to drilling and milling. Every cutter I've tried barely marks it and then just dulls down....

I have a T60 torx bit that fits nicely down inside the head, but after I ground down a couple of dremel cutters (1 ball mill and 1 tapered mill), I decided to try cutting through the stud from the side. I put a thin cutoff wheel on my 4" grinder and began a cuttin', but I ran out of cutting clearance before it got all the way through...

So now I've got about an 1/8" of the nut clinging for life on the stud and the remainder of the nut/stud I tried to cut off is hanging on by about 1/8" of material....I'm somewhat painted into a corner.....

Looks like the comment in Wayne's book that I referenced at the start of this thread is quite accurate....

I'll talk to my buddy the process engineer at work tomorrow and see what kind of miracle cutter he can supply me with to cut into that damn dilavar after I get a larger cutoff wheel to cut through the rest of that nut....its never easy is it.....

Mike

dfink · 01-21-2007, 05:23 PM

I will do some testing tomorrow with an old dilavar stud I removed and an old nut. I think the cutter I have would easily just just cut right down the side of the nut and split it. Are you using a flex shaft or the full dremel. I couldn't get at it without the flex shaft.
If I can still easily cut the nut I will let you know. As I said if works I will gladly send it to you to try.

Walt Fricke · 01-21-2007, 10:21 PM

I'm guessing (from the excess sealant) that head has been off before.

But what about finding a socket - regular type, SAE or metric, that will almost fit the outside of the barrel nut. And drive it on. You could even sharpen its edges some so it would act as a cutter. Might split it, might not. Shouldn't have to go on far. Maybe a long skinny grinder bit would help by pre-grooving the outside of the barrel.

I know a 15mm socket will fit the hole through the fins, as I use nuts with that hex instead of the barrel nuts.

If it just spins on the unmoved barrel nut, well at least you can get it back off.

Walt

dfink · 01-22-2007, 05:42 AM

I just did some testing and my dremel bit is still sharp and cutting. If you use the dremel make sure to slow the bit down. If you have the speed too high it doesn't bite and just spins on the metal. I don't think the angle bit would work you need a round ball bit. I don't remember the size of the torx I used it might be a 60 or 65 it is much large than the original allen. I also ground the fingers on the bit so they were deeper and would be able to cut into the nut. I basically got it close then pounded the bit in with a hammer. Then used 1/2 breaker bar and they came right off.

johncmng · 01-22-2007, 09:33 AM

Same thing happened to me. Here is the thread How to remove a stripped head nut
I got the tool from sears and modified it. Took about 5 minutes of grinding and 1 minute to take it off

dfink · 01-22-2007, 10:11 AM

How many mm of depth do you actually have between the top of the nut and stud. Looks like and of the described tools would possibly work. Probably at this point you would just twist off the stud now that it has been cut. The cutting may also make it more difficult to pound the removal tools into the nut. One other option would be to possibly put a piece of metal tubing over the nut and stuff a stick welding rod down it and weld the tube to the nut and the stud. That would remove the nut and the stud.
Personally after seeing it I like the square removal tool idea the best.

dfink · 01-24-2007, 06:47 AM

Just curious how you came out. Or off as the case may be.

SCrescue · SCrescue's Garage

I apologize to you all for the delayed replies. Been the week from hell at work and I couldn't bring myself to go online....

I sincerely appreciate all of the advice and offers to help (thx dfink!), but I think I've got it covered at this point. I've got carbide drills from work that my process engineer coworker/buddy tells me will work (I brought him one of the dilavar studs that unscrewed itself along with the nut).

I still have to finish cutting laterally through the barrel nut, but a little bit of drilling down into the stud with the carbide drill should remove whats left of the uncut portion of the nut (I hope). I also borrowed the Snap-on stud remover from work so I can remove the remainder of the studs. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the Rolex 24hours at Daytona is taking place this weekend and I'll be there with friends for the entire race. I may not get to do this until Sunday afternoon.

Btw, if I had 1mm depth into the top of the nut before hitting the stud, that was a lot, so some of the methods mentioned would never work in this scenario. I'm still amazed that the nut was able to be torqued that far onto the stud!!

Walt, that's not excess sealant, that's good old fashioned grease and grime...

Thanks again all,

Mike

john walker's workshop · 03:42 PM

i would grind down an airhammer bit so it fit between the fins, dig it into the nut above center, go gentle on the trigger and rotate it right off. no drilling, etc needed. you could probably do it that way by hand also.

SteveCarr · 01-27-2007, 03:50 AM

I had a similar problem to you and solved it this way: -

Get a hacksaw blade and cut the top off the barrel nut so that the nut and the stud are one flat shiney surface. Its a bit tricky and usually takes about 40 minutes per stud.

Then get a centre punch and mark the actual barrel nut midway between the stud and the edge of the nut.

Next use a small drill and drill holes around the nut, then a simple tap with a cold chisel will break the nut off completely leaving the old stud.

Yes you will destroy the stud but if its a diliver one its best to replace it anyway.

Removing the old stud is easy if you heat up the casing with a propane torch to melt the old loctice and use two (or three) nuts locked together. Sometimes the old stud will come out without heat but I was most successful in removing all of my studs by using heat.

This procedure sounds a bit rough but if you are careful you will not damage your heads and it worked fine for me on two of my studs which were really stuck fast.

Good luck

Steve