removing cylinder head studs
 

What is the proper and safest way to remove factory head studs during a rebuild?

I am going to replace the OEM with ARP studs, but wanted to be able to remove the factory studs without breaking or snapping them in the process.
I thought of heating the base of the studs where they enter the case, using a propane torch, to loosen any loctite or corrosion that may exist there. But I am worried about destroying the o-ring seals under the case thru bolts since they are close to the stud holes.
Is this an issue?
Are there any special methods or tools to use on the studs to turn them out of the case?
I plan on using duble lock nuts on the cylinder end of the studs to be able to apply torque to get them out. I dont want to buy any special stud removal tooling.
Thanks for any ideas or feedback,

Fred

You will never get them out with the double nut method. esp with propane. Way too much torque needed.

I used a huge 16 inch pipe wrench... and mapp gas... took me an entire weekend... I used alot of heat...

I only broke one. I pounded on a stud extractor and it turned right out.

The snap on tool is worth it if you dont want to spend an entire weekend. Otherwise lots of patience, heat and beer.

One note, if all you are doing is the stud, the pipe wrench method may not be best because you will get little shaving of metal everywhere... I am doing a full rebuild, so I wasnt concerned with little bits dropping into the case.

I am switching from Divilar (993) to Supertec.

If you want it to be clean... buy the snap on tool our host sells.

I have never had a problem using the snap-on collet type stud remover even in mag cases. The key is to have it grip not slip and they will snap loose, I never used heat it just seems to gall up the alum. and you will want this tool to install the new studs too.

I read somwhere that it's not the base of the stud that you heat up but the case around the stud. Also, it's recommended not to use anything hotter then propane to heat the case as the metal could melt. There is a thread on this forum that cover the topic. Hope this helps
Jeff

This was the trick for me:

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Combined with about 15 min of direct heat at the case/bolt thread area from a propane torch.

The lock tight would generally send up a puff of black smoke when it would come free.

Good luck..... Some of those bolts take more than 15 min of direct heat to loosen.

Eric J.

That didnt work for me... I bought that sears tool as well. The other studs were in the way and it didnt really grip most of the studs. Worked on 2-3 studs.
Hmm we use Mapp gas when removing exchangers as well.. You arent going to melt a Al case with Mapp gas... If his car is a 79... its not a Mag case. best bet is Mapp gas and the snap on tool (150)... or a combo of the Sears tool and BIG pipe wrench... As Craig points out... the snap on tool is the preferred method...

But the thing to realize is, the dilival tears up all the tools because its harder than the tool steel..look what it has done to the sears tool.
Most of the time on the SC of that era the dilivars just come out with a double nut.
Bruce

I bought a 99 dollar wire welder at Autozone. Just weld a nut onto the studs and back them out with a wrench. I used cheap steel nuts that were big enough to slip onto the threads. The heat from the welding caused the locktite to yield.

-Andy

Dillavar is harder than steel? But it has double the coefficient of thermal expansion?:confused:

you need to heat the case spigot, adjacent to the stud's threads. if you rent an oxy/acetylene setup, you can have them all out in 1/2 hour. the other gasses are too slow. keep tension on the snapon collet tool and heat until you feel it give, then keep the flame on for a couple of turns. no worries about melting the case. it would take a lot more than that.

I heated the case spigot with a good propane tourch for 1 minute for each stud. Then I dubble nutted and used an electric impact wrench.
On the brocken stud (only hade one) I welded a nut with the MIG.

"you need to heat the case spigot, adjacent to the stud's threads."

+1 JW had posted this before, so I followed his advice last year. Worked like a charm. It did take a little more time since I only had mapp available.

I think the use of oxy/ acet, which provides hotter flame, gives the benefit of quicker local warm-up. This is probably important since aluminum will quickly transfer the heat to the head studs. The greater the temp differential between the case (hotter) and head stud (cooler), the better.....just my non-professional theory though.

Dont melt the aluminum, its not like the steel where it turns cherry. I use oxy.acetelene because it does get the stud out.
Bruce