Does anyone sell a fixture for drilling broken exhaust studs

[mb911]

Christian How would you say it works for drilling all of the studs out with this tool. I would love to replace all of my studs and they won't remove with heat so going to have to drill?/ thanks hope to see you at hershey this year

[A Quiet Boom]

Ben,

The tool would work just fine. Drill one stud, replace with a new one then turn the tool around and drill the other. You'd have to grind them flat (the old ones) with the head surface before drilling. 12 studs would take awhile but it can certainly be done.

If the studs are good why not just clean them up with a thread cleaning die?

[mb911]

they are questionable

[Tim Hancock]

Ben, why wont they remove with heat? Are the heads still on the engine? Just double nut em and pour the oxy/acet to the bosses until they twist out. If you snap a couple then worry about it. If they are not broke, heat should get them out.

Also, if they do break, look at the beginining of this thread for a photo of the crude tool I made to do the job, I am sure someone like you can whip something like it up to do a couple broken studs in no time!

[A Quiet Boom]

I've been thinking based on comments that a cheaper alternative may be needed. I could make a single use tool with an integral disk from aluminum and use a standard bushing rather than a case hardened bushing. A tool like this would last long enough to do one engine and I could probably price it much lower. I hesitate to do that only because these would have to be made to order and if for some reason the ports on the engine are not the indicated size the tool would have to be shipped back and resized. If the purchaser took an actual measurement of their port(s) I'd be willing to make this tool. Setup and teardown time take longer than actually making the tools which is why I prefer to make the removable disk version, it's universal fit allows me to make a bunch at one time and keep stock on the shelf. Having tools already made up also allows same day shipping for those in an emergency. How does an integral disk tool, sized to actual port measurement with a plain steel drill bushing and a one week lead time?

[mb911]

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
Ben, why wont they remove with heat? Are the heads still on the engine? Just double nut em and pour the oxy/acet to the bosses until they twist out. If you snap a couple then worry about it. If they are not broke, heat should get them out.

Also, if they do break, look at the beginining of this thread for a photo of the crude tool I made to do the job, I am sure someone like you can whip something like it up to do a couple broken studs in no time!

tried when the heads were off the car no go. would have broken them all. It really is not an issue now but would be nice to do

[A Quiet Boom]

Ben,

Just let me know how I can help. I still favor the pro tool since it can be shared amongst friends or used on other cars you own now or in the future. Alternatively you could try the aluminum tool I described in my last post but I'd recommend adding a case hardened drill bushing since you plan to drill all 12 studs.

[Shuie]

Christian, seriously, what you ask for this tool is not too expensive. You offerred us a great service by building and selling it. I needed one to get my car back on the road and I gladly payed for it. I know what it would have cost me to pull my motor and have this work done locally. I encourage anyone who is snivelling about the price of the tool to ask your mechanic for an estimate to do this work.

[A Quiet Boom]

Thanks Sherman,

After all you're the one who started this thread and got this project going. As I stated I like the removable disk tool even though each one takes more individual time. Since I have a CNC I make parts in batches of ten. That's 10 tool bodies and 80 blank disks that need to be machined down to 10 sets of 8. Last time I ran these I made the bodies one evening and the blanks the next, over the next few evenings I machined the disks down to size and QC'd everything. As a result I can normally ship same day to anywhere in the world unless I get a special size or a request for a modified tool, even then having blanks made up allows for disks to be turned around quickly.

Over the past week to ten days I have sold 3 tools. One went to Germany and would have went same day if I had known I needed a phone number for customs, I expect it to arrive sometime tommorrow. The second needed to be overnighted and the purchaser also needed a second tool body with a helicoil drill bushing, I made the body on the CNC and handmade and hardened the bushing on my lathe while the CNC was doing it's work. Tool bodies then get deburred and the edges smoothed on my belt sander prior to shipping, I made it to FEDEX at 6:30PM and the tool should have arrived this afternoon. This morning I recieved an order from a Pelicanite, I suggested "buy it now" on ebay which the purchaser did. Once I recieved confirmation from paypal I pulled a tool from the shelf, packed it up and dropped it at the post office around 4:00PM. This works out great not only for the buyers but also for me since I don't have to rush to get a tool made in time to ship. That is why the only way I would do a cheaper single use tool is if I had a one week lead time, tearing down a machine that is making parts to do a one off for a lower price would be crazy but slipping that part in between other production is totally reasonable to me.

Another Pelicanite dropped by today to pick up some parts I made for a new kit he's going to market and between the two of us we have a small product line dreamed up. Next week I'll be into the air filter project again, I've really learned how to program the CNC longhand very well and I can make intricate parts I couldn't make before do to machine memory limitations, I hope to have prototypes on the way to RoninLB within a few weeks. There are also other troublesome studs on 911 motors that are in need of a fixture so those are also in the planning stage. In the end I'm enjoying myself and putting the money I earn into both the P-car hobby as well as the machining hobby, I'm hoping to make enough to buy the blocks of aluminum I'll need to make myself a set of simple custom wheels for the '73 which is currently sitting under stacks of parts I've acquired for it. Oh well, past this old man's bedtime

[Teutonics]

I just looked at the ebay listing... wow, those are art! I don't need one, but man do I want one! (just hold and fondle!)

Must.... restrain.... myself....

[89turbocabmike]

This is a great thread and thought I'd share my recent trauma/experience. A couple weekends ago I finally rallied to replace my powerhaus headers, which needed some repair, with a new set of B&B headers I had picked up some time ago. I normally would use heat, but after soaking with pb blaster and on the suggestion of one of my turbo friends, I used my impact without heat. Worked fine for the first 4 and then broke one flush with the header flange. I then used heat and my breaker bar and broke another one. My success came using heat and the impact.

Here are the tools I use with the impact:



Christian's (A Quiet Boom) tool on the head:



This first hole I had to helicoil because I tried to hand drill the threads out that Sunday nite because I didn't have Christian's tool! Christian made me a second body with drill guide for the 21/64 hole for the helicoil. Luckily I had been close by hand and with Christians tool the hole completely cleaned up and was perfectly perpendicular. Came out nice:


This second stud I had Christian's tool, here is the stud with the inside drilled out. You can see the stud threads left in the hole:



Voila, threads unwinding from the hole, and it came out in one peice to boot!



Threads were completely undamaged and new stud installed:



Here are the two tools and inserts from Christian along with the threads from that second hole:



Special thanks to Christian for building and shipping my tool set overnight! I emailed him Sunday nite in a panic and he built it and had it in my hands Wednesday afternoon. Great customer service and support

[A Quiet Boom]

Thanks for the writeup Mike, glad to be of service. I love that picture of the threads coming out like a spring! I've had a bit of a run on the tools of late, having them on ebay and all so I'll be making more tommorrow. It's those disks that take all the time believe it or not.

[john walker's workshop]

glad they're catching on. every 911 shop needs one. they just don't know it yet.

[bell]

that's beautifull
i've seen christians shop and the tools he uses to make these, he's got it together.

on a side note, i bought a 95 nissan p/u which needed the frame welded due to heavy rust, i asked christian if he could help. he happily said sure, no problem.
i grinded (dirty work ) and he cut and welded.....he knows his stuff, we were done in a few hours.
he didn't want to accept any money but i made him take it, the least i could do, and the welds look great

[A Quiet Boom]

John,

I agree, once I get more tools made I plan on visiting every shop in my area and maybe even calling or shops out of my area. Check your PM, I'm sending one about the other project you mentioned.

Brian,

I didn't want to accept money cause I want to put that remote start on my truck, it's COLD outside! For those that don't know Brian is a top notch stereo and alarm installer, I've seen his work and it's really nice. BTW, don't we have a few welds to finish on that truck of yours?

[bell]

when i get back from NC we'll get you set up with your remote start
the welds are great, there was one spot near the front bed mount but it's solid as a rock, it's a work truck, not that worried about it

[aircooledsonly]

i use my MIG welder , weld nut to broken stud ,this process heats the head then after 30 sec apply socket and unscrew

[aircooledsonly]

I take my MIG welder, weld a nut to stud, this process heats the head, wait 30 sec then apply socket. so far I have a 98 % sucess rate.jay @ aircooleds

[A Quiet Boom]

Jay, I've used that method for bolts and studs in the past but it doesn't always work and not everyone has a welder. This tool solves the problem of a stud that is broken, especially when it's broken close to or flush with the block.

[john walker's workshop]

when you do that with exhaust studs, 9 out of 10 will just shear off below the welded nut. if only life was so simple.