Water pump stud removal - how?

[onZedge]

Before I attempt to remove these studs, does anybody have advice on how to do this without breaking them off in the hole? I used a dental pick to clean all the gasket material away from the base of the studs and then squirted PB Blaster overnight, but they are not budging (with double nuts). Do I need to get my torch out to heat the area? Also, how hard do I actually need to hit them to "wake" them up?

[bleu951]

They usually have to be heated up to be removed. I install double nuts, and heat the area around the studs until they break loose.

[jmd_forest]

If possible, weld a big nut onto the bolt shaft. The combination of heat and the new leverage available with the new nut almost always breaks them free.

jmd_forest