Rebuilders: Help!

[old_skul]

My buddy is rebuilding his 3.0 engine. We're having some trouble getting one of the stud nuts off. It's basically stripped.

We've tried heating the nut, drilling a hole through it and trying to turn it, and shouting it into submission. Nothing works. The nut is not turning. It is the top right nut on the #6 cylinder head stud.

Any suggestions? Should we take a whizz wheel to the head stud? We're in trouble here, Houston!

[brandett]

If everything else fail, cut it of and take the case to a shop that has EDM. Downside is that you probaly will have to split the case as it can get dirty inside.

I assume you are using oxy/acyteln torch to heat.

[Superman]

Take no prisoners. According to the book, not everyone can be saved. Head stud barrel nuts, that is. It's not the head's fault, so just be careful not to damage that part. With all the patience you can muster, get a long, hard, sharp drill bit and show that nut who's boss. Take as much material off it as possible. Eventually, it will just fall apart. Then show the pieces to the other nuts, as a lesson on what happens to uncooperative components.

If you decide to cut the stud, see if you can do that closer to the head instead of closer to the case.

[jhelgesen]

Try one of these nut removers from sears, used one for the first time this weekend, worked great. Pulls itself down on the rounded nut. Soak the nut in some PB blaster too, let it sit a while.

http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summary/productsummary.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1300386432.104 3183746@@@@&BV_EngineID=cciladchgddmghmcehgcemgdffmdflk.0&vertical=SEARS&bidsite=CRAFT&pid=00952160000

[john walker's workshop]

i have to deal with that a lot, especially on carrera lowers. i made a tool from a big fat spiral easyout. a #6. cut it off with a cutoff wheel so the taper just starts in the hole of the nut, put a 8 or 12 point socket and short extension on it, and beat it in with a big mallet. it will flare out the top of the nut if you did it right. never failed me yet. use a long breaker bar to snap it loose. this old thread has a picture of the tool. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=69827&highlight=spiral+easyout

[TimT]

You could also try heating the stud, It worked for me. I finished building an engine once and found a leftover head washer. Yet I had torqued the heads down. The nut ran far enough down thestud that the wrench would cam out when I tried to loosen it.

Heating the stud a bit elongated it, relieving the tension on the nut. I was then able to get enough of a grip on the nut to spin it off.

[YTNUKLR]

Originally posted by Superman
[S]how the pieces to the other nuts, as a lesson on what happens to uncooperative components.

ROTFLOL! Thanks; I needed that.

[old_skul]

Okay, this is good material. I think I'll start with using a 12-point sacrificial tool to pound home and show that barrel nut who's boss. Combined with a little of the evil blue wrench (nuts say "NOOOO! NOT THE BLUE WRENCH!), I think we'll make short work of it.

Barring all that, it's whizz wheel time. Head studs aren't *that* expensive. Not worth two men's time, that's for sure.

[Wayne 962]

Cut the stud - that's what I would do. THen use a bunch of vise-grips to remove it from the case...

-Wayne

[old_skul]

Wayne, if I were to use that method, would it be advisable to heat the case first to loosen the loctite?

Can Vise-Grips actually get enough purchase on a chopped stud? I figured we'd have to weld a nut on there.

[cstreit]

So long as it isn't a Dilivar stud, I'd just cut it off and then weld a nut on the end of it! Easy peezy...