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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Cylinder Head Stud Removal?

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Cylinder Head Stud Removal?     kubes40 09-10-2013 @ 5:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3406 Joined: Oct 2009 As a retired tool maker,I can tell you there is no such thing as a "good" easy-out. We would only allow the smarta-- apprentices to use them at all. It was always a good learning experience for them. Magnetic base drills can be useful in many situations. I am not so certain this is one of them. A hardened drill guide that could be held firmly in place would be my my first choice. However, if you do not have the means to make such, then: I would (my .02¢) take the advice of soaking, welding a nut on the end and attempting to work back and forth. PATIENCE is THE virtue required here. Ross6860 09-10-2013 @ 4:30 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 15 Joined: Aug 2013 I didn't think there was a magic bullet, but I'll definitely try the acetone and ATF. I've used Stoddard/ATF, Stoddard/ATF/diesel, etc., but never tried acetone. I imagine it wicks pretty well and then evaporates leaving the ATF behind. I'm in Canton, Ohio. Cleveland and Youngstown are within easy reach. There are at least two decent machine shops noted for high-performance engine work. Performance Machine and CAMS. One is a "Ford specialist" CAMS. I'm, frugal (not cheap like my wife says), so I usually shy away from paying someone to do something I can do myself. I've removed more than a few broken studs and bolts. In this case renting a mag-base drill would probably work well as a start. No idea if anyone rents these and I haven't seen one in 25 years. I drill the offending part out until I'm close to the threads, then with a caping or diamond point chisel start collapsing the top of the stud/bolt. It will usually start working loose. Then use a GOOD easy out to remove the loosened part. As others have said, I have never had luck just drilling a hole and using an easy out. Break the easy out and now you have a hard tool steel thing in the middle of the part you were trying to get out... CharlieStephens 09-08-2013 @ 10:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 893 Joined: Oct 2009 Be aware that there are companies that specialize in removing broken studs. Try asking at some local garages or better yet include your general location in your post and profile and maybe someone will have a recommendation. Charlie Stephens supereal 09-08-2013 @ 10:49 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Alan has given you the best advice. Trying to drill studs almost guarantees the block will be ruined unless a special jig is used to center the bit. Old studs have annealed by thousands of heat/cool cycles, and are usually too soft to come out easily. Aside from providing a place for a wrench, it is the heat of welding that does the trick. We use it for removng exhaust manifold studs, as well. If the engine is worth salvaging after a close examination, take the block to a good machine shop to have the stuck or broken studs extracted. ford38v8 09-08-2013 @ 10:39 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2765 Joined: Oct 2009 Ross, The best proven rustbuster is a homemade solvent: 50/50 acetone and ATF. Stuff on the market like liquid wrench apparently is watered down by EPA regulations. Take it slow, don't get anxious, the tapping and light torquing in & out will eventually do it. Do not under any circumstances use an easy-out. Too often they break, and then you have a bigger problem. If you have to use a torch, use it on the stud, not the block. The heat will help break the rust. On the broken studs, lay a flat washer over the flush broken studs, and wire weld the washer to the stud. Then lay a nut over that and fill the nut with wire weld. The heat generated on the stud by the welding does the rust, and you've got a nut to turn the stud with. The excellent link below explains this method in text and pictures: http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/studremoval.htm To clean up the threads after removal, avoid using a tap, but rather, use a stud with grooves cut lengthwise as a tap has. Alan Ross6860 09-08-2013 @ 8:26 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 15 Joined: Aug 2013 Any magic tricks out there? Probably not, just hard work, but I'll ask anyhow. I have a 59A donor motor that I may build up for my '36 Tudor. I finally have it stripped except for the studs (it was a locked up mess). I think they are original...they are soft and brittle. Several have broken off with pretty minimal effort. I soaked them with PB Blaster and Liquid Wrench. Tapped the studs with a hammer a couple times a day. Did this for a week. No luck. I tried heating the block locally with a torch and that didn't really work, either. I think I'm in for the long road of drilling the studs out and using a chisel and easy-outs to get the remainder out. 24 studs, that ought to take a week or two if I can get a couple out a day...

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