Snapped off an exhaust bolt

Get the torch out and heat that sucker up red hot. Be VERY careful with the torch. You don't want a red hot bolt falling on you. It never fails to fall into your shirt and to a place that's very hard to remove. Add this to you squirming around below your jeep which is probably on jack stands. Bad combinaton.

If you've got enough meat to grab, try vice grips. Otherwise, get some left hand (reverse) drill bits and start drilling in reverse. Torch it as needed to keep it red hot or real hot. If it doesn't back out by the time you are halfway through the bolt, try an EZ-out.

Use a center punch to start your drilling so you don't drill booger up the threads. If there is some sticking bolt sticking out, but not enough to grab, try to grind it as flat as you can, this will make drilling much easier. Use a bit just a little bit smaller than the bolt and once you drill all the way through you should be able to collapse it.

Let us know what you try and what works for you.

HTH

Carl

Next time use a GOOD lubricant like Kroil or BP blaster. WD-40 is a water displacing solvent that has little effect of tough rust.

For this time, I'd hit it with the Kroil or PB, let it sit for at least

10 m> I was removing the nuts from two bolts where the exhaust pipe bolts onto

Yeah, I realized the WD40 is not the best for rust. I actually have plenty of bolt left to grab on to, but not enough that it is still usable. It snapped, with a little less than half remaining. Should I be able to unscrew it from the manifold fitting, assuming I get it hot enough and soak it enough with the right kind of lubricant? Do I replace it with a headless bolt (do they have a proper term for these), screwed in from underneath?

Thanks

bolt left to grab on to, but not enough that it is

be able to unscrew it from the manifold fitting,

lubricant? Do I replace it with a headless bolt (do they

The term your looking for is "stud".

Apply PB blaster, tap lightly with a hammer, wait half an hour, put on some more pb blaster, tap again, then use some vice grips to turn it out.

Studs are good for this. If they weld themselves to the manifold or whatever they are screwed into, it's a good thing. You can put some anti-seize or thread locker on them first, but it will burn off and the stud will rust in place eventually.

Earle

The torch is your best friend in this situation.

Carl

Lots of penetrant, judious heat, tap tap, more penetrant, repeat over several days. Get a brand new Vice Grip (by brand, no import junk!) and give it a go. I've had one come out with a major screech on the second day of swearing at it. Good luck.

Replace with a suitable stud from dealer or NAPA. It would be a good idea to run a suitable tap > RoyJ wrote:

Having just been through something like this myself (Dec 27 posting entitled "Best method for extracting bolts with broken off heads..."), here's my $0.02 CAD.

1) After a bunch of futzing around with Eazy-Outs, stud extractors, PB, vice grips, etc, the solution for my bolts was to drill them out. If you're going to drill them out, DON'T use the package of 10 for $5 el-cheapo Titanium coated drill bits. Get down to a real hardware store, and get some good cobalt bits. If you use cheap bits and break one of them off in the bolt, it makes life ever so much more fun. I ended up picking up some Dewalt , at about $4/bit. Oh yeah, and get some cutting oil to squirt in there now and again. And pick up a tap-and-die set, in case you have to clean up the threads, or drill it out one size bigger and re-tap it. 2) Use just about the largest bit you feel comfortable with. Smaller bits will break off, and see the last sentence of point 1.

3) Take your time and come back to the group if you get stuck. Great help here.

Clint, who spent a good chunk of his Christmas holidays trying to get two bolts out of his engine block because he was worried about drilling them out.

Not the best? More like completely useless against rusted bolts. It's nowhere near as effective a penetrant as Kroil, Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster. Nor is it a decent lubricant. It's not even all that great as a water deterent compared to using stuff like Boeshield.

What helps the most when using actual penetrating oils is time. Put some on it and let it sit for a couple hours. Then tap it lightly with a hammer several times and reapply the oil. Repeat. The vibration caused by the hammer will help loosen the rust bond, thus making room for more oil to penetrate. Repeating the process often helps get enough of it loosened to back it out. Like someone else said, with quite a screeching sound.

They're called exhaust studs. Any auto parts place should carry them.

-Bill Kearney

hmmm Might I add that having a positive attitude along with saying a little prayer during the operation has usually helped me during these rare occasions.

Since you have enough meat on the stud then the torch along with the vise-grip pliers WILL work. Like the others said heat up the area up around the stud, try to get it to budge even JUST A LITTLE with the vise grips is good. Then when it cools down some you can spray it with some good rust penetrant. There will be smoke and noxious gas so please work in a well ventilated place along with having a fire extinguisher handy. Work it back and forth taking care not to break it again. Use plenty of the penetrant while working it back and forth. It it gets stuck again use the torch to heat it back up and repeat.

Heat is one of my best tools on rusted nuts and bolts! ;-)

No. It's a splined press-fit stud like on a wheel hub, not a threaded fastener. You have to press it out (if the assembly is on a workbench) or drill it out (if the assembly is on the car). Forget the advice from the more-macho-than-thou types about rusty bolt extraction.

Since when?

I have removed more exhaust studs than I care to remember over the years and have 'never' seen or heard of a pressed fit exhaust stud in any vehicle I have been exposed to.

I also have removed a couple 80's YJ ones...

The replacements come in kits with the special brass nuts.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

You must be thinking about something else.

We're talking about the manifold to pipe connector.

Here's the version NAPA sells for the TJ, part BK 6003227:

Good lord, you are now telling me the $tealerships just came up with another way to screw you out of big bucks by replacing a screw stud with a press fit that needs a freaking machine shop to fix? It also has what looks like a steel nut which is pretty much guaranteed to rust weld it making removal impossible.

When did they start this rip off?

I would guess with the TJ?

The YJ 258 uses screw studs and brass nuts as far as I have seen and I have taken a couple apart. I sure didn't notice heads in there.

Your NAPA link is for a TJ, not a YJ.

Mike

now that's a brilliant way to rip folks off.

I'd be taking a press to remove it and replace the thing with a normal bolt.

I looked up the offending part in the parts book.

The OP has an 88YJ which would be the 4.2 l engine, cast iron exhaust manifilds and the SCREW IN studs. The 4.0 l engine in the 88 Cherokee uses the fabricated manifolds with the PRESS IN studs. (Pressed in through the thin manifold plate. )

If the > Mike Roma>

Yes I'm sure. And you will be too if you just take a moment to look at a TJ manifold, or look up the NAPA part I quoted, instead of assuming I'm an idiot that doesn't know the difference.