Stud extracter

I have had one for years, they work fantastically well in conjunction with an air wrench, I understand they will work with a ratchet handle too. the

3mm bit sticking out is fine on larger sizes 8mm plus but 6 mm studs can be a problem when very short.

I bought mine from a snap on van, it was about 75 quid 12 or so years ago. I have seen them in the back of exhaust catalogues, so it could be worth asking a car shop for a price.

as well as removing broken studs very well they are ideal for taking out things like cyl head studs so you can clean the gasket faces properly, since if there is enough blind stud outside then the jaws grip beyond the threads, far better than mole grips !!

defo a good investment for an enthusiast, but a bit dear for simple diyer

mrcheerful

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====================== Thanks for that information - I thought they were something new on the market. Are they two or three jaw tools? Have you any idea if they work on the *outside* perimeter of small torx headed bolts / setscrews as I find quite a few with damaged centres?

Cic.

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====================== Thanks for that information - I thought they were something new on the market. Are they two or three jaw tools? Have you any idea if they work on the *outside* perimeter of small torx headed bolts / setscrews as I find quite a few with damaged centres?

Cic.

mine has three jaws, I expect they are all the same. I have never used the tool on a torx head. I see no reason it shouldn't work, but why do you have so much trouble with them? I worked for years as a motorcycle mechanic, we used to see hundreds of examples of damaged screw heads by customers, we never wrecked any, the secret is to always give them a sturdy whack using a drift before you even try to move them, then always use a really well fitting screwdriver, preferably an anti cam out type with a t handle.. In the case of torx screws most of that applies too, especially the bit about a good quality well fitting bit. Sometimes I find that the end of torx bits are made too rounded and they don't engage deep in the head, grind the tip to a good sharp 90 degrees and they are much better, if you get a torx where someone has removed all the teeth, then after giving it a good whack with a drift, get a dremel and cut a screwdriver slot in it. Another good trick for really awkward screws is the use of a real impact screwdriver and I don't mean one you whack, either. Snap on make an air chisel attachment that will undo even the tightest screw that looks like a mess of rust, cheap too at about 25 quid, but you do need an air chisel (20 quid) and a compressed air supply (75 upwards)

mrcheerful

========================= Thanks for all those suggestions - I am quite familiar with various methods of dealing with stubborn screws, nuts etc.It isn't that I have any major problems with Torx screws but I find it a bit depressing to find them in such a poor state that a routine job becomes a bit of a nightmare. The idea of using a reliable tool such as the stud extractor seems much more appealing than than all the other ways if it works well.

I've traced one (3 jaw type) through 'Google' at about £18-00 so I'll probably buy one. I also found a set of 4 extractors which appear to be miniature versions of the large stud extractor that uses a knurled wheel to grip to remove cylinder studs. I'll probably go to my local 'proper' toolshop and see if they've got them in stock so that I can check how they work.

Cic.