Head studs stuck! Need help removing. Options

[tornik550]

Note- yes, I realize this has been covered in previous posts however I am looking for additional info.

I recently acquired several new cases for my rebuild. I am trying to remove the head studs. I have an EC case, a EA case and a bus case modified for a 914. I was able to remove the studs on the EC case without major problems however the case has some issues. I do not plan on using the bus case. The EA case seems the best but I can only get 1/2 of the studs out.

I have tried large amounts of penetrating oil over the past few days. I have tried to heat the CASE with a propane torch for about 2 minutes. I am double nutting the stud. I have tried to grip the base of the stud with vise grips however I cannot get the vise tight enough so it doesn't spin (due to some corrosion). I am using a 36 inch wrench so I get very good leverage.

Any ideas? I can put a bit more muscle into removing the studs however I am scared that I will break the stud since it already seems to twist quite a bit. Should I heat the case longer? I have broken a head studs on a EC case in the past and it is not fun trying to remove it (I was actually able to drill the stud out but not fun).

[VaccaRabite]

MAPP heat the case. A lot. Quench the stud with a wet rag ad turn it out ASAP using the vise grips / pipe wrench at the base of the stud as mentioned above. Thats how my machinist got the stud out that was tripping me up. He used Oxy/Acc for heat, not MAPP, but I think both would work.

Zach

[ArtechnikA]

...He used Oxy/Acc for heat, not MAPP, but I think both would work.

I just had one hell of a time getting 4 10mm studs out of the B-pipe flanges on the Titan so I could install a new exhaust. They were STUCK. No hope of getting the nuts off - cut them off with a rotary cutoff disk. Then I still had to get the steel studs out of the steel flanges.

Was all prepared to drill the stubs out - picked up the cute-but-pricey left-handed cobalt bits and everything. Decided to give heat one more try.

The BernzOMatic people now have an update on the 'home version' bottled-oxygen kit that was once oxy-propane (and solid-fuel oxygen generator like airliners before that...). So now they have a torch calibrated for propylene (formerly called MAPP) and an uprated oxygen regulator that's actually pretty decent.

It was shelf-tagged at a little under $60 at the Lowes but it rang up at about $15. I had the clerk recheck and even type in the SKU to make sure it wasn't just scanning the UPC on the propylene tank. $15. I thanked her, said 'have a great day' and left...

The key with the steel stud in the steel flange was to heat the flange and direct it away from the stud, making the hole bigger, but not the stud.

I got 20 minutes of oxygen from each oxygen bottle - enough to do the two frozen studs on each side - 10 minutes per stud, 40 for all 4.

But use some caution - I don't think you can actually ignite the case heating it in the stud area but I suspect the alloy will go from solid-looking to localised puddle in a flash right around the eutectic point...

I had the flanges glowing red and the studs still wouldn't budge - the MAPP torch makes a lot of heat but I couldn't direct it away from the studs. The smaller but hotter oxy/MAPP pulled it off.