So how good are these stud remover kits at removing stubbornly stuck studs? http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-6987.aspx The double nut method isn't getting it done and my knuckles can't take many more attempts. And yes, I'm the ****** that must have tightened them too much...even though I was telling myself last year to not tighten them. Never mind the fact that I had anti-seize sitting 5 feet away in my workbench.
The usally work pretty well. I mainly use them from transfering studs from one part to another. CAn try some Loctite on the doble not and let it sit overnight.. Got a pic of what you are working on for better suggestions and space confines ? david
Good but not great. They work well for nonproblematic jobs but for the really stuck ones will probably not get it done. Show a picture of what you are doing. I have one in mind that is less money and will take out any stud up to the breaking point of the stud but needs some headspace.
It's the two long studs that come out of the block through the forward cam belt cover for the lower A/C compressor support bracket. I just need to get those out of the way so I can drop the compressor down from the upper bracket. There's plenty of head space and the idler pulleys and bracket are all removed. By the way this is for a 328.
Here's an old picture with everything assembled, but the arrows show the studs I'm talking about. The coolant pipe, water pump, bracket, idler pulleys are all removed right now. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The tool I was talking about may not fit in there and besides it will wreck the studs and you dont really want to have to replace those. Either get one of the ones you pictured or double nut it with red Locktite and see what happens. How did they get so tight? Those just need to be snugged enough that the nylocks won't take them out with them.
The roller type stud removers are OK if you can get the rollers on the plain shank of the stud but if you can only get to the threaded part, they will flatten the thread as you tighten them. I'm intrigued with what Rifledriver has to offer.
I took them out last year to rebuild the A/C compressor and they were tough then. So when I put them back in, I thought I was very careful about not over tightening them, thinking that putting the nylocks on would get them snug enough. When I took the nylocks off, they were not tight at all so I don't see how I could have over tightened them that way. What's the issue with replacing them if I mangle the threads? Daniel list them as available for about $8. I'll get some red Loctite. All I have at home is the blue stuff I think.
If they are still available its not a big deal. The long bolts for the other cover are NLA and are an unusual length. Check with Daniel before you destroy them. If you are going to replace them cut the tops off. Once the cover is out of the way you have a lot of options.
Thats what I was thinking about but mine is a Snap On and it uses a tapered rack gear and grabs a little harder than the eccentric type. It will grab hard enough it will twist off any stud you are man enough to wrestle.
I have one of those too but again Snap On. The collets grab a little better than the roller type but not a bunch, at least mine doesn't.
Trust me, the recurring thought that has been in my head the last two evenings I've been fooling with them: "You idiot! You've got a tube of anti-seize sitting right over there!" Lesson learned.
When I first went looking for stud removers online today, that came up. It kind of worried me though that you might have too much off axis torque with that design and I'd end up breaking or bending the studs.
Not to derail the thread, but is there a rule of thumb for using anti seize vs. thread locker vs. going dry? I've read plenty of specific instances (i.e. use a little anti-seize on the spark plug threads) but nothing general. I'd guess one would want anti-seize wherever dissimilar metals meet... and thread locker where a loose nut would mean catastrophic failure... but I'm not threadlocking my wheel bolts anytime soon. Any tips?
In California we dont worry about it too much in that instance but those could get rust in many areas. I wouldn't say there is any real rule but something that is either subject to rust, corrosion of any type or aluminum with a steel fastener it should be considered.
It can and you need to be careful of side loading the stud with one of those. It also requires space for it to be able to rotate around the stud. If you can get studs, cut the tops off the ones installed to allow disassembly. You can use a propane torch to heat the stud bosses to help you remove them. The nightmare scenario you want to avoid it the base of the studs breaking off in the block or head. Going back together get a tap and die and chase all the threads to keep from going through this again.
Exactly, which is why I've spent two evenings on this. Slow and careful. If you see a mushroom cloud coming from Alabama it's because I just snapped them off and my head went thermonuclear. I would really like to have them out and the compressor out before I leave Sunday morning to head out to your neck of the woods. I'll be doing some testing in San Leandro all next week and I really don't want to be sitting in the lab every day thinking about these studs.
Just my $.02.... The roller stud removal tools (see pic) work very, very well, particularly where they can grab onto the shank rather than the thread. They'll twist off any stud...the stud will break before the tool slips. Hopefully you mean you're trying to remove the stud with the AC bracket already off, and you've got both some shank and thread to work with. If you're trying to remove the stud with the AC bracket still in place then that's destined to create a mess. As Brian indicates, I believe those studs are not standard lengths. That doesn't mean you can't cut, and thread cut, a longer stud down to the right length but best to get it electroplated after threading so that it doesn't corrode in the bore of the thing bolted to it. There's definitely some metric length stud suppliers on the web that'll supply studs in 5mm increments that shouldn't be too hard to work with. I've only had to use my roller stud removal tool a few times but it has worked like a charm every time! Good luck! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Cliff, Everything is off, including the bracket. There's no shank exposed though because it runs through the cam belt cover. So I'm only working with the threads.
Nobody has mentioned heating the studs first. Obviously can't flame everything in sight but even a little local heating can make a big difference (with a dosing of rust penetrant overnight).
As above...also recommend....heat w/ propane torch. Would not hurt to soak (really soak) the stud's threads w/ penetration oil for a few days. Could try blowing the oil down the stud's threads into the block w/ compressed air. Also install the double nuts w/ red loctite (removable ideally) and let that setup/ dry for a few days too. When oiled and loctite dry...apply heat to the base of the stud at the block and remove with the double nut method. If that fails, heat and tapered stud remover tool. The forum is with you!
