Exhaust Flange Nuts Stuck

[Timeless]

I was working on removing my header this afternoon and hit a road block. The nuts holding the exhaust flange onto the front cylinder won't budge. I have blasted them with WD40 a few times over the past 18 hours.

I have applied moderate torque with a 3/8" ratchet but I don't want to break one of the studs.

Any one have any tips? Should I heat the nuts up with a torch?

 

[anrkizm95]

WD40

weak try pb blaster from your local parts store.run the bike until hot spray let cool spray again and remove nuts.

 

[Timeless]

I'll try PB. I can't run the bike though as it is disassembled.

 

[Timeless]

These f*ckers are still stuck.

I hit them with PB and their not budging. I don't want to try to hard though and break the stud.

Any one have any comments about taking a torch to the nuts?

 

[uly luigi]

A plumbers torch won't hurt, the little propane ones, heat it up real good and spray with PB until cooled and spray again, using a box end wrench a couple of light taps with a small hammer on the end of the wrench and some more PB, take your time, PB Blaster is cheap compared to a broken stud

 

[Timeless]

Well, I finally made a step forward and took a step back. I got one of the nuts free and ended up breaking the stud on the other.

I broke the upper left stud on the front cylinder.

There is about 1/4" of stud sticking out from the head so I'm hoping I can grab it with vise grips or something.

I really hope pulling my micron exhaust is going to be worth it =(

Any advice on removing the busted stud?

 

[Timeless]

What are every one's thoughts on the following?

A. Soak stud with PB for a long time. Weld a nut to the stud and attempt to back out with a socket.

B. Buy stud drill out tool, attempt to drill out stud.

C. Borrow drill out tool from a member here, attempt to drill out stud. Extent many thanks to BuellXB community.


Any other suggestions?

 

[user_deleted]

timeless: try and work with the 1/4 inch sticking out and a really fresh top-shelf vicegrip. keep soaking wit kroil or pb. get an oxy-acetylene setup if you can that has fine welding tip. you want to heat the aluminum around the stud, not the stud. flame must be able to do that but you can try a bernzomatic type torch if nothing else available. heat around the stud area always seems to work. get on it with the vicegrips and tighten-loosen...tighten-loosen...work it back and forth. it will come out.

 

[konarider94]

this is the time to use kroil. it works better than PB even but it is expensive. you can also try welding a nut on the stud.

 

[Timeless]

I have an acetylene torch set up that helped get the other nut free. The tip is less than ideal though. However, as the aluminum will heat up much faster than the steel stud, I might give it a go after soaking the stud in PB for a while.

I can probably borrow a smaller torch if that fails.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[konarider94]

if it does break at least you have one hole that you can use one of the drill jigs with. could be worse, i was in your spot last year

 

[Timeless]

That is a pretty interesting suggestion, squid. Thanks.