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Stripped exhaust stud

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  • T4
    T4
    12 days ago
    Hey guys, anyone have any sure fire tips for removing a stripped (not broken - yet) exhaust stud?
    2004 Sportster with the motor in place. I have two stud removers; one is too big for the space and the other one (an 8mm) just slips.
     
    With the stud being stripped I cannot use the two locknut trick. As they are an interference fit will heating the stud and letting it cool right down break the bond of dissimilar metals with the alloy head?

    I am guessing as a last resort I will need to weld a nut to the stud and hope that will do the trick.

    Cheers, Will
  • perthhog
    perthhog
    12 days ago
    What you said weld a nut on , give the stud a tap a few times too on the head 
    It helps free it up  , disconnect your battery before you weld it  or 
    Risk upsetting your battery or regulator/ stator or ecu  if it’s efi 
  • OlChesnut
    OlChesnut
    12 days ago
    Before welding, you could try using vice grips.  I've had surprising success with removing studs that way.  It can help if you flatten the stud on both sides to get a better grip.
  • B0nes
    B0nes
    12 days ago
    I broke a stud on my twin cam a few years ago. Used a product called Freeze and Release from Loctite and a set of vice grips. Just sprayed the living crap out of the can around the point where it screws into the head, then clamped the vice grips onto it, gave a short sharp tap on the end with a hammer and bingo. Worked like a charm. YMMV
  • Soapbox2627
    Soapbox2627
    11 days ago
    I have used freeze and release for a while now, wish I had used it on the outboard head, snapped 9 of the SS bolts.
    I also have yield, expensive but good.
  • T4
    T4
    11 days ago
    Thanks guys, it looks like I try the 'Freeze and Release'/vice grips method and if that doesn't work it is weld a nut time and cross my fingers. There will be a slight delay til I source some of this Freeze and Release.

    Stay tuned, Will
  • T4
    T4
    11 days ago
    Soapbox, what is this 'Yield', and who makes it?

    Cheers, Will
  • brucefxdl
    brucefxdl
    11 days ago
    Quoting T4 on 09 Sep 2025 11:38 PM

    Thanks guys, it looks like I try the 'Freeze and Release'/vice grips method and if that doesn't work it is weld a nut time and cross my fingers. There will be a slight delay til I source some of this Freeze and Release.

    Stay tuned, Will

    tip...after welding [ if you go that far ] let it cool completely before attempting to moving it and give the stud a couple of good hits on the end,maybe with a big solid punch,freeze and release will probably help a lot at this point too...hope it helps.
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    11 days ago
    Will if the vice grips do the slippy thing and you can get a pair of these on the stud they won't slip once they bite, might not be enough room though, haven't had a sporty since 03(that may change soon) and I can't picture it in my head, hope you get it out though.
    Screenshot_20250910-172102.png
  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    10 days ago
    The vice grips usually do the job, particularly if you can get two sets on the stud.
  • T4
    T4
    9 days ago
    Gentlemen, thank you all for your advice, tips and suggestions. I have had some measure of success by using copious amounts of Loctite Freeze & Release (thanks B0nes) and turning the stud with vice grips (thank you all that suggested that method).

    Though it was not a straight forward job and there was some collateral damage :( as it was a bl**dy f**king awkward spot to apply said vice grips, and to actually get them to grip I had to put a piece of pipe on each vice grip handle to get enough grip on the stud to turn it that eighth of a turn, then release and regrip.

    Unfortunately, during the protracted process the vice grips at one stage caught the top fin of the barrel (read:operator trouble) with predictable results, as the photos will show: 
    20250911_211152.jpg
    20250911_211312.jpg
    20250911_211202.jpg
  • T4
    T4
    9 days ago
    You are correct speedzter, those ss studs are an expensive little item when currency change and shipping are taken into account :(

    But I bought them anyway . . .

    Only now I have to go through the pain of removing the other three studs

    Cheers, Will
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    9 days ago
    Good for you Will, they are the ducks guts 😁
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    8 days ago
    Quoting T4 on 11 Sep 2025 11:55 PM

    You are correct speedzter, those ss studs are an expensive little item when currency change and shipping are taken into account :(

    But I bought them anyway . . .

    Only now I have to go through the pain of removing the other three studs

    Cheers, Will

    Bugga! Bad luck with the fin.
    Expensive is relative, they are the ultimate solution and for the 4 studs they fall underneath the historical Harley standard that HD stands for at least one hundred dollars for every part you have to buy.
    It's better though to take preventative action early, buy 4 ss nuts and put them on with a small amount of Copper Cote or nickel based Never Seise. Don't tighten the nuts to the recommended torque though, or you risk stripping or snapping the studs if you've bought grade 8 nuts. This won't happen if you buy lower grade nuts, you'll damage them first which is a minor problem.
    Did this on my Sporty 30 years ago, no problems since.
  • T4
    T4
    7 days ago
    Ya Steve, I was wondering about that scenario, so I bought some brass nuts (we used to use brass nuts on the Triumphs back in the old days so they wouldn't seize on the studs). The SS studs come with SS nuts and I have some silver Neversieze but I figured I would use the brass nuts as a 'weak link' so they would fail rather than strip or break the SS studs. 

    Is my logic faulty or am I overthinking this?

    Cheers, Will
  • speedzter
    speedzter
    7 days ago
    You will never strip or snap the ARP studs , unless you massively over-torque them.
    I recall HD torque spec is around 10 ft-lbs  ?
    A grade 8 stud will take 30 ft-lbs + easily .
    I very rarely use a torque wrench on the exhaust nuts. 
    Yes, always use anti seize as a precaution, but :-

    “However, thanks to ARP’s cold-forming process for threads on the stainless steel fasteners, this is no longer a problem. ARP’s stainless fasteners won’t gall the threads"
  • Stuart
    Stuart
    6 days ago
    Quoting speedzter on 14 Sep 2025 12:14 AM

    You will never strip or snap the ARP studs , unless you massively over-torque them.

    I recall HD torque spec is around 10 ft-lbs  ?
    A grade 8 stud will take 30 ft-lbs + easily .
    I very rarely use a torque wrench on the exhaust nuts. 
    Yes, always use anti seize as a precaution, but :-

    “However, thanks to ARP’s cold-forming process for threads on the stainless steel fasteners, this is no longer a problem. ARP’s stainless fasteners won’t gall the threads"

    Good to know - I'm shy of stainless fasteners for that reason - galling.
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