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Subject:Oh no. Exhaust stud breakage.
From:Wesley Alden Pegden
Date:Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:26:37 -0500

My worst fears come true...
A few weeks ago, I installed a new exhaust system.  Without a torch, I paid someone to remove the studs for me.  He removed two, and said he pulled pretty hard on the other two and they wouldn't budge, and was afraid they were going to break, and so left them in.

A week or so ago (after I had the new system on), it seemed like stuff was pretty loud, so I checked the bolts on the exhaust.  Sure enough, one of the stud nuts (the top nut on the front passenger side), wasn't down all the way.  I went to tighten it down, and the stud twisted right off.

It's broken off right at the end of the hole in the header (so it still holds the header in place).

My question is: what can I do?  An attempt at removing the stud, it seems, will almost certainly meet with the same sad fate as my attempt to turn the nut all the way on.  I certainly don't think I have the means to drill the stud out right now (or have it drilled out).  Do I have any other options, other than driving aroud a loud van (and failing PA inspection in August)?

Thanks for any help,
Wes