Heat, combined with with a real stud extractor will be much more effective
than vice-grips. Use the opportunity to buy the proper tool - it'll be
cheaper in the long run vs removing the head.

Angus

Angus Gordon
Bainbridge Island WA

www.wordless.me

On Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 12:14 PM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:

> Finally finished my roof this week by taking two nice October vacation days
> thereby freeing me up to pursue the exhaust replacement on the Westy, which
> I undertook in earnest this morning.  I had done the muffler and tailpipe a
> couple of years ago and am now doing the four main pipes upstream of the
> cat.  Although I could find no receipt for it in the paper pile from the two
> previous owners, this system must have been replaced because it does not use
> studs at each flange, but only at two of them. Cylinders #1 and #4 have each
> had both studs replaced with bolts, and despite my fears of dealing with the
> dreaded exhaust studs it was two of these bolts that snapped off during the
> removal, the upper one at each of the two flanges.  Damn!  The studs
> survived just fine, although access to them was so bad I had to Dremel off
> most of the nuts.
>
> So now I find myself with additional challenge of removing the remains of
> the bolts, two nubs about 3/8� long poking out of the heads.  I�m doing some
> other cleanup work before tackling that task so if there are any suggestions
> for proceeding I�m all ears and will check back for your suggestions.  PB
> Blaster soaks in progress.  I�m thinking propane torch and Vise Grips.  I�ve
> heard of welding nuts to what�s left and turning them out that way, but I�m
> no welder.
>
> I knew going in that this job would be messy, troublesome and potential
> painful (lucky on that last one so far) and I know why we pay shops to do
> this kind of work, but I also figured that I could handle it.  Gotta love a
> challenge.
>
> Stephen
>