Remember, it was actually a bolt and not a stud.� Perhaps those bolts are made from a different steel than the studs are.� I also read that heat from welding can further harden such a piece so perhpas this contributed to the difficulty.
�
Stephen

--- On Mon, 10/24/11, James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Remove Broken Stud: Web Page
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Monday, October 24, 2011, 9:03 AM

That stud should not have been that difficult to drill out. As far as I know they are fairly mild steel. 

Jim

On Oct 24, 2011, at 4:56 AM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> BTDTOTTNS (Been There, Done That, On To The Next Step).� 
> 
> I had the opportunity to try that this weekend and REALLY wish it had worked for me.� The broken exhaust bolt (might as well be a stud by now) did not succumb to propane heat, the "100 taps" and a variety of persuasions including two different types of extractors, so I paid a mobile welder to give this a try on Saturday.� Three attempts resulted in an ever shorter stud as another piece broke off per attempt.� On the last one after welding the nut on he also heated the area of the head with his acetylene torch, all to no avail.� 
> 
> Drilling in place was the next step but I could barely make a dent beyond the punch mark in the end of the piece. I finally pulled the head to take to a machine shop and that is where we stand at the moment.� The welding method might work in 90% of the cases, so I guess I'm just lucky.� Fate wanted me to get more intimate with the WBX than I ever intended.
> 
> Stephen
> 
> --- On Mon, 10/24/11, neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Remove Broken Stud: Web Page
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Monday, October 24, 2011, 12:08 AM
> 
> Stumbled on this via thesamba. IIRC, I had read a comment from Terry K
> referring to this method and wasn't 100% sure what he meant. Seems
> this may be the technique he spoke of:
> 
> http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/studremoval.htm
> 
> Neil.
> 
> -- 
> Neil n
> 
> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly� http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
> 
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"� http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
> 
> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
> 
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines