Broke exhaust stud that connects to the rear pipe. Please help need my car.

[iruleyou1]

I have a 97 z3 2.8 and I broke one of the studs off at the bottom of the header which are used to attach the rest of the exaust. The bolts 3 bolts for each section are in a triangle pattern. Looking up at it is there something I can do? Is there an easy way to replace this or do something without taking it off the car. The back side of the stud feels like a nail head. If I can unscrew it which way do i turn? What a nightmare it was the last nut I was taking off when it broke. I want to shoot myself right now.

[Ryan M]

You broke off the head of the bolt and the rest is still in the pipe correct? If this is the case did you try drilling out the remainder? Or try grapping the back of the part of the bolt still sticking out with some vice grips and twisting the rest out.

[Randy Forbes]

Those suckers are pressed into the header flange (at least on the M version, but I've also seen them tack-welded too).

The bolt is Inconel, and a single replacement bolt is about $21.00.

I've been through the same process a couple of times. Not fun.

http://www.rfdm.com/albums/album84/dbr_094.jpg

http://www.rfdm.com/albums/album84/dbr_116.jpg

http://www.rfdm.com/albums/album84/dbr_117.jpg

[Vinci]

In the future, Blaster will take good care of you.

http://blasterchemical.com/images/images/products/PB-ts_lg.jpg

[Randy Forbes]

Derek, I had soaked those in the pictures for several days while working on the backend of the car. Even used a Mapp torch to get the nuts almost cherry.

Sometimes they just don't want to come off.

On the upside, I did discover that you can get the xmsn out (of an S-52) without removing the exhaust mid pipe/catalytic converters...

[Vinci]

Whoa... I've never found anything that Blaster didn't free up with enough soak time. I've gotten out broken head bolts with Channel Locks and an overnight soak on Blaster.

You seriously wiggled a transmission out around those pipes?! :yikes: Did you have to pull the driveshaft entirely out get enough clearance?

[Randy Forbes]

Whoa... I've never found anything that Blaster didn't free up with enough soak time. I've gotten out broken head bolts with Channel Locks and an overnight soak on Blaster.

You seriously wiggled a transmission out around those pipes?! :yikes: Did you have to pull the driveshaft entirely out get enough clearance?
Dude, I know tricks for stuck fasteners that you've never heard of; none of them worked on that baby ;)

Driveshaft was only disconnected at the guibo and held aside with a bungy.

[Vinci]

Well, I am impressed, as usual. I probably would have bent those pipes up pretty badly if I had left them in when I did mine. I'm oddly looking forward to being able to pull mine back out again to do the shift pins.

[iruleyou1]

Thanks for the great pictures. I drilled them out and temporarily put a nut and bolt though the hole. I got them on about as hand tightend as I could. Do you think this could work permenantly or should i get the correct part. To install the studs that were listed I would imagine I would have to remove the header and have them pressed in. An impact wrench wouldn't be strong enough to pull them in would it? To add insult to injury after everything was said and done the DEC exhaust I had was made wrong and one of the pipes that connect to the headers didn't line up by a half inch. I have to go back under the car anyway at a later date since the old exhaust had to be put back on. What a long night that was.

[Ben Carufel]

Randy, have you ever used Wurth's Rost-Off Ice?

[Ben Carufel]

By the way, Randy, thought you might dig this:

http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjanlar5

[Randy Forbes]

Thanks for the great pictures. I drilled them out and temporarily put a nut and bolt though the hole. I got them on about as hand tightend as I could. Do you think this could work permenantly or should i get the correct part. To install the studs that were listed I would imagine I would have to remove the header and have them pressed in. An impact wrench wouldn't be strong enough to pull them in would it? To add insult to injury after everything was said and done the DEC exhaust I had was made wrong and one of the pipes that connect to the headers didn't line up by a half inch. I have to go back under the car anyway at a later date since the old exhaust had to be put back on. What a long night that was.The replacement bolt (shown) doesn't have a press fit.

[iamwiz82]

I think that i have snapped those pressed bolts in every car I have changed exhausts on. I end up punching it out and then replacing it with nuts and bolts. It's easier, in my experience.

[Randy Forbes]

By the way, Randy, thought you might dig this:

http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjanlar5
Looks like a good (cheap) source for trick hardware.

[dwm]

Thanks for the great pictures. I drilled them out and temporarily put a nut and bolt though the hole. I got them on about as hand tightend as I could. Do you think this could work permenantly or should i get the correct part. To install the studs that were listed I would imagine I would have to remove the header and have them pressed in. An impact wrench wouldn't be strong enough to pull them in would it? To add insult to injury after everything was said and done the DEC exhaust I had was made wrong and one of the pipes that connect to the headers didn't line up by a half inch. I have to go back under the car anyway at a later date since the old exhaust had to be put back on. What a long night that was.

The issue here is temperature, that's why Inconel is used. I'd suck it up and pay for Inconel fasteners. Anything less corrosion-resistant under very high heat will not last.

[Ron Stygar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inconel