Exhaust bolts and impact drivers

[AlexBrown_1]

Hi all,
My gsx is feeling a bit sorry for itself and I think there's an exhaust leak which has led me to the very unfortunate stage of needing to remove the exhaust bolts. I would say exhaust manifold but there isn't actually a manifold, just exhaust straight onto the head with some clamping things.

Anyroad, these bolts are in pretty bad shape, the original hex stripped out like butter, and I'm currently whacking a torx in there and trying to use that (after copious wd40 soaking for a few hours).

I have got a manual impact driver, but it occurs to me that this might be a bit dicey as you absolutely mallet the end with a hammer and I'm worried this might damage the head? Particularly mating surfaces with the engine?

Should I be worried? Should I be a bit worried but just be sort of careful? Or shall I throw the whole bloody bike in the bin and get that lovely cbr650f I've had my eye on.

Cheers

 

[ajlelectronics]

(after copious wd40 soaking for a few hours).

That will only help if it is wet. Try some releasing oil, the best is a 50:50 mix of ATF with real Acetone, mixed and applied by brush. Second best is neat diesel. Water Dispersant (40th try) comes one step above water.

 

[James1979]

Be worried but careful. Like anything mechanical really. If you go at it like a loon you’ll damage something but go steady and stop to see what’s happening and you’ll be fine.

WD is crap at that by the way. You need penetrant. Plus gas, GT85, Dinitrol are a few. Or mix up acetone and ATF 50/50 if you have any of either.

If you have the time and it’s possible, feed the penetrating fluid in, then wrap in plastic and leave it. Repeat every while. It’s the vapours that do the work.

Edit. Crossed with AJ

 

[James1979]

Oh, and another thing.

Not teaching you to suck eggs, but when you put the hex head in, give it a good few clouts home before you try and turn it. It seats it properly and a bit of a shock can crack the hold of the thread.

I have a friend who has an SRAD Gixer and I’ve done tons on that. The bolts are cheese - I feel your pain

 

[Morrisman]

Oddly enough I was at my mates bike shop on Friday, he was drilling the snapped off head studs out of some Honda or other, all 8 of them... frame tube was nicely positioned on one side, to limit access to 2 of the studs.

They're basically locked in there forever, once a few years has gone by. Chances are they will snap, even if you can get a grip of the heads somehow. Then drilling them out is the only option.

Or welding a nut over the remaining stump, really hot, fill it with weld and hopefully the heat will loosen it up a bit too and it screws out nicely.

 

[Agrismith]

Is the anyone you can borrow a battery impact wrench off?? Even the small ones scaffolders use so a good job at stuff like this

 

[James1979]

Is the anyone you can borrow a battery impact wrench off?? Even the small ones scaffolders use so a good job at stuff like this

The small hex impact drivers are alright on motorbike sized bolts as well.

For best results don’t just ‘send it’, give it some ugga duggas one way, reverse direction and repeat. Reverse direction and repeat and so on.

Getting stuck or stubborn bolts undone is a skill.

 

[Pete.]

Suzuki love to use stainless cap screws for exhaust bolts which rot away and snap from glancing sternly at them. I had a Badit which snapped all 8 of them once with no effort at all.

I'd be lining up to make a drill bushing and break out the mig welder too, so that you're ready.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Lots of good advice, exhaust bolts/studs are here to try us poor motorcyclists...

I'm going to mention lefthand drills, while you've still got some of the hex socket to guide you, and avoiding EZ-Snaps etc, all you need now is a piece of hardened tool steel in a hole in the head...

Ceramic Anti-Seize. All I'm saying.

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[AlexBrown_1]

Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to try and follow as much as I can within the confines of what I've got in the garage.

I've switched to some penetrating graphite spray but I might try some old diesel? I think I have some kicking around. Although maybe not the best on an exhaust for fire reasons?

I've been at it since about 7:30 and have just got one bolt out. The rest are resisting my efforts so far, but I suppose non have snapped yet so that's good? Probably because I can't get enough purchase on them to do so!

I think I might drill some small holes in the centre of each bolt head with a Centre drill in case of any snapping down the line.

 

[tom2207]

heats usually the best option if you have access to it and space ,,, no way on gods earth would i be using an impact gun , you will just be picking up broken studs off the floor ,, if you have space to drill the studs , how about drilling the nuts instead a hole each side and then splitting them off ,,,, post a pic or two and lets see what your working with ,,,, try running the bike up and that will heat the exhaust studs up too ,,, help the oil work its way in too ,,, lots of options ,,,

 

[Farside]

Although maybe not the best on an exhaust for fire reasons?

It will just smoke a bit, not burst into flames.

 

[James1979]

He's working with bolts not studs I think.

Cap head stainless hideousness of about a 6mm key if I remember right!

I do not envy him.

 

[tom2207]

Cap head stainless hideousness of about a 6mm key if I remember right!

I do not envy him.

in that case ,,, its heat ,,, and patience ,,,
on the bright side though it will be easier when the engines on the bench .

 

[roofman]

get them cherry red with mapp gas and they will fall out...forget any sort of fluids,waste of time and put that impact back in the draw

 

[AlexBrown_1]

Well. 2 out so far, and 1 snapped off. Giving up for today but I think next is to clean up what is left and weld proper bolts on.

I think purchase is my biggest problem, everything I tried was just slipping under any serious force.

Feels like a waste of a day a bit but it is what it is and it's my best chance to get riding again so I'm just going to keep trucking on and try to do some more in my evenings. At least I can look on the bright side and I didn't pay a garage a large sum of money to do it.

Thanks again all, the advice is much appreciated

 

[Pete.]

Get a handful of M8 nuts and start mig welding them to the broken stud, wait for them to cool then try with a spanner. Usually takes 2 or 3 before it unscrews in my experience.

 

[RichardM]

If you can get a tig torch on them, heat them up a couple of times to break the corrosion. Then replace them with plated steel studs and use brass nuts.