[sobbing] It has been now almost FIVE weeks since I have driven Veronica.


The weather has turned much colder - when the turbo performance increases greatly and the car leaps with a ferocity that dismays BMW drivers...


I have had to drive other (lesser) vehicles! I was even passed by a CAMRY! [more sobbing]


[sniff!]


But I will be strong!
I believe I will get her fixed this weekend (without a garage? outside in the snow? Cold? BAH!! I don't care!)


(I was replacing the cracked/broken exhaust manifold [high five for engineering] and got held up by a stuck stud on the turbo. My neighbor should be able to weld the nut to the stud and let me finish the task "soon." It has been "soon" since ~Dec 12... [breaks back into fits of uncontrollable sobbing])

 

I know the feeling...

 

have a look and feel better:

 

 

[sniff!]
Better...


So uhm, yeah, 3" snow, 22 deg F with wind-chill in the singles... I pressed on, undeterred.
Upside to the cold? I gave my index finger a second degree burn from the welded nut and it hurt only for a wee bit


Status:
The stud is still in Two attempts at welding a nut on produced two failures (nut would come off before stud would budge).
AAAuuunnnddd the new bolt for the stud I did remove - will not thread. I need to buy a 10mm 1.25 pitch HSS tap...


Buuutt I re-installed the manifold bolts and with only two bolts holding the turbo to the manifold - she runs/drives again!! And way quieter than I expected... Oo


So:
New plan: cut stud with dremel and then drill a 8mm hole through the stud (need help here - is that the correct size I should use) for an "ez-out"[tm] to remove the stud.


I can drive her a again (at least for bit) to remember why I love this car so much!

"Failure is not an option"

 

I Wouldnt bother with the easy out, they are too soft for exhaust stuff.

Also at 8mm there won't be much bolt left, just threads.

How good was the penetration of the welds? It also helps to hit them while there are hot.

 

Not great welds - just a gob on top.
You could see where the weld would tear (torque forces) in a relatively small spot...
I wanted to hit when hot but - right after welding I would have to grind slag off to get the socket to fit and in the 22deg f ambient - it didn't take long to cool...




So... should I use a 7mm drill and HSS ez out?
Or use the 8mm - precisely because it will leave not much at all


Or is this task best left to a machine shop?

 

Yea I've found in the past that its not about just getting material on there, you need good penetration for getting studs out.

Is this an Exhaust Manifold stud or turbo stud?

I would try using a small(as big as you can fit in there) Plumbing wrench(monkey wrench), heat the stud up and go to town with that thing.

In the absolute worse case scenario you will rip the stud off.
Which I would then say grind it flush and go at it with a pistol drill. use a ***** punch to give the drill a center. Then use a drill guide block( a piece of still with a 6mm hole for a 6mm bit) then drill 6mm through...if you managed to stay true in the hole I would go 8, then 8.5 then you should be able to peel the threads out of there.

That being said as long as you grip the stud at the base you shouldn't have problems twisting that guy off with the monkey wrench.

 

I applied cash to the wound...


I'm having an exhaust shop remove the stud and chase the threads to install two bolts.
I am awaiting a call to pick her up...
[and praying]

 

Good luck dude, what did they quote you for the job?

 

The job itself is more time consuming and irritating than it is technical. I'm sure they'll have her fixed up very soon.

-pal215

 

This is why I'm taking my car to a shop to do my turbo swap lol

 

Quote was $40...
But that was when it might be easy...
"It has already taken way more time and now drill bits to do this, so...."

 

Are you going to turbo swap after you get the manifold out?

 

Nope. Just replace the cracked manifold...


Good news! Ready for pick up (and me to remove and replace the manifold (fufhfufhfinally!!)