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Welding broken exhaust bolts

  1. #1
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Welding broken exhaust bolts

    So the good news is the SV is fully disassembled and ready for the new frame.

    Bad news is both the header bolts broke in half.

    The sort of good news is there's a good 1/4-1/2" exposed and the motor is out and pipes are off so I can get to them easily.

    I hear it's a common issue but a lot of people recommend drilling and using a bolt extractor. Sounds like a lot of people end up wrecking the bolt and getting a helicoil in the end this way. NOT keen on putting a coil on a perfectly good head. Seeing as how the bolts were tight enough to break in half even after a few days of PB soaking I feel like a bolt extractor is going to be useless and end up just wrecking the bolts trying to drill.

    Getting to the point: I want to weld a nut on both bolts. But I'm worried about wrecking the aluminum. I have a basic 125A wire feed HF welder. Anyone with experience in this kind of thing? Where would I put my ground clamp? What are the chances of overheating/warping the aluminum?


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  2. #2
    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Best way to approach this is to use a set of thread chasers and run the die onto what's left of the stud. Now you can thread a nut onto the stud and just bump a few quick tack welds inside the nut to the tip of the stud. Don't worry about heat for just a couple quick tacks, you should be able to ground to pretty much anywhere on the motor/frame where there's bare metal. Shouldn't make a difference, but not a bad idea to pull the ECU.

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  3. #3
    Lifer Kurlon's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    I like that suggestion, plus that burst of heat may help break the studs loose.

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  4. #4
    Lifer jasnmar's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts



    Nitric acid would also work, as it attacks steel, but not aluminium.

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    Last edited by jasnmar; 02-15-18 at 10:52 AM.

  5. #5
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Cool, I think I'll give the welds a shot!

    That spice trick is something else, I'll have to do some reading it could come in handy.

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  6. #6
    Rookie Rada's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Good luck. Those SS studs grow right in bad. Slipping a nut over the top and welding would be a solid plan. The weld heat might help. Good chance you will still need to drill it out in the end. I've done a few of these and they suck balls

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  7. #7
    Super Moderator TheIglu's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    I had the exact issue with my jicksah sevenfiddy.

    Best of luck. I had to get a new head.

    Yes, tried welding a nut onto the stud.

    Yes, tried drilling it out.

    Yes, tried using an EZ out.

    Fuckin garbage Suzuki hardware. I've had warm sticks of butter that had more tensile strength than those bolts.

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  8. #8
    Backwoods lobster boy number9's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Quote Originally Posted by Rada View Post
    Good luck. Those SS studs grow right in bad. Slipping a nut over the top and welding would be a solid plan. The weld heat might help. Good chance you will still need to drill it out in the end. I've done a few of these and they suck balls
    Doesn't stainless corrode when fastened to non-stainless metals? If the factory put stainless steel studs into an alloy head, that's a recipe for suck.

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  9. #9
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Bah why can't my life ever be simple

    Definitely factory. Factory BS

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  10. #10
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Aside from that the rebuild is coming along smoothly


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  11. #11
    Lifer jasnmar's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Quote Originally Posted by number9 View Post
    Doesn't stainless corrode when fastened to non-stainless metals? If the factory put stainless steel studs into an alloy head, that's a recipe for suck.
    Dissimilar metals, when in contact with one another, tend towards galvanic reactions, especially when they come in contact with water, so yes, but so do all other fasteners that aren't aluminum. They could, of course, use aluminum screws, but that introduces a completely new set of problems as well.

    This is why using things like never seize, or anti-seize, or whatever is a great idea on fasteners going in aluminum parts.

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  12. #12
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    The rear exhaust bolts are non-stainless steel and came out no problem. Guess they did the front stainless for looks?

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  13. #13
    Rookie Rada's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Part of the issue with the front head is that is sees lots of water and as Jason mentioned it hastens the hates.
    These are notoriously hard to remove. You have to precisely drill out the bolt with the tap drill for that size. Then you need to patiently pic the threads out. Using a tap can help but you need to have some clear threads to get you started. Second best bet and maybe 1st is to just drill out and install a thread insert and be done with it.

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  14. #14
    Lifer Kurlon's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Meh, attack with science, show us your AVE inspired iron eating strangebrew!

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  15. #15
    Rookie Rada's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Quote Originally Posted by Kurlon View Post
    Meh, attack with science, show us your AVE inspired iron eating strangebrew!
    That only worked to a minimal extent. It would be great to learn if there was a solution that would wick in and attach the corrosion.

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  16. #16
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Gosh darn it I'm tempted by science... based on what I've been reading it might take a few days but should dissolve the steel entirely.

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  17. #17
    Backwoods lobster boy number9's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Quote Originally Posted by jasnmar View Post
    Dissimilar metals, when in contact with one another, tend towards galvanic reactions, especially when they come in contact with water, so yes, but so do all other fasteners that aren't aluminum. They could, of course, use aluminum screws, but that introduces a completely new set of problems as well.

    This is why using things like never seize, or anti-seize, or whatever is a great idea on fasteners going in aluminum parts.
    Yeah, even on the dirt bike, I try and be liberal with anti-seize and always clean the threads out before installing stuff. The previous owner was a bit of a hack...

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  18. #18
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    I would torch those dull red and then smash a turbo socket on the end with a BFH. Key is heat and shock from the hammer and finding the right turbo socket.

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    Last edited by golden chicken; 02-16-18 at 06:31 PM.
    What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
    First you screw, then you bolt.

  19. #19
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Was at a friend's shop today and we were talking about the turbo sockets - he showed me this badass impact attachment I've never heard of. It clamps around a stud similar to a turbo on a nut but with "fingers", attaches to an impact and tightens as the impact does its thing. Wish I could remember the name right now - gonna check out the tool shops tomorrow and try to find one. I guess it was like $120 but there are cheaper versions for mortals like me. Some heat and an impact sound like a good recipe for freeing up a bolt like this.

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  20. #20
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    A...stud remover?

    stud remover - Google Search

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    What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
    First you screw, then you bolt.

  21. #21
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    That's the one. Who would have guessed?

    Welded a nut on twice and no luck.

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  22. #22
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    I've never succeeded with welding a nut on the few times I've tried it. I have had success the most with heat and shock, sometimes heat and vibration.

    Mapp gas torches work well enough if you don't want to go full retard with oxy-acetylene, but realize the aluminum is going to suck a lot of the heat you're trying to get into the bolt away, so you'll want to keep the heat on for a while.

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    Last edited by golden chicken; 02-17-18 at 02:40 PM.
    What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
    First you screw, then you bolt.

  23. #23
    Lifer Tekime's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Yeah I just have Mapp, I'll def keep that in mind. Those welds got it red hot and I made one attempt with an impact hoping it would free it up. Then another attempt with a hand wrench and got the aluminum hot to the touch with a heat gun, tried going both directions to free it up.. nope.

    Will attack it tomorrow with the torch, hammer and turbo socket.

    Last stop will be drill or melt

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  24. #24
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Would the localized heat create a potential for warpage? I dunno - if the heat from welding didn't do it I'd go right to drilling at this point.

    Get some reverse drills. Knock the stud flat, center punch, and have at it. I try to size the drill big enough to weaken the stud but not so big that you risk hitting threads if you go slightly off course. You want the minor diameter intact so it hopefully comes out in 1 piece. Looking at that head I'd guess you could probably tap next size up; pretty sure I did this on one of my TL's front mounts which is similar to the SV.

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  25. #25
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: Welding broken exhaust bolts

    Nah, don't worry about warpage. Problem with the quick weld is that the heat doesn't have time to travel down the stud into the threads to break the bond, and you have to wait for it to cool before you wrench on it.

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    What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
    First you screw, then you bolt.

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