Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Header flange studs - any tricks?

I was taking my headers off the other day and one of the nuts was so rusted onto the stud it unscrewed from the engine. I plan on replacing all 4 studs when I'm done wrapping my headers. Are there any tricks putting the studs in? Anti-sieze goo? Any ideas?

Get some new studs then use two regular good quality nuts and lock them together on the outboard end of each stud. Thread the other end of the stud into the cylinder head to the prescribed torque using a socket on the locked nuts and ratchet/torque wrench.

cool I figured it was something like that using the doublelocked nuts. thanks

Maybe use some brass nuts (ok )they won't rust to the stud.

once the studs are in put some high temp. copper anti-seize on them.

just the header end and not the engine end right?

Thanks Ian...I just ordered those from Hermys actually

Just re-use it. Thread the stud, with the frozen nut on it, into the head untill finger tight, then just toruq to spec.
Doesn't matter if the nut tightens on the stud, or the stud tightens into the head.(like a bolt would do)
I always do this, as the nuts rusted to the stud is a VERY common situation with exhuast nuts/bolts/studs.
Even for new ones, I don't think ANYTHING is going to solve the problem long term,cause the heat and environment are just too much, unless you give it routine maintanence.(like re-coating every 6 months).

The brass nut trick works and anti-seize works too but not forever. Yes just the nut end no need to put anti-seize on the part going into the head.

ya know erle most of the time I'd say fuk it and reuse it anyway. But the nuts themselves are so rusted and deteriorated that I figured I would replace them now rather than rounding them out later. I just dont wanna have that thing bite me later when the stud breaks off in the head or something cause I'm yanking on it like crazy.

Just for the sake of information, I recently bought some new studs for mine and they have a little bit of threadlocker already applied to the part that goes in the head.

Ya know I actually noticed a bit of locktite on the flange nut side and thought it was from the previous owner. Anyone think thats a bad idea?

Nope, but threadlock or loctite usually releases with heat. Not sure if the head would get hot enough to make it non effective. I usually rely on bottoming the stud. Don't want to strip those aluminum threads though.

gotcha!

The last time I HAD to get exhaust studs was when I got new headers for the GS850.
EVERY young parts guy I asked kept asking "What Model?"

I'd tell them "It doesn't matter, the stock ones no longer work with the aftermarket pipes"
Even though I told them the exact size I wanted, they'd say "I don't have a parts ben to pick from"
WHAT A-HOLES!!!

Thank God ACE HARDWARE is still around!

They have ALL sizes, and at about 30% of the A-HOLES cost!

(Didn't mean to get all "Dwightesh" , BUT IT STILL PIZZ'S ME OFF!!!)

are you saying ACE sells the studs for our bikes?

I'm not positive, but if you measure the lenght & size, call them on the phone and ask. I've only needed the longer ones for the aftermarket headers on the GS, but they had a LARGE assortment, including the ones I needed.

haha....I wish I knew that a week ago. I'm still waiting on those fukers and we've had some decent weather too. I might try to find them and just mail those oem's back.

If you do find some aftermarket ones, ship the oem ones to me and I'll get you payment.

I'll keep you posted moe