[tmcilmurray]

Hi, I own a 2005 R6 and the exhaust flanges rusted clean through and the remaining studs are badly rusted and seized.
I used a stud extractor on the one good stud and it snapped at the head, i welded a nut on another and it snapped at the head, I tried drilling with a cobalt bit and it snapped in the stud. I am wondering should i call it quits and remove the engine as access to the studs is poor and may need to take it to a shop.

 

[Intuit]

Ridden salty Winter roads much? Yeesh and I thought mine looked bad. Yours looks like it's been under the sea with Sponge Bob since his original airing. Mine look wonderful compared to that, and yet expect them to break-off.

Yeah machine shops have tricks, ovens and other tools for stuff like this but needless to say that is time and money.

Typically you'd want to expand the hole that the stud is inserted in with heat but it is very hard to heat up the engine head without running the motor. Then you're also heating up the studs, which we want to minimize. Heating up the studs furthers the corrosion they're experiencing, as well as expanding them into an already tight hole.

Try to force some Rust Buster or similar type penetrant / lubricant into the threads after heating it. Let it cool a bit and repeat. Then let it soaking overnight in that stuff. THe idea is to have the stuff drawn in with expansion/contraction cycles. (reality is, not much of that is actually going to happen)

Grab the stud with a pair of parrot-nosed pliers, say a few words to a deity of your choice, attempt to give it a turn and hope the stud don't break-off.

 

[Intuit]

It is very important that you use parrot-nosed pliers and not the standard variety as they do more than narrowly grip from just two sides.

 

[tmcilmurray]

Yeah they're the worst i've ever seen in 35 years of motorcycling. I'm going to pull the engine out as access is so difficult, phoned a engineering firm and they want to take the head off, but ill shop around for better ideas. I hope my bikini bottoms are clean when i get the bill. Anyway i'll try soaking and heating for a few days and try parrot-nosed pliers as you suggest, i may end up just having to drill them myself.

 

[Intuit]

Too much heat in one spot can crack the head.
Cooling too rapidly can crack it as well.
Hardest part about drilling for a tap is not going too deep.
Steel wire tube brushes of excessive diameter are really effective for cleaning up threads.
I avoid using a tap to cleanup threads because it has the potential to needlessly remove thread material.

 

[tmcilmurray]

I only have a plumbers torch , so I hope that won't heat too much, if I'd had oxyacetylene I'd have melded the block, such was my frustration. I've made the engine mount wind out tool and could only wind the sleeves out a couple of turns . My problem now is removing the engine , it looks like it will swing down quite a bit on its lower rear mount but how do I support it , or lift it to get it back in. Is there some sort of cradle /box design or am I over thinking it. I have a trolley jack and i think i can drop it onto its front then pull the lower rear bolt would this be the best way to do it.

 

[Intuit]

One of the other fellas will need to chime in.
I've never had to pull the engine so won't be of any help really.
I assume it might be easier to lift the chassis/frame off the engine.
Floor jack with a board on it might support it?