Snapped exhaust header bolts.

[Hornstar]

I know the majority are going to guess what I am about to say......I sheered the head off the front exhaust bolts! However thats not my only problem.

I need to get my swingarm off and forgot the exhaust needs to be removed. So tonight I started to remove the exhaust but didn't want to touch the exhaust bolts so thought I could slip it off from the lower connection just below the oil cooler.

Everything came undone except the exhaust clamp, which was rusted to buggery and snapped as soon as I turned the bolt. No problem I thought, started to try and pull the exhaust free but it would not budge. I spent an hour wriggling it, giggling it, scraping the rust out, hammering it, pouring hot water over it but nothing. This is the image now:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5079/20120301182637.jpg (http://img819.imageshack.us/i/20120301182637.jpg/)

So as I could not remove it that way I had no choice but to undo the exhaust bolts. So first one moves a bit, spray WD40, moves a bit more, spray more, undo more, cracks and creaks but comes out. Im thinking, jobs a goodun, just got to do the other one. Same technique, moves a bit and then, snap! ****!!!!!

So this is what I am left with:

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/7056/20120301182653.jpg (http://img546.imageshack.us/i/20120301182653.jpg/)

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5698/20120301182659.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/i/20120301182659.jpg/)

And here are the bolts:

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3710/20120301182726.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/i/20120301182726.jpg/)

To make it worse I can't even remove the exhuast now. Its completely stuck and so I can't get the swingarm off either. All in all its a bloody disaster.

So please orgers, help me out with a few things:

1. How do I remove the exhaust now so I can at least get the swingarm off?
2. Suggestions on what to do about the sheared bolt? I have a spare engine that has been sitting in a garage with no oil for the last 6 years so could swap the head but no idea if that can be done with the bike as it is (just a frame, engine and tank...no front or rear end at all) or if the head will be any good.

I am not happy drilling the bolt out myself and I don't know any one who is capable or with the right tools. There is an engineering shop and a friendly independent bike shop close by but I guess I would need to remove the head to take it to them.

[Red Herring]

To get the exhaust off tap the exhaust around the joint with a smallish hammer. You're not trying to knock them apart, hit the pipe at 90 deg ie: flat on, and work you way around the joint. What you will do is very slightly spread the outer pipe so that it becomes loose on the inner one. Once you have a little play you can wiggle the joint side to side and this will also put a strain on the front header where it enters the head, hopefully dislodging that as well.

[Serdna]

I cant help you with the bolts but ill tell you how i got my exhaust out of the cylinder head.

I tried all the tricks with no luck. I could STAND on the pipe near the join u cant undo and the exhaust still didnt come out of the head. So what i did was get a big block of wood and positioned it over the pipe and i think just under the sump from the right side of the bike. So then i had leverage using this block of wood. So using this bit of wood i pushed and pushed and it still didnt come off.

So then i lost my temper and stamped on the block. The exhaust dropped right off and there was no damage to pipe or bike. Im not telling you to do it. But it worked for me. I think the shock of the stamp plus the leverage knocked it out.

Good luck, try the other tips first.

[srobrien]

I had a similar problem, my front exhaust bolts were so bad I ended up cutting the exhaust off with an angle grinder, getting the engine out and drilling the bolts out. I had to buy new exhaust headers but I got some off eBay for £15.

Not saying u have to be that drastic mind but for the price of replacement headers I couldn't be bothered messing about.

[Badeye]

Hi Can't help with getting the pipe out but i sheared both my front header bolts last november, it was actually the day before i was due to ride to the NEC for the carole Nash show. Anyway i went to see my grandad who has been in engineering since he was 16 and together we managed to drill the bolts out. We filed the remains of the bolt flush and used a centre punch so the drill bit wouldn't slip and slide then applied loads of grease on the drill bit and away went drilling bit by bit.

After we got the new holdes drilled they had to be re-threaded, but all is good now and we managed to get it done before the bike show so i was well happy. I replaced the stock allen head bolts with some hex-head bolts.

Hope u get it sorted.

[Hornstar]

Thanks for all the advice guys. My Dad is coming over tomorrow with a blowtorch and hopefully some plus gas. If we get nowhere then I may have to see about a mobile welder to come round and weld a nut to the stump so we can get it out, although I think the stump might be too short for that, will ahve to see.

Failing all that I am going to have to bite the bullet and drill it out, which I really don't want to do. Assuming it comes to that, does anyone have any recommendations on what type of drillbits will be best as I am def going to need some new ones?

[Red Herring]

Assuming it comes to that, does anyone have any recommendations on what type of drillbits will be best as I am def going to need some new ones?

Sharp ones!
Buy individual high quality drills that are the right size (you'll need two, one as a pilot and then one just under the bolt shank size) rather than a big box of cheap ones. Good luck.

[srobrien]

Thanks for all the advice guys. My Dad is coming over tomorrow with a blowtorch and hopefully some plus gas. If we get nowhere then I may have to see about a mobile welder to come round and weld a nut to the stump so we can get it out, although I think the stump might be too short for that, will ahve to see.

Failing all that I am going to have to bite the bullet and drill it out, which I really don't want to do. Assuming it comes to that, does anyone have any recommendations on what type of drillbits will be best as I am def going to need some new ones?

I got a box of cobalt tipped drill bits, they are the daddies:
These ones: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250450767037&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:GB:1123

They actually send me a box of ten rather than one which I recon was a mistake on their part so im not complaining. PM me your address and I will send you a few if you want.

Oh and get yourself a set of decent centre punches.

R

[Stuuk1]

I spent an hour wriggling it, giggling it, scraping the rust out, hammering it, pouring hot water over it but nothing.


If you 'Jiggled it' it would have probably come apart. However, laughing at it will do nothing...

[2F45T4U]

dude! i feel your pain.

I certainly wouldnt bother with easy-outs. if you've snapped a cap screw, its gonna be too siezed to come out with an easy out that small. however, heat may be your friend here if your old man has a decent blow torch.

you can p1ss about all day with these things and just get frustrated and hacked off. I would just drill it straight out and fit an M8 helicoil, but for Gods sake fit studs the next time and not cap screws!