Help With Exhaust Manifold Stud

[99Venom]

So I was just finishing up my clutch job and the last thing to go back together was my mid-pipe, and one of the nuts on the passenger side is getting hung up on the stud threads. Everything had been going smoothly up to this point so I should have known my shit luck would kick in at the very last moment! :cuss:

It happens to be the lower of the two studs, right next to the starter, the one at the worst angle. Anyway, I can see the threads on the stud are banged up a little bit, and I'm sure the nut isn't going on all the way unless I do something about it. It looks like if I take the starter back out (which is always fun to do), I might have enough room to use a die and clean the threads up a little bit, and hopefully that will work. Anybody ever tried this?? I'm sure lots of people end up replacing the studs, but I just did the whole clutch job so I'm hoping to do the minimum to get this back together. Any help would be great - thanks!

Looks like the thread is M10 x 1.50

Dan

 

[006]

Hmm

How much space between the banged up thread area to the nut being fully tight?

If there is at least a 1/2 inch, I would use a slightly larger diameter nut in that spot and use it as a washer, and then follow it with the correct nut to tighten it. Or you could use some washers if the space is smaller.

This is a temp fix for now so that you can get finished up.

When you have time, you can drive down to an exhaust shop, and they can re-thread it for you.

 

[99Venom]

Hmm

How much space between the banged up thread area to the nut being fully tight?

If there is at least a 1/2 inch, I would use a slightly larger diameter nut in that spot and use it as a washer, and then follow it with the correct nut to tighten it. Or you could use some washers if the space is smaller.

This is a temp fix for now so that you can get finished up.

When you have time, you can drive down to an exhaust shop, and they can re-thread it for you.

Yeah the nut stopped with about a 1/2 inch of threads left, so that idea sounds like it might work. But even if I took it to an exhaust shop I don't think they could repair it without taking the starter out. I dunno, I'm anxious to get the car done, but at the same time I'm wondering if I should just do it myself and get it all done at once. Either way, I'll post my fix.

 

[006]

I hope you left the top starter bolt out.

 

[brkntrxn]

Ken's idea sounds like it may work if you want to go that route.

 

[99Venom]

Yeah, I'm gonna tap the nuts to clean them up as best I can and then see if an oversize nut or washers will pick up the slack, hopefully it'll work. If Ken's idea does work I'll buy him a beer :beer:

If not, the notorious top starter bolt isn't the one I'm worried about (I didn't leave it out), I figured out a good trick to get that one in and out easily. A u-joint, 16" extension, take the right front tire off and sit under the wheel well, and reach over the sway bar and look through the tiny crack above the strut tower and you're golden.

I was looking at it last night and the middle bolt is the one that's tricky now because I installed that without the exhaust in place. Now with the midpipe there there's not much room to swing a wrench, or even get to the bolt itself. I'll avoid that if I can, but I won't risk breaking that manifold stud cause that would really ruin my day.

 

[99Venom]

Well I tapped the threads on both nuts and they ended up going on just fine. Other than a few minutes messing with the fork and cable, everything was buttoned up pretty quickly and I took it for a ride and everything is working great. I installed the 03/04 Cobra clutch and I must say it feels pretty damn good. I don't know anything yet about the difference with the Findanza aluminum flywheel cause I haven't taken the engine above 4 grand yet, but it sure weighed a good amount less than the stocker.