ok my fiance picked up a 95 accord coupe non vtec 4cylinder back in jan.
only paid 2k for it with 170k and its a 5 speed.

her exhaust was getting louder up in the engine bay, so i took apart the manifold and found one of the studs sticking out that helps attach the header to the motor, was misssing.

i am no expert on tapping or drilling out bolts, but i did my best, i used a 1/4 drill bit and used lubricant to help drill out the hole. i only got so far and i couldnt drill anymore.
i tried to use a self tapping screw w/o success.

so reassembled everything reusing the old gasket b/c i knew i would be taking it apart inthe future any way and also teh local shops werent open on sundays.

so my question is , is it cheaper to replace the unit that the header bolts on to or is it cheaper to have the dealer install a new stud.

the stud that is broke off is the one on the very end of the right side of the manifold

 

its the one where they show the #11 nut

 

One more thing, I bought the stud from Honda. It was less than $5. So if you can do the work ching ching on saving money.

 

how did you get the old one out?

 

You're asking if its cheaper to replace a $5 stud or a $100-200 head?

 

Its obvious

 

yea that's how i read it

First off left hand thread drill bits are your friend, they'll get it out for you most of the time. Second why in god's name would you replace the head due to a broken exhaust stud? Exhaust studs break, that's the name of the game. They heat up and cool down thousands of times.

Did you drill the hole perfectly centered? Could be you drilled into the threads and then you're screwed. Get an easy out if you're not already using one. You mentioned something about a screw, that won't cut it. If need be drill it out and retap, or use a helecoil (sp?) if all else fails. Whatever you do don't replace the head!!!

 

yeah i drilled down then center, but i got to a point where the bit would not cut anymore. i may just take it to a local reputable garage to see what they think

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Schmitey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Get an easy out if you're not already using one.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Be extremely careful when using this. If you break it off inside the broken stud it's going to be 10x hard to remove and then you will have to take it to a shop. You might just want to take it to a shop anyway just so you don't mess up those threads.

 

Yea after they Hone out the old Nut you will probably half to put larger bolt in place where the old 1 was.

 

umm...I don't understand what you mean by "Hone out the old Nut". There will be no honing done, just drilling and tapping. If you had the head off the car you could take it to a shop and have the wire edm it out. It is the same thing they do to remove broken bleeder screws from calipers. That way would the cleanest way to do it. But drilling and tapping is more practical. And as long as it isn't over drilled then you shouldn't need to go bigger. Just drill the right size for the given thread and then retap the hole witht he correct tap.

 

i knew i should have taken pics when it was apart. i used i think a 1/4" drill bit. i may have to have it rethreaded or use helicoil.

i can change motors, struts , clutches and pretty much anything else but i have never attempted to drill out a broken off bolt

 

its prob going to be easier to drill it a little wider and install helicoil. since the hole is already drilled . is this a good idea?

 

As long as you install the helicoil right it should be good. Some people don't like them and other do.

I do design work at a machine shop and sometime we get milling cutter back that the screws gets ripped out and destroys the thread. Some of the customers specifically request no helicoils and that the holes needs to be pluged and retapped.

Speeking of which, why could you do that. Drill and tap it for a 3/8 thread and use a piece of threaded rod and plug the hole with that. oh never mind, you would then need to mill the end of the rod flush with the head. Then redrill and tap the plug for the correct size stud. If it wasn't for needing to mill the end flush you have tried that way. oh well, it was a thought.

 

it seems with my limited resources helicoil might be the best solution. i think ill go check em out, i know i'll be able to use more in the future anyways

 

While you're at it you might consider replacing the other studs as well. If that one broke the others are probably brittle as well. They make stuf removal tools that you can usually rent. I found it was easier just to thread two nuts on there and tighten them against each other. Just a thought to save you from having to do it all over again down the road.