Exhaust Stud Snapped, Drilled But Now Drill Snapped In Hole...

Commiserations Matt,, will p.m.

 

Sorry to hear your woes.
I had a similar event on my old GSX750 back in the 80’s.
In the end, I left the snapped stud/drill bit in place and modified my Harris 4-1 exhaust header clamp with a jubilee clip around it.
Ran the bike with just one stud on that pipe for thousands of miles without a problem.

Unfortunately, as your issue is the upper stud I don’t think you’ll be able to live without this one stud.

Sounds like your best bet is, as you say, to get the offending item removed by spark erosion.

 

There exist specialist contractors who will come and extract seized/snapped off studs for you. For a fee, obviously. Better bet than screwing it up yourself.

 

If you’ve got 5mm left protruding would something like the below be any good to you?
https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand...impact-stud-extractor-1/2in-drive-121932.html

 

Weld a nut onto what's left of the stud and unbolt it?

 

I take it you didn't read the whole post

 

have a look at this

 

Try a scriber point, to work the drill from side to side, this sometimes works but be patient.
I remove broken studs using a left hand drill, runs in the opposite rotation, the heat generated and the drill turning in the direction to remove the stud sometimes works.
A brilliant release oil is a 50/50 mix of automatic transmission fluid and isopropanol alcohol.
you can get isopropanol on e bay.

 

At this point I think I would not try any hacks or short cuts. Spark erosion is the right answer.

 

Watched the video which was a good idea but saw this one when it ended and thought it might be more what you want. . Maybe make a guide and use the other stud to clamp it? Looks long winded but as he said be patience .I know wurth makes time serts which make a good job of any problems of damage to the hole.

 

As Sev said, TAKE THE HEAD OFF. If you continue to try and mess about with it on the bike you will 100% fuck it up even more.
With the head off you will be able to heat it up properly (in an oven) and there is a good chance the remains will screw out due to expansion of the aluminium.You will also be able to do proper thread reclamation/repair as necessary.

TAKE THE HEAD OFF

 

Off with its head; shouted the Ducatisti throng.

 

I feel your pain. I still remember how annoying it was to have to take the engine out of an old Honda when I snapped off a rusty exhaust stud - I had rapidly come to the conclusion that it would be easier and cheaper to take the engine to a workshop to have the remains of the stud drilled out and then a helicoil fitted. Unfortunately there's probably more work involved in taking your head off than there was in taking the engine out of an old Honda single!

The only two other thoughts that occur to me, if you were to try anything else without risking too much chance of making matters worse, are:

- If you can find any sort of drill bit capable of going into the broken one, then perhaps one way of guiding a bit would be to use something like this: https://www.toolstation.com/trend-craftpro-quick-release-drill-bit-guide-set/p92380 It's not entirely clear what size bits and hole these might work with, but as your broken bit is 4.5mm, then something like 2.5mm is what I'd think of. It seems unlikely, but if you were able to put a small hole into the broken bit, then hammering a small torx wrench into it could be a way to get some purchase. I'm assuming the broken piece of drill isn't in nearly as tight as the remains of the stud.

- I have no idea whether such tools are suitable, or available at a sensible price, but it looks as if locksmiths may use tools which can be wiggled into the gaps into the broken spiral part of a drill bit down a hole, then twisted to free it up.
https://www.thinkpeterson.com/broken-drill-bit-un-winders/ (there's a video)

 

Ogsmechanics.com
in North London would be a starting point. Others in Manchester, etc.

 

Yep, well worth having at least M5, M6 and even M8 hanging around.
But they have to be good quality, like taps and drills cheap ones will break off giving you a bigger problem.

 

As has already been said, we've all done it at some point, but you'll have to take in on the chin, get your wallet out & learn !! Sounds a bit harsh, but I don't mean it to be !

If you or anybody tries to sort that out with the head still in place it will only end in tears & a big bill. If you aren't able to remove the head yourself, there might be someone local to you who can help, then get the repairs carried out in a decent machine shop & then if necessary get a specialist to refit the head. You could save some money by removing as much of the bike as necessary such as fuel tank, seat, fairings, etc to get the head off, that would save you a bit of money.

As Sev has said, the head needs to be off & clamped down on a milling machine to remove the debris safely. It's just not possible to hold a drill by hand & drill out broken studs without at least some sort of steel drilling guide for the drill to follow. Because there are now hardened bits in the hole, (easy-out & drill tip) a normal drill will not be able to drill them out & will only "wonder" into the softer alloy.

When you come to refit your exhausts it's worth applying something like NeverSeez to the threads to help prevent future problems Good luck fella.