I have a leak on the exhaust where the header meets the engine. One of the studs is broken off on the driver's side closest to the headlights.

Is there any way to get that stud out of there without bringing the motor out or what? Is there any way to fix the leak without fixing the stud? (Sealer of some sort?)

 

pretty sure youll have to take the heads out. If you wanna rig somethin up, and have some threads showing where the broken stud is, you could put some washers on a new bolt and thread it in there . But I would suggest another way

 

Depending how the bolt is broken, you may be able to fish it out of there once you take the manifold off. More then likely though, you will probably have to pull the head to repair it.

 

I broke it flush with the heads... ugh.

Isn't there some type of high temp sealant that will work to seal it up? It isn't bad.

 

I've heard of people slopping on sealant, but it didn't correct the problem completely. Considering the drivability issues that can result from having an exhaust leak before the 02 sensor, I would try to fix the problem the correct way. On the bright side, it would be a good time to upgrade some other stuff as well, heads, cam, rockers, springs, ect.

 

the easiest way to remove broken bolts like that is to weld nuts on the stud and SLOWLY work the nut back and forth. you may go through 5-10 nuts your first time but it saves alot of work. with the aluminum heads they are very easy to remove.
1. make sure the welder is turned up and use cheap needle nose vice grips clamped on the nut. (they will not be your favorite pair when done)
2. put the ground clamp on the vice grips. put the nut tight and square on the stud
3. weld in the center of the nut concentrating on welding the stud and it will fill out to the nut(a larger nut is sometimes easier)
4. be patient and have a lot of nuts handy.
5. you may even heat the surronding area and use a good candle to suck in the threads. (beware some candles are flammable when doing this, trust me it will freak you out when you find one)

i have been doing this for years and never have to pull heads off(even really rusty salt trucks and motorhomes)

good luck and merry christmas

 

if you broke the stud flush with the head, welding a nut might work, but goto your local hardware store or even sears. they sell kits to remove broken stud. it consists of a drill bit to create a pilot hole. then you also get another bit but it has reverse threads, so as you thread it in, it unscrews the thread. hope that helps