help broken exhaust stud!

[Zach]

Trying to replace gear position sensor. Removed the exhaust but in doing so, despite trying to be careful, one of the studs snapped. Now I need to get the broken stud out and pretty quickly since I'm planning to go to Croatia in a week's time. Any help /guidance would be gratefully received!
R1200GS 2006

 

[snelly]

I was going to say weld another nut onto the stud if there is enough protruding, but with the fancy electronics on your bike you may cause damage to your ecu. Hopefully someone on here can tell you a bit more.

 

[aage]

I was going to say weld another nut onto the stud if there is enough protruding, but with the fancy electronics on your bike you may cause damage to your ecu. Hopefully someone on here can tell you a bit more.

I´m not a mechanic but woulnt it be ok to weld it if the battery is disconnected ?

 

[Timpo]

Let a professional do the job for you.....
There are a few of us about.

 

[bikemad]

Drill it or get someone else to if your not that way minded,I had to do one of mine spent just over an hour carefully going up drill sizes,then helicoiled it replaced with new stud & 4 dome nuts in stainless.

I'd heat the nuts on any others before removing in future

 

[Myke Rocks]

There are many threads on this subject.

Leaving aside the obvious question which is:
Why did it break?
In the immortal words of the proverbial Yank: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

It is now broke.
General consensus is that the best way to get them out is to take a stick welder, and strike the rod onto the end of the broken stud. Keep it "stuck" to the broken stud till the stud gets really hot. (Tip starting to glow) Just a few seconds.Turn off and remains of stud will unscrew easily. Welding a nut onto the broken stud with a MiG wleder will make the now loosened stud easier to remove. If you should go down this path, the location of the earth connection of the welder(s) is critical. It must go directly onto the engine, and preferably onto the cylinder head concerned. This is to avoid circulating currents which could damage bike electrics.
Alteratively, you could go to your local BMW dealer, who will suck air through his teeth and tell you the only possible course of action is to fit a new cylinder head.
Myke

 

[Steptoe]

Trying to replace gear position sensor. Removed the exhaust but in doing so, despite trying to be careful, one of the studs snapped.

Why in heavens name were you removing the exhaust to fit a gear position sensor ?

 

[Mr K]

Why in heavens name were you removing the exhaust to fit a gear position sensor ?

Shit. I agreed with you again.

 

[Roymondo]

I may be removing my exhaust some time soon. What's the best/recommended way to avoid sheared-off studs? Heat the nuts before attempting to shift them? How much heat?

 

[ianboydsnr]

I may be removing my exhaust some time soon. What's the best/recommended way to avoid sheared-off studs? Heat the nuts before attempting to shift them? How much heat?

Heat until it's a dull red, try to only heat the nut, heating other things is not good!

 

[autogs]

get yerself a mini ducter heats only the part within the probes nuts will come off dead easy,if you were local you could borrow mine,google it

 

[Oldie]

get yerself a mini ducter heats only the part within the probes nuts will come off dead easy,if you were local you could borrow mine,google it

Wow. These mini ductors cost a fortune. What's the technology involved?

 

[autogs]

magnetic induction i think like the cookers

 

[Zach]

world of pain!

Well foolishly I followed the haynes maual which says that the exhaust has to come off to get to the sensor. I dont think I could have got to it otherwise. More experienced people may know better.
Anyway now to add to my pain we have tried using an easyout tool to remove the stud which also snapped so I'm well and truly fooked now. Any help in finding someone who can fix this problem would be great. I was due to be taking the bike to Croatia on 22nd July so a quick source of help would be very much appreciated. Otherwise it's going to be a four wheeled holiday
I'd also be grateful if people could resist the temptation to analyse the crap decisions that got me here but focus more on a possible solution

Zach

 

[Myke Rocks]

You are now in the sewage.
I have been there too, though with a broken drill instead, on a Honda Deauville. The probable way to remove the broken easyout (What a misnomer) is by spark erosion. I built my own spark eroder and did it on the motorcycle. Took me about 2 weeks to gather up the bits, and I used a small PLC to control the spark gap. Water as an electrolyte. You do not have this luxury.
You have two alternatives.
1: Put the saucepipe on with one stud missing and ride away on your trip. The purists on this site will not like it, but they only use genuine BMW petrol in their bikes, and transport their bikes to Germany on a trailer because they only run them on genuine German air.
2: Take off cylinder head and get it spark eroded out in a toolmakers. You will have to do this anyway, it is just a question of when.
Myke

 

[Motormed]

Agree with Myke.
If you've broken an extractor in the stud then spark erosion is the way to go.
Having removed a lot of broken-off studs and bolts in my previous job, your only hope is to get a nut welded on (but only if there is any protrusion).
If it's broken flush then do as Myke suggests.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Zach, I did the same thing a couple of years ago. There was part of the stud protruding from the head. A mate of mine said he could do it no problem but he made me leave the workshop whilst he did what he had to do He welded a nut on the stud and with heat and magic got the stud out. He is in Ireland at the moment but will be back on Monday so i will ask him what he did exactly.

As Myke suggests, try putting the system back on with new gaskets with the one nut missing, torque the others up and see if you have any leaks. If you haven't, you will be good to go. You may want to use a smear of exhaust gasket sealer andy if you have a leak.

 

[Mistacat]

Another option to spark erosion is Sandvik hard cut, Hi-Roc drills.
They are designed to drill out broken taps but I have used them to drill out titanium bolts that have had too much heat, (ops trying to drill them out with too much speed) / broken stud extractors, etc.
Unfortunately I dont think you will do it with the head in place as they require a slow speed and high pressure.
Take the head to your local machine shop they should not have a problem sorting it.

 

[Steptoe]

As has been said. Bolt the exhaust back in place and go off on your holiday. It'll be fine.

Have the stud/eziout removed whenever (if you ever) have to remove the head for any other reason.

 

[snelly]

Are they 3 studs or 2 on the 1200?