As I've read on this forum, the manifold studs do not allow enough travel of the nut to fully tighten an aftermarket x pipe to it.

My connection is leaking BAD. Its making a VERY LOUD machine gun ticking, making my car reel of gas (its before the front o2, so I'm assuming its making it run real rich), im getting like 13 mpg, and at idle my car almost stalls out (dropping to about 300 rpm).

So I'm not driving it until I fix this.

What I want to do is take the studs out of the manifold, and replace them with nuts and bolts, which WILL let me tighten it all the way.

The studs are perfectly fine, so what is the best way to take them out? I know completely drilling them out would work, but would be a crapload of work.

Would a simple stud remover work?

 

If your taking them out permanately,use some vice grips to clamp on and turn them out, or try a stud extracter. You may have to use some heat if they are being stubborn. You wont be able to drill them out at all... There's no room,plus you'd have to grind them down flush with the flange in order to drill them,and there's no room in there.
I have a friend with an 02 that put an x pipe this past spring and he didnt have a problem tightening his up to the manifolds. He has a pypes brand o/r x...

 

i just put a couple of washers under the nuts on mine to take up the slop, no leaks.

 

Thanks, ill try the washers.

 

This is the first time I have ever heard that. I've never had a problem.

 

Put the car up at work today and tried the washers. The flange only goes as far as it did before. There is some type of stopper on both studs on that side between both flanges. But NOT on the passenger side.

This vexes me.

So now I get to play hell getting these studs off and replacing them. Oh joy.

 

if you heat the manifold with a torch and use a stud remover to turn it while its hot it should come out easy. just dont break it off

 

This is like a 70/30 shot

It will most likely break before they come out.. trust me.. I deal with crap like this at work. Heat em up, you go to turn them out and BAM they snap flush and your left drilling. If you plan on heating them, heat JUST the manifold as carefully as possible.. and turn SLOWLY with a 16mm socket... Try to work em back and forth extremely slow... But dont be surprised if they snap off....

 

Good luck trying to even get to them to get them out. If they turn in then buy 2 nuts and put them on the stud you can use those to put the socket on to turn them out.

 

The driver side isnt that bad. We got one of the ones on the passenger side out for my clutch, and its much harded to get to it on that side. And if I break one off.....

Guess thats a good excuse as any to get long tubes eh?