snapped off head stud --fix??

I just snapped off a head stud while torque-ing. Yes, I am pi$$ed. Any recommended magic to remove the remnants of the stud from the case saver? Stud sheared almost flush with surface of the case.

I had this happen. The mechanic cut a groove in the face of the sheared bolt to back it out with a screw driver. I also now have a groove cut in my case.

The other option is to drill a hole in the center of the stud then insert an ezy out. They're available at Home Depot and most auto parts stores. Once the hole is drilled, you insert the ezy out and because of it's reverse spirals, it grabs the stud from the center and the stud end will unscrew out of the case saver

If you do use the ez out be very careful not to break it.

It is harder than the stud and if broken will make it more difficult to try other methods with the broken ez out bit stuck in the end of the stud.

You may want to do what you can to loosen the stud first, like soak it with Kroil or PB Blaster.

I like that idea about cutting a groove across the stud and using a screw driver.

Never thought of that on a stud, but I guess I should have.....

What Larry and Michael said and use a reverse drill bit for the hole it may come out while just drilling.
Careful where shavings end up!

Also if grinding a groove for screwdriver watch the sparks as the case
may be magnesium. POOF!

Can you get a nut over it? If so you can MIG a nut onto the remaining stud and it will come right out.

Drill a small indent in the stud remnant. Place a punch into the indent and smack it with a five pound sledge. Maybe a spray of PB Blaster as well.

The threads of the broken stud remnant are wedged against those of the case saver, you need to release them by pushing them back into case saver a bit. Once you do this, the remnant may well be loose enough to just push against it with your thumb and rotate it out of the hole.

You may have distorted the barrel hole when the stud broke. On one of my engines, the torque pulled on the stud so hard that it also pulled the case saver a very tiny bit out of it's hole, distorting the surrounding case metal and causing a small inward bump in the barrel hole.

Best to take a real good look at the whole/hole area.

Luck!

Thanks for the tips guys! I was planning on the ez-out route, but might look at the screwdriver groove thing as a first attempt. My worst fear is breaking off the ez-out (as mentioned above). I don't know how tight the stud will be in the case saver.
The case is aluminum. I installed the studs myself some years ago with red locktite.
At this point I'll replace all of the studs. I don't remember if they were just OEM or chromoly (8mm). If I was able to pop one of them then others might be stressed. I was only torquing to 23 lb/ft.

I've also had some luck with Loctite "Freeze and Release" or PB Blaster.

Speedbuckets "freeze" solution has some merit with locktite..... I'd try it....

Red loctite often needs heat to break it loose and with the limited torque you can apply to the broken stud it's a good idea. If you don't want to use a torch, one of those gun-style high temp soldering irons can work. The heat's another benefit of welding a nut onto the stud.

What size cylinders? If there's no clearance between the stud and cylinder, you can put a lot of bending stress on the stud threads at the case when you tighten them and snap them off.

are you sure the block is pure aluminum? I'm pretty sure the oem T1 cases were a mix of aluminum/magnesium. T4's are pure aluminum.

if it (magnesium) catches fire - water cannot put it out. ie: car burns to the ground.

might want to rethink the torch route or at least do some homework.

OEM type 1,2,3 Cases mag alloy, aftermarket cases can be aluminum usually are, I've heard of some guys "sweating" cases to look for cracks in #3 cyl area but never did it myself.A few fires at shop from case saver shavings hitting magnesium shavings while cutting the cyl decks on the old Bridgeport tho! That always wakes you up! And burning cases in the desert, Mango's right, never throw water on the burning case unless you want full frontal hair removal, and not in the "good" way.

He said his case is aluminum. I wouldn't have recommended the torch otherwise.

You are absolutely correct Justin...I just can't resist posting the burning mag case video. Some guys actually have put torches to cases for sweating cracks...successfully too I guess,tho I wouldn't(just sayin')

You know, I read and re-read TC's post a few times and it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the use of Locktite in there. LOTS of PB Blaster makes a lot of sense, too - like every six hours for a day and then try getting it out, but hitting it with a decent BMFH should loosen things up so it'll turn out. Notice I didn't say "spin" out, because the locktite will try to hold it in there, making it harder to turn, but it should come out.

Along with everything else, I would also recommend heating the case (mostly because of the locktite), but that assumes you've got the engine out on the floor and can get the heat all around the case saver area. I would stay away from an EZ-Out extractor as I have had pretty poor luck using them on head bolts or studs - they always seem to break off flush with the case or stud and then it becomes a far more involved project.

Good luck. It's not impossible, just a wicked, major pain in the butt.

Where I have used red loctite I have had to heat it until it smokes.

I forgot about the freeze and release. It might be fun to try.

cylinders are 94mm. Case is a high roof aluminum aftermarket (not OEM T1). Engine is in the car -- but it is a spyder so access is reasonable.

Thanks for all the suggestions! New studs should arrive this week. I'll give it another try Saturday.

94's are pretty notorious for lacking proper clearance for the studs. Check one stud at a time, if it fits, good, move to the next, otherwise use a die grinder to clearance the cylinder a little. If you have to bend any of the studs to get it into the hole in the head, you need to clearance some more. Make sure to paint any ground areas.

After I snapped a chromoly head stud I went back to Stock German head studs. Have not had a problem since.