Screw Extractor Torture Test Round 2 

The award for troll of the year 2014 goes to Tom Lipton. Makes 2 part, 2 hour video showing how to extract a stud. Doesn't show extraction.

You have a level of patience I never knew existed! By now, I'd be swearing in 20 different languages! XD

Brian's tip of the day for working with poor condition parts. Lay a parallel on your surface and indicate off it to establish your surface. it give s a nice total average to flat and is much easier to get indicated in without your indicator jumping up and down in holes and pits everywhere. Rust welds are some of the strongest in the world! Now you have a nice manifold you can put under your Christmas tree! lol Thanks for showing us this torture project!

This video started out 46 minutes long .... then Tom edited out all the cussing.

I was wondering if we were going to get to Plan T! You just showed how stubborn jobs like that there can be. I've overheard so many times guys talk about how good they are at drilling broken bolts by hand and using easy outs....Yea right! Not always so lucky. I've had several jobs I had to just drill them completely out like you did here. But we're spoiled, and use milling machines to make life easier. LOL I enjoyed your two vids on this subject, and will watch more if you make them. Thanks for sharing with us bud. Adam

Loved this. Thanks! For those of us who are underneath the car with bloody knuckles it helps to see all the attempts, all the fails, and all the ideas springing forth. We so often find "perfect condition" videos to learn from and when those fail in the real world it can make you feel like a numbskull. It was great to see these. Never give up, never surrender, keep trying ideas and when all else fails, there's always a machine shop. I appreciate it!

I have been a mechanic for 40 plus years and when they first came out with those extractors I broke one off just like this. I never use them unless I can get to the back side to drive out the broken extractor. If a bolt is broken off in a manifold I will drill out the bolt leaving as much thread as possible and then pick out the threads and run a tap in the hole to clean it up. The tricky part is making sure you are drilling it in the center since one side will usually have part of a thread hanging over and what looks like the center is actually off center. You did a great job with the video, I sure did not think carbide was going to cut that extractor like it did. You could not have picked a harder bolt to get out, no left hand drill would have touched it. Thanks for taking the time to share, I learned something new and love it, Thanks.

That was something to see You never gave up and fought it to the very end without cussing,swearing or throwing tools across the shop I tip my hat to you Sir !!!

Tom, Great job on the mill.Nice setup. You had to overcome all the worst nightmare obstacles associated with that type of repair. My stomach was wrenching through most of them. But in the end you persevered through it like champ. Joe

I learned a method 50 years ago at the Maritime Academy. Aboard ships, extractors (when we had them) never worked. Drill out as large as possible without disturbing the thread. Off center is ok, you just can't drill as large a hole. Then, using a Diamond Point chisel, make 3 to 4 ( or more for very large studs ) v-gooves down the length of the hole, the depth of each as close to the threads but not touching them. Finally use a cape chisel, starting at the top adjacent to a groove and angled approximatley 30 degrees, and start splitting the stud thread into the hole. Takes awhile but eventually you'll get the stud out without disturbing or damaging any threads.

90% of us guys would not have let are egos post these type vids. Very happy 2 see someone not only screw up, but show how 2 fix screw ups. Let's face it, that' s really what life is, fixing our boo boo's.

That was an awesome show, I grew up in a Yamaha shop and inherited all of my dad's tools. I was working on the wheel bearing hub on my Chevy Silverado and rounded off the T30 screw that holds the rotor on and instantly had flashbacks to the side kick on the old Snap On box and remembering that it would be a log day at the shop when that thing got opened up. I didn't remember how to use the set properly so I did what any dude with boxes of tools he doesn't know how to use does, I hit up you tube. Your video made me remember all the uses of a lot of stuff in my shop that I haven't seen used since I was 11 or 12 years old. Good work man. Rory Martin

you win some and lose some with this kind of stuff. When warming up the surround casting I leave the extractor out as I think the heat effects/weakens the temper of the extractor. great video, real world situations!!!! have fun

Great Job Tom, this is one of the best video's I have seen in a long time. You kept me in stitches with all of your comments and stories. Really enjoyed this, thank you! So now on to Christmas.

Tom, I knew you wanted a short extractor set, and when you discovered that they don't sell them you decided to make your own! LOL. Check out my Getter Out series, several setups shown for manifold getter outs. Also I left some comments on your previous round. You have done well. My philosophy is try it, feel it, if it looks too stubborn go straight to plan B vis a vis drill it out completely with luck you may be able to save the thread, otherwise fit an insert. By the way, most of the studs are M10 X 1.5 on the section that goes into the manifold or head, and M10x1.25 for the nut section....however there are also M9's M8's and M7's of varying pitches just to confuse us simple folk. Have a great Christmas Bruce.

No jumping off bridges for you Mister! I have way too much to learn from you!! Glad to see you prevailed. Like you said, many would have junked it after the second break.. Always fun watching your stuff Tom! And best of all I think the lesson here is to keep a cool head!! I've seen too many guys start throwing things or getting out the beaters when things get tough!! Thanks for letting us realize that cool heads usually end up on top. Hope you and the wife had a nice Christmas. ATB.. Razor!

Nice to see the professionals have these real world problems too. I once tried one of these stud extracts to remove a broken stud from a cylinder head, after a few hours drilling and swearing i got the stud extractor inserted, which then jammed up and snapped off flush with the head. Ended up having to pull the cylinder head off the car and take it to a machine shop, then watch the poor guy swear profusely as he chewed through bits on his milling machine trying to get said extractor out so he could redrill and install a helicoil. Don’t ever try these extractors folks, they only make the problem worse.

I played a gig one time - solo piano in a cowboy bar in Sherman, TX - that was exactly like getting that stud out. I didn't stick around to make a video, but I made it through the first night. Perseverance and an eye on getting to the finish line; we both have a good story to tell. Nice work.

I applaud you Tom, for not losing your cool on camera.... I don't think I'll be buying those extractors anytime soon.

Hello Tom, "Only the losing side has a 'Glorious Victory', the winning side knows what the battlefield looks like."

It was very fun to watch. In seeing you struggle with it, I see my own future struggles.

Man that was great! I just did the same job on a brake caliper for a race car that was maybe on fire once or twice and the bleeder screw was stuck... or welded into the caliper... so he busted off a screw extractor in it and then phoned me. After and hour of f this and f that I got a shiny new heli-coil installed. Also I've learned that extractors are really there to make the machinists life that much harder. It would have been a 10 minute job with even a drill press but turned into an hour of broken carbide enjoyment!

Before I watched round 2 I ran to the shop and got some safety glasses and a face shield. I was worried that my monitor would possibly get cracked but I took a chance. Glad you got the stud out but it was nerve racking watching. Have a Merry Christmas

A win is a win !! :) Good job mr. Tom !!!! The second time the screw extractor broke, the first thing that came to mind was " another one bites the dust !!! " . ahhaha !!! thank you for the content !!

You have wayyyy more patience than I do. Before the second vid was made, I'd be unboxing my new exhaust manifold. LOL

Nice job Tom. After you broke the extractor the 2nd time I thought of a coworker who had a saying "Never challenge worse". This was in response to someone saying how much worse can it get. Happy Holidays

This was a white-knuckle, nail-biting, edge-of-seat thriller where the hero is humiliated, flogged, dragged through the mud and left to die, but he somehow managed to crawl to safety and regroup as he plotted a way to defeat the evil forces out to do him in. Sure enough, he evades capture and takes control of the situation. At the controls of his super-weapon (vertical mill) he defeats the diabolical forces just in time to climb the stairs to the inner sanctum where Mrs. Ox awaits with a cup of hot cider and Christmas eve hor durves while Burl Ives sings It's a Holly, Jolly Christmas from the 33-1/3 on the stereo.

You're style is disarming. I underestimated you when I first started following your channel but you have demonstrated remarkable depth of knowledge, skill and experience. The setup with the 1 X 4 X 6 block in the vise was a first for me. I have never been a patient person. Learning to work through problems that don't produce the results one expects, without getting discouraged, is essential for success in any meaningful endeavour in life. Thanks for an enjoyable year in the shop.

I bought a set of those extractors years ago and after trying to use it one time I decided they were garbage and never used them again.

Holy Crap! I think you encountered the "curse of the angry manifold" thanks for persevering!

We had a Ford with a 302 and bad water pump when we lived in northern Canada a long way from a town. Had to have it running for morning. Minimal tools, minimal experience. Broke every bolt but one. Turned out the casting was porous when they installed it so they had lathered it with some kind of green epoxy (??). The bolt threads must have picked up wet epoxy when they bolted it up. They were never coming out. It looked factory but who knows. Middle of January, -30C something, in the snow, no garage, no air tools, no torch of any kind. My wife had to start a fire beside it and keep it fed to keep me from dying. My hands were so cold I burnt them bad clutching an inspection light to keep them from freezing solid. (not the only time) Couldn't feel them till they thawed. Not exagerating. Broke 2 extractors. It never seemed to end. Ended up drilling every hole but one WAY oversize, even into the water jackets. Lots of caulking. All we had. No choice. Started at dark and had it done by 7 am just in time for my new wife to go to work. We were young, broke and desperate. Wife still doesn't like to talk about the experience. Swore that night I'd hire out all repairs one day when I got rich. Never got rich. LOL Repair never leaked a drop. I kinda miss being young and tough. Those things did take there toll though. Hope this video helps somebody. Good job

I’ll forever remember the nightmare that was a Grade 12.9 M12x1.25 4.5” long rear suspension-to-frame bolt that required drilling it’s entirety after ALL extractor styles were exhausted. 2 evenings worth of drilling with substandard titanium twist drills in an underpowered 12v drill was oh so satisfying when the final twist drill (by memory a 29/64) broke through the tip, thus allowing the retreading to start. By far the most frustrating and time consuming operation done on my race car to date (which includes complete engine blueprinting, fabricating it’s 14 point roll cage and wiring it’s custom 12 circuit chassis + engine harness). To those performing this work, take your time and don’t get down for broken drills, they’re going to break eventually, especially when continuously drilling the same component. Have fun lads (and lasses of course ;)

What a journey that was! That was a heli-coil job for sure, Merry Christmas Tom, thanks for the great videos.

Nice job as always Tom. Have a great holiday!

I thought I was the only one that could break the extractor AND the drill bit/end mill.. For many years I would find myself welding a nut onto the broken bolt stub (or trying to), and then my neighbor got a sinker edm! Divine intervention! I like the 2-4-6 block. I have a 3 in bar of 12L14 a couple feet long that I have milled all kinds of slots and holes into to hold heads and manifolds in the mill for this very reason. I like to use Kroil also! The fumes take my mind off the aggravation of broken bolts... Merry Christmas Tom Marc

Great video Tom, I really enjoyed it. I might have learned a thing or two, and that's always a good thing. There are many ways to 'skin the cat' and it's great to watch you work around each problem to find a solution. Very good stuff.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't have any luck with screw extractors. I've tried a few and every one I've tried just created a bigger problem. Perhaps its just a reflection of my own limitations but I've always found the best way was to drill out with progressively larger drills until there was nothing left but the threads and if it didn't come out on its own I'd tap it out. If the threads became damaged I'd helicoil or preferably make a stepped stud if the job allowed. Thanks for the video, it brought back some interesting memories.

Cracking video, Tom. Loved the cliff hanger at the end of the first one and the resolution in this one! I've dabbled with lathes and mills but I'm not a machinist. You are clearly a man of special talents, patience and clear thinking being high on the list. I have now subscribed so I can watch more of your work!

Merry Christmas Tom, and thanks for the video!! I do an awful lot of stud removal, and have a couple favorite alloy rods I use 85% of the time. Kind of a ceramic flux that protects the downhole threads (if broke off below flush) Anyhow....if one must use extractors, you have the right kind (STRAIGHT flutes) but I shy away from them most times....I've removed more "easy outs" on Cat exhaust studs than I wish to count!! LOL I'll send you the data sheet on those rods and get a few pounds of it mailed after Christmas. It's just another trick to have up your sleeve. Regards, Sean.

Welcome to my world Tom :) I am a diesel mechanic working on mainly Toyotas( NZ based so smaller than your Toyotas) I have had this same issue many times, I just drill them out and install a Helicoil in it ( M10 x 1.25 is the size) I also have a stock of those exhaust studs and the special lock nut, I use them for more than just that though as they are a decent bolt

I've been there many times,when I was young I'd get frustrated and start dancing around throwing stuff. now I just work through it and in the end I get a special satisfaction in getting it fixed. but it gives me an evil pleasure to watch someone else have to deal with it.

I have always used the spiraled ease outs to remove these. Having a good set has been great because usually it saves time on something which already has a lot of work put into it and would just have to be remade if we could not remove the bolt. Broken taps are the worst especially if they are form taps. I was very impressed with how you recovered and persisted in all of this. That is a sign of a pro.

Nice job glad you stayed with it. That has to to be the toughest one I have seen to be removed.

Feel your pain Tom, thanks for sticking with it! I was squirming when you whipped out that tap handle. Maybe another takeaway, among many worthy lessons: we who worship old iron (and are cheapskates) go stone deaf when something screams "SCRAP ME!" I'm stubborn too and, though nowhere near as skilled as you guys, managed a few good saves. Still, proud to confess that I "came to" and sent my old F150, with its cracked manifold and frozen, inaccessible studs, to the crusher, rather than pull the motor and get busy. Good to be smart; better to be wise. All the best for the holidays and a great 2015, Mike

The end finally comes! It's was a battle for sure, but it was fun watching the bag of tricks get emptied. Good job in the end. The little lesson on tramming an odd part will come in handy I think. For that kind of thread repair I'd use a Time-Sert, not a Helicoil. Better thread profile, and a proper threaded sleeve. They cost more, but they're SO much better.

Good Video I am a Maintenance Worker, Boiler Operator by Trade and am in school to become a HVAC Tech. You have given me some new ideas. thanks a lot. We in fact have a stud that broke of on a Boiler Panel.

I thought you were going to have to invite that stud to Christmas dinner with you. It seemed such a dear friend :P Nice to see the little tale though :)

Tom, excellent use of the long tap handle! Didn't know that most broken extractors are easy to get out after they are broken up. Thanks for another great vid.

Great stuff Tom, a true learning experience. Next time I'm muddling through an exhaust bolt extraction, I'll remember that even an expert machinist, with the manifold in a Bridgeport, can get his ass kicked. Merry Christmas!

Great video, but it reminds me of the song, "There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza."

Having spent the first 15 years of my working life as an engineer in the Merchant Navy I have had more than my fair share of broken, corroded and inacessible studs and bolts. Diesel generator exhaust studs and steam pipe flanges being some of the worst offenders. After wrestling a couple of times I decided the best thing was just to go straight to the heat. I always found, counter intuitively that the best thing to do was to heat the broken bolt/stud and get it to a good red heat, let it cool over a coffee and repeat a couple of times. On only a couple of occasions did I end up having to drill it out and pull the threads out. Since coming ashore and working in maintenance engineering I have had to show a good number of my technicians how to do it, after seeing they would be struggling.

Tom thinking since this one practically kicked your butt, some of your subscribers might like to throw a few more challenges your way, I'm not saying ....perhaps, maybe! Great stuff PS MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hi yes done this many times. Never had any luck heating one of those extractors they always give and brake. it seems that they are for bolts that have no resistance or little to be removed. do like the tig weld nut to the stud method tho and if not drill out and rethread. Cheers for the vid and thanks for sticking it out.

Loved every minute of it. When are you going to do another extraction? Merry Christmas.

Great video on extractors and extracting. A pearl I have found is that cutting the stud off and drilling always phase 2. Phase 1 is fit a bolt onto the top thread of the stud and weld it. Then apply heat to the base metal as evenly as possible around the stud, hot as you can, and then use an air tool.. air ratchet or impact. As you heat or as soon as you stop heating, you apply torque to the stud. Physics is on our side, and at some point the metal will expand and break the interference, so in my experience, timing is critical, so I like air tools, they apply reliable constant force. Red hot plus force. Add penetrating oil at every heat cycle. I give Sea Foam brand high marks. On a side note. An old timer once told me dis-similar metal friction can create interference problems(I would love to hear opinions on that), and also dis-similar metals in water create a battery, and cause corrosion. So, two good reasons why it may be advantageous to choose the right fasteners and/or use heli coils/thread serts. Thanks

Hi Tom, You kept the suspense long enough, I was unsure about the issue until the very end. Happy New Year, Pierre

Cool Tom, finest kind, very good video I liked the showing of weird object holding approaches and some lovely snapping carbide, always a treat to watch someone elses extractor detonate. I can see why Bruce likes to just not mess around and drill it out for a coil on the first go bypassing all that fiddly stuff you just went through. But for an entertaining video this Ox'ed step by step process was perfect, Thanks Tom for this years wonderful videos and Merry Christmas and Happy Newyear.

Snap-on makes a small pencil grinder with carbide bits that works great for getting that last piece of bolt out. For us diesel mechanics lifting a 500 pound head off to drill out a broken exhaust stud isn't a cost effective method luckily CAT makes a drill bushing and guide set up to accurately drill out broken exhaust studs. I was wondering if you could make a video on what steel and such is needed to make a drill bushing. I can see the need for this in a lot of application that a over the counter bushing just doesn't work. Also on how you would make a extension to make drill bits longer.

Nice job! Never giving up. Merry Xmas to you and your family.

Your patience level is a lot higher than mine....lol

This was better than a James Bond movie. Thanks, I learned a lot.

Great pair of videos. Technically informative and photographically excellent! Weirdly intriguing and suspenseful! That was one tough stud. You have the patience of Job. I came across your video because I have to remove a bolt that snapped while I was removing a B&S engine from lawnmower deck. I had rushed the job to get out of the rain. The bolt moved about 1/16 revolution. I should have re-sprayed and let the oil do its job. There may be enough for me to get some Vise-Grips on the nub though. Again, great video. I will have to check out your channel.

Hey Tom, I knew you would not let it get the best of you, nice extraction bud! I still think the Snap On Extractor set is one of the better ones out there and don't think any extractor would have removed that stud! Thanks man! Ray

Good job Tom .. glad you showed it who the Boss is ..thanks for the video

Pretty hot isnt going to do it,you need to get that thing cherry red and it'll back right on out ;) The only downside is it may take the threads with it on its way out.

watched this video trying to figure out how to fix a booboo I made on a rocker arm assembly, you got skill doc, luckily the cheap set of black and Decker screw extractor worked for me, love the vid

Tom,Nice work and good set up tips. Now you know why the other three studs were out! Merry Christmas! Eric

what a scream---it is great to see some darn project kick someone elses ass!!!! hahaha I was laughing my ass off!!!! Keep at it!!! ;-)

Merry Christmas Tom , thanks for the show. make a red ribbon on the exhaust manifold and put him under the christmastree :-) juergen

So when will my MR2 be ready, you've had it 3 weeks now? :) Great demo Tom!

I work for a Mitsubishi dealer and deal with this exact thing regularly on Lancer Evolutions whenever removing an exhaust manifold or turbo. Ultra-hard specialized non-magnetic steel turbo studs are the absolute worst thing I've ever run into. Drilling them out is incredibly strenuous by hand and requires a lot of patience. I learned my current method of dealing with these in a Evo guy's backyard, and have been successfully using it in the shop for a few years since. You still have to drill them out like you've done, but forget an extractor. Bring in a oxy/acetylene torch and cook what's left of the stud up to orange heat and use a hammer and punch to collapse it away from the threads and into the open area you drilled out. Repeat heating and punching many times, and you end up with the stud remnants mangled into a few little clumps that knock out and original threads in the manifold that just need a careful cleanup. You will inevitably get the manifold glowing as well and you want to take breaks and let it cool so that you do as little damage to the original threading as possible. Then the important part, don't re-install new studs of the same type, use bolts. On Evos there are 2 bolts and 2 studs, just convert it to 4 bolts. The bolts always come out even though they're made of the same metal as the studs. I thinking i'll probably post a video of this process then next time I run into it.

Tom, professionals never give up as you proved once again! Nice watching your efforts....13

Oh the carnage! End mills, screw extractors, drills.....

Nice job Tom, I have experienced some of that underneath the vehicle stuff a time or two back in my younger days, It would be interesting to see some of the alternative methods for removal. Take care.

oxtoolco Heh, I kinda wish I had commented on the previous video suggesting some of the things that I thought might be useful... (I dunno if anyone will believe me now, presumably not.) A tap wrench, Oxy/Acetylene, a brass or copper hammer to shock the side of the tapped hole while applying torque on the stud... and one other thing that just escaped my memory. You already did most of those. :) I'll post another comment when I can remember the other thing.

Tom, have you tried vibratory methods like impact wrenches etc to loosen the thread interference?

After many years of struggling with frozen bolts on vehicles, for cast iron, the material around the entire circumference has to be red hot or cherry, only oxy/acet will do the job, propane is not hot enough for larger objects, then insert your extractor., if it doesn't come out before it cools, remove and reheat. On aluminum, I grind flat as possible then weld on top of the broken bolt, building up until a nut can be welded on . The heat from welding usually is enough to break the bond of the oxide. Sometimes this process has to be repeated because of the heat soak of aluminum. I learned early in life that easy outs are to be used mainly for broken fasteners that fail due to over tightening, not corrosion. A lot of us shade tree mechanics do not have a milling machine and many times this has to be done on the vehicle, the only problem is keeping the heat and flames where you want them and not ruin neighboring parts or accessories, creative heat blocks using old asbestos shingles and other things. The use of a "miniductor" that heats without flame circumvents the flame issue, this is limited to fastener that are proud on their mating surface and coil size and location. I enjoy watching your videos and look forward to more.

so much for the " i'm going to do it like a mechanic would " ....yeah right. right back to the priveledge of a machine shop !!!!!!

this was a very good video need more like this

Prank on Tom Lipton by his workmate. Tom asks for a stuck stud. Workmate rubs some flux from welding rod on stud thread then puts stud in a manifold, connects earth lead to manifold and welding rod lead to stud, sets dial to 150amps and turns on arc welder for a few seconds. Workmate enjoys cold beer while watching Tom battle the extraction on RU-vid. PMSL

Great video, Tom! Brings back horrid memories for me though. Perhaps one of your future series would be "Building a Metal Disintegrating Machine (MDM)" ? Thanks for sharing!

I'm glad to see you didn't give up. I would've thrown that thing away after running it through the bandsaw numerous times. You have far more patience and ability than I do. Lol I think you covered it in one of your videos before, but where did you get the handle for your mill vise? I've got a Kurt that I use for my gun vise but don't have a good handle for it. That looks like you could just give it a spin and it would open or close it easily.

I got cold sweats just watching this.

Merry Christmas Sensei

It may have "kicked your but"... but a great learning experience for all of us.... Intentional or not, I'm glad your had a failure. The how you recovered... is why I watch this channel.... keep up the good work....!

You did a great job keeping your cool on this. A couple of things that may or may not have helped. I've had good luck with these really tough cases by really heating the daylights out of the casting (deep red all around the bolt). If it still won't break loose then reheat to deep red and smack the side of the casting to deform the casting around the bolt slightly. That one has never failed me. As you said worse comes to worse, heli-coil. :) Thanks for the video, it was frustrating to watch having been there a bunch myself. :)

I enjoyed your struggle. I thought I was the only one that stuff like that happen to.Great that happen to. Great job.

Thanks. Never give up, that's the way to do it. Good job. We want more real life jobs like this.

Hey Tom, I just commented on r1 video that as a retired auto tech I would have just drilled it out to just the edge of the of the threads on the manifold bore than punch remainder of bold to collapse it and pull it out. You may bozo the first few threads but you can clean them up. Or yes the ole heli-coil,at Cadillac we had threadserts also. But as a whole your video was great,I like a few other mechanics were way ahead of you on what to do.Some one mentioned about they had a Getter out series ( Bruce Whitham ) you should start anew series called "BOZO APPLICATIONS REVIEW". Have a wonderful Christmas,Dave

the picks really made me feel like being at the dentist with headphones *shouders* very entertaining nonetheless!

Merry Christmas Mr Wizard. Merry Christmas to Mrs Ox as well. Not enough heat. More heat was code for cherry red hot. Nice recovery any way... All the best. Chuck.

Merry Christmas Ox! Peace and love to you and yours.

Great video. Thanks for sharing!

Keith Fenner Really Nice that you tackled one of the most dreaded things a machinist or mechanic ever faces, for us in the name of experiment...and got it done, Thanks! Also really appreciated your patience! Like Keith said each one is unique and requires an arsenal of experience, tools and patience to take care of business. Your test of the extractors was a great starting point which led to the successive steps to get er done! One of the reasons I went back to school to become an engineer was a 440 mopar in a Jensen Interceptor (Rt side cracked manifold) and a broken stud in the block...the motor was shoe horned in, had to break the motor mounts loose, jack it up & remove the fender well just to be able to get to the culprit. Same results as yours having to drill it, pick the threads out, etc. Worst part is the 440 mopars are notorious for cracked exhausts...bad engineering...but a fun ride! The issue that most miss is in the application & OEM/mechanic assembly. In the MR2 case the stud you were dealing with were likely Inconel (turbo version of the RX7 used them) and the oxide formed on the Inconel from the heat will literally weld it to the manifold (Without Proper Anti-Sieze compound). And there are a myriad of ASC flavors out there! Since the good ole days, I've designed components and systems for Nasty environments that required Inconel or Hastelloy for extreme heat and corrosive environments, some of which only last a year because of the nasties...but always used proper Anti-Sieze compounds for the assy so they can be replaced easily...hopefully! A minor note on tools is that Snap-On and some of the others make a hefty serrated Cam style, stud extractor that uses a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar which gives you a better centerline drive. The wrench puts a lot of angular/lateral torque on the splined extractor, not that it mattered in your case, but maybe a ratchet/deep well for a lesser job would be better. Really enjoyed the mill setup too! Thanks again Tom, great learning for everyone and definitely worth the watch! ~PJ

Very educational....setup, methods, perseverance

I definitely applaud your patience!

Very good learning opportunity, you are tenacious!

Merry Christmas Tom, now you went through the extractor crash coarse lol. some times with bolts that are heated and cooled over and over it is just easier to blow the bolt out of the cast manifold in steps, The Smoke wrench can blow a bolt out without hurting the manifold if you stop in stages to keep the manifold below melting point.

Well-done beating the dragon! When in-doubt, see the machinist. Great vid! As always, thanks’ for taking the time to make this video! And I support this site. ~M~

Great real-world vids Tom. Sometimes it would be cheaper in the long run if a mech would bring something like this to a machinist at the start. I used to have friends that would bring their bikes to my shop for broken bolt removal, with busted taps/extractors in them. After the first one, I told people that if there was anything broken in the hole except the stud, there was a $100 charge up front before I would touch it. That put a stop to that crap. Merry Christmas to you and yours Tom. Regards, Duck