Anyone used a Stomski jig to remove 996 exhaust studs?
Discussion
Hello Everyone,
My 996 3.6 C2 has a blown exhaust gasket. Although the replacement gasket is less than a tenner I have seen that removing the manifold (and its six notorious studs) can be a soul-destroyer of a task. A bit of googling shows Hartech's experience of having to deal with owner's bodges having tried to drill out any snapped studs, along with various owners around the globe starting this job on their driveway and then being reduced to tears as each "diamond hard" stud snaps in the soft ali heads.
I see that Stomski doing a special tool (code SR067 from Porscheshop) for removing broken studs using a bespoke jig and special drill bits, has anyone used one? The very few reports of its use seem to be very favourable, if not a little brief. Given that it is not a cheap purchase (£250) for a job I might only ever do once on my car, can anyone vouch for how good it is?
I will NOT be drilling out broken studs on my back in the driveway without a jig, but I also want to know that the Stomski kit is good for the money. The understandably high prices "in the trade" to do this job are eye watering.
Of course, I could just find that with some heat and penetrating oil all six studs come out intact! (Stop laughing at the back).
If anyone has a second hand one to sell, I would also be very interested.
My 996 3.6 C2 has a blown exhaust gasket. Although the replacement gasket is less than a tenner I have seen that removing the manifold (and its six notorious studs) can be a soul-destroyer of a task. A bit of googling shows Hartech's experience of having to deal with owner's bodges having tried to drill out any snapped studs, along with various owners around the globe starting this job on their driveway and then being reduced to tears as each "diamond hard" stud snaps in the soft ali heads.
I see that Stomski doing a special tool (code SR067 from Porscheshop) for removing broken studs using a bespoke jig and special drill bits, has anyone used one? The very few reports of its use seem to be very favourable, if not a little brief. Given that it is not a cheap purchase (£250) for a job I might only ever do once on my car, can anyone vouch for how good it is?
I will NOT be drilling out broken studs on my back in the driveway without a jig, but I also want to know that the Stomski kit is good for the money. The understandably high prices "in the trade" to do this job are eye watering.
Of course, I could just find that with some heat and penetrating oil all six studs come out intact! (Stop laughing at the back).
If anyone has a second hand one to sell, I would also be very interested.
Right, about time I came back to this thread, given the weather is getting warmer!
I now have the Stomski jig, and I have the new gasket (which no one could beat OPC for price on), just got to source the bolts/studs. Any recommendations?
I see that the Indys all say use copperslip on the threads of whatever is used to attach the manifolds back to the heads.
I now have the Stomski jig, and I have the new gasket (which no one could beat OPC for price on), just got to source the bolts/studs. Any recommendations?
I see that the Indys all say use copperslip on the threads of whatever is used to attach the manifolds back to the heads.
A huge thanks for all the informative replies and the links too.
I have the tool, new gaskets, and about to order the stainless bolts/washers. I have booked next Thur/Fri off work to get stuck in, I shall report back...
Now the Stomski tool is here and I have taken it out the case I can report it is a heck of a bit of kit.
I have the tool, new gaskets, and about to order the stainless bolts/washers. I have booked next Thur/Fri off work to get stuck in, I shall report back...
Now the Stomski tool is here and I have taken it out the case I can report it is a heck of a bit of kit.
I got home at 5:30pm today, as this is relatively early and it was light I thought I would get a head start on my gasket replacement this weekend. I apologise for the quality of these photos, but I am underneath my car with a smart phone.
Firstly, the Gumgum repair I mentioned at the start of this thread. It is not pretty, but blimey it has been effective. Clearly I will clean all this up to look spangly as part of the repair:
Next I cleaned up my rusty blobs that passed as bolt heads, and soaked in penetrating oil. Then... nervously... I started to apply some torque to see if they would budge, or just round/strip/snap straight away.
Low and behold, they come out without any fuss, one by one:
Five out, one to go (the one nearest the repair) and it snaps the head off the minute I try and rotate it:
With the exhaust off, and old gasket removed, it is easy to see where it has failed:
That was an hour and a half of spannering, which is enough for a school night. So I almost don't need the Stomski tool, nearly got all six bolts out! I will use the jig on that last remaining snapped bolt, and update the thread.
Firstly, the Gumgum repair I mentioned at the start of this thread. It is not pretty, but blimey it has been effective. Clearly I will clean all this up to look spangly as part of the repair:
Next I cleaned up my rusty blobs that passed as bolt heads, and soaked in penetrating oil. Then... nervously... I started to apply some torque to see if they would budge, or just round/strip/snap straight away.
Low and behold, they come out without any fuss, one by one:
Five out, one to go (the one nearest the repair) and it snaps the head off the minute I try and rotate it:
With the exhaust off, and old gasket removed, it is easy to see where it has failed:
That was an hour and a half of spannering, which is enough for a school night. So I almost don't need the Stomski tool, nearly got all six bolts out! I will use the jig on that last remaining snapped bolt, and update the thread.
Thanks for the continued input guys. I am making this a bit pic heavy for anyone in the future thinking about how to tackle this job. I did try heat, but anything based on rotation seems to be a dead end in getting it to shift.
So last night I thought I would put a little more time into proceedings, and I cut the bolt off flush:
Then I attached the Stomski jig with the two thumb screws:
It lines up pretty good! Dead on I reckon:
At which time it is time to start with the smallest drill first:
This is an optical illusion of sorts, you are actually looking into the hole drilled into the snapped bolt:
At this point the light was fading and I didn't want to rush things for the next crucial step, so I left it for the night.
When I got up today I thought I would have a go at the other bank, before being antisocial to my neighbours and using drills on that last stuck bolt first thing in the morning.
Prepare to hate me a bit.... all six bolts came out the other manifold with ease:
What a relief! Both sides off now. 12 studs out, only one snapped. Time to clean up all the mating surfaces and remove what is left of that last bolt.
So last night I thought I would put a little more time into proceedings, and I cut the bolt off flush:
Then I attached the Stomski jig with the two thumb screws:
It lines up pretty good! Dead on I reckon:
At which time it is time to start with the smallest drill first:
This is an optical illusion of sorts, you are actually looking into the hole drilled into the snapped bolt:
At this point the light was fading and I didn't want to rush things for the next crucial step, so I left it for the night.
When I got up today I thought I would have a go at the other bank, before being antisocial to my neighbours and using drills on that last stuck bolt first thing in the morning.
Prepare to hate me a bit.... all six bolts came out the other manifold with ease:
What a relief! Both sides off now. 12 studs out, only one snapped. Time to clean up all the mating surfaces and remove what is left of that last bolt.
Well, time to update on progress.
Once the bolt was drilled out (using the larger drill bit that Stomski supply, which is a nervous moment as it seems a little excessive at first look) I was using the tap to chase out the remnants. This is slow, patient, frustrating work:
Then it was time to reassemble everything with new gaskets and stainless steel fixings:
There is now not a single rusty knackered nut, bolt, or washer on the whole system. I have taken the car out and it all seems to be leak-free and as it should be, so happy days.
If I had to give some pointers to others going the Stomski route:
1) This is a long job. In just cleaning up all the mating surfaces, and lining up the gaskets, hours of your life will disappear.
2) When using the jig, remove it often to remove the swarf that builds up, it has nowhere to go when you are drilling away. This is easy, as the thumbscrews make removing it a doddle.
3) Siting right under the engine looking directly up really helps in lining up the metal gaskets and the manifolds themselves, there is a surprising amount of "wriggle room" to get it bang on center if not paying close attention.
4) This took me two days to do the whole system, and I only had one stud to drill out.
5) I only raised the car high enough to get a drill vertical underneath the engine. The rear bumper stayed on, I just removed the wheels and left the silencers mounted in place.
I see the very valid points about turbos and GT variants having a different head design so the jig won't work. My view would be that for the higher value 911s you are excused for paying someone else to tackle this job! I may well have lost my mind if I had several studs snap and I didn't have the Stomski jig. Not a task to take lightly, or do on your car over a weekend if you need it to get to work on Monday!
Once the bolt was drilled out (using the larger drill bit that Stomski supply, which is a nervous moment as it seems a little excessive at first look) I was using the tap to chase out the remnants. This is slow, patient, frustrating work:
Then it was time to reassemble everything with new gaskets and stainless steel fixings:
There is now not a single rusty knackered nut, bolt, or washer on the whole system. I have taken the car out and it all seems to be leak-free and as it should be, so happy days.
If I had to give some pointers to others going the Stomski route:
1) This is a long job. In just cleaning up all the mating surfaces, and lining up the gaskets, hours of your life will disappear.
2) When using the jig, remove it often to remove the swarf that builds up, it has nowhere to go when you are drilling away. This is easy, as the thumbscrews make removing it a doddle.
3) Siting right under the engine looking directly up really helps in lining up the metal gaskets and the manifolds themselves, there is a surprising amount of "wriggle room" to get it bang on center if not paying close attention.
4) This took me two days to do the whole system, and I only had one stud to drill out.
5) I only raised the car high enough to get a drill vertical underneath the engine. The rear bumper stayed on, I just removed the wheels and left the silencers mounted in place.
I see the very valid points about turbos and GT variants having a different head design so the jig won't work. My view would be that for the higher value 911s you are excused for paying someone else to tackle this job! I may well have lost my mind if I had several studs snap and I didn't have the Stomski jig. Not a task to take lightly, or do on your car over a weekend if you need it to get to work on Monday!
Only the gaskets were from Porsche.
The bolts and washers for the manifold to head were from the links kindly supplied earlier in the thread.
The other bolts/nuts/washers for the rest of the system were from the local marine chandlery as they have a great range of stainless steel fixings in A2 and A4, and they are very cheap.
The bolts and washers for the manifold to head were from the links kindly supplied earlier in the thread.
The other bolts/nuts/washers for the rest of the system were from the local marine chandlery as they have a great range of stainless steel fixings in A2 and A4, and they are very cheap.
A quick update:
1) Back in the history file a previous owner bought a pair of DesignTek manifolds and sports cats (nearly £2k)and got their local OPC to fit them whilst also replacing various breather pipes, the RMS, and bits and bobs which they removed the engine for. The OPC installed the lot with crap steel bolts that rusted away, whether those fixings came with the parts the owner gave them or was their own decision from the stores parts bin, I can't say.
2) The Stomski tool is very simple to use "with care", but isn't fool proof. You still have the fine tune the alignment by eye to be bang on central (very easy to do), and you have to be patient during the drilling and tapping and show mechanical sympathy. It is up to you to decide where to mark the drill bits and how far you want to drill.
3) The tool isn't cheap, but it is very comprehensive and extremely well engineered. Poundland spanners it isn't! It comes in a great case, and is "confidence inspiring" to tackle the job, if that makes sense. I would bet money that anyone halfway through this task with a car in bits and trying to drill out snapped studs would suddenly find it a bargain!
4) Earlier tonight I jacked up the car to see if I had any leaks or if anything was coming loose - all tight as a drum!
1) Back in the history file a previous owner bought a pair of DesignTek manifolds and sports cats (nearly £2k)and got their local OPC to fit them whilst also replacing various breather pipes, the RMS, and bits and bobs which they removed the engine for. The OPC installed the lot with crap steel bolts that rusted away, whether those fixings came with the parts the owner gave them or was their own decision from the stores parts bin, I can't say.
2) The Stomski tool is very simple to use "with care", but isn't fool proof. You still have the fine tune the alignment by eye to be bang on central (very easy to do), and you have to be patient during the drilling and tapping and show mechanical sympathy. It is up to you to decide where to mark the drill bits and how far you want to drill.
3) The tool isn't cheap, but it is very comprehensive and extremely well engineered. Poundland spanners it isn't! It comes in a great case, and is "confidence inspiring" to tackle the job, if that makes sense. I would bet money that anyone halfway through this task with a car in bits and trying to drill out snapped studs would suddenly find it a bargain!
4) Earlier tonight I jacked up the car to see if I had any leaks or if anything was coming loose - all tight as a drum!
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