I was driving today and all of a sudden there was a popping sound coming out of the carburetor, pulled over and since I was close to a buddies house we towed it to his place. Pulled the valve cover and found a broken rocker stud. It’s a 265 solid lifter power pack head with press in studs. So here’s my stupid question. Can it be replaced without pulling the head? Sent from my iPhone www.speedoservice.com Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?
You can replace the stud without removing the head. Remove the rocker arm. Run a die down the stud to extend the thread. (Mind the chips) Stack washers on the stud. Use a nut to jack the stud out of the head. Freeze new stud with dry ice. Heat the head with a heat gun. Insert the new stud. Done.
Only if if plan on pounding it out from the other side... After 1955 it was in the flat rate manual. There were many ways, weld threaded stock and slip over a socket and Jack it out with a nut and washer. I saw a mechanic stick weld piece of flat stock and pry one out. A flat rate mechanic would never take off the head. For installation I’ve seen bottom tapping and screw a stud from a Dorman drawer in, .... drilling the side , tapping for a 10-32 Allen set screw, put 2 nuts on a press in one, and pound it in with a hammer, lock with the set screw...
Valve seemed free, the engine runs at idle but pops through the carb if you bring it above idle. It gave no warning was doing about 25mph when it happened. Sent from my iPhone www.speedoservice.com Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?
Those studs are old. Too many times we forget how many cycles they have ran, Get the remnants of the stud out as was mentioned. You may consider pulling the head to fix this. Lippy
Only thing is you may get antfreeze up through the stud hole if you don't take care. Would be better to pull both heads and put screw in studs in. I know not what you wanted to hear. lippy
Nope not what I wanted to hear☹️but I guess I have all fall and winter to get it done. I have a set of 283 heads that came off of a 57 Fulie, should I just send them out to be done with screw in studs and use them? Sent from my iPhone www.speedoservice.com Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?
For one stud I think I'd do it on the engine, but the question remains- why did it happen? Was it fatigue like @lippy said? Those grooved rocker balls are aftermarket, maybe Develco, or Mr. Gasket pieces from BITD, when the engine was built did you go with a stock cam or something wilder? Anyway, get the broken stud out and then consider what I mentioned in Post #22 in the following link, https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rocker-arm-studs.1152491/#post-13108930 If you decide to do that one stud I'll send you one.
It was built back in the 70’s nothing wild, all stock. I’ll check out your link I appreciate all of the input from you guys. Sent from my iPhone www.speedoservice.com Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?
On my 400 pont in my 1957 gmc it broke a pushrod I replaced it it broke again,Then I put a straight edge on the valve tip it it was worn on an angle,so I pulled the heads.
Since it has some stud still protruding, I would remove the rocker arm and use a die on it like FritzJr suggested. There are different size dies available. I would look for one that has a hex for its outside shape. That way you can get one thats small and fits in a socket giving you good clearance. There are some with small outside dimensions. I would want to drill and tap and install a threaded stud rather than a press in. Buy a set of studs, and if you do have to end up pulling the heads later, install the rest of the studs then. I'd just replace the one stud and continue driving for now. No sense doing anything more unless another one breaks later. You might check on whether a stud girdle will fit to give support to all the studs...... https://www.ebay.com/itm/DIE-1-HEX-5-16-24NF/164178401350?hash=item2639cb9846:g:uP0AAOSwUydeqMG- This shows the hex shape.
It looks like it broke through the root diameter of a thread. Looking at the position of the push rod, I don't think it pushed the lifter out of its bore. Do the hardware store/Dorman studs have the metallurgy to withstand the rigors of a rocker arm stud? If you are going to replace it with a screw in rocker arm stud that also entails machining the top of the rocker arm stand. Back in the 60's the replacement studs were .003 over size. After pulling the old one, you were supposed to ream the hole. We warmed the engine up really good, nut and washered the old one out, screwed a nut on the top of the new stud to protect the threads, chilled it down with R-12 and hammered it into the hole. Don't recall any come backs.
This style will work w/o machining...I was given similar info a month or so back: https://www.dormanproducts.com/c-284-double-ended-studs-grade-8.aspx
These days I think liquid nitrogen is easier to get, cheaper, and a hell of a lot colder. Far better than dry ice.
I can’t speak to the durability of studs produced today but when I was still employed I Rockwell tested a Dorman stud on the C scale and it was 37-38, equivalent to a G-8 bolt. The Pioneer (and other) studs seen on eBay have a shoulder above the 7/16-14 threads, you screw the stud in until the shoulder butts against the head and give it a bit of torque to keep it in place. I never had trouble with any I have run and never had a comeback on those I did for others. Would I use them with a big, radical cam? No, but for the street and an occasional blast they are fine. The Dorman stud in the screenshot has the right threads and the threads are the correct length but it looks like there is no unthreaded area for the rocker ball. I may have overlooked it, but this was the only Dorman stud that I saw with the correct threads. The Dorman’s I bought BITD and Pioneer’s sold on eBay have a 5/8” area for the rocker ball giving an overall length of 2 1/4”.
Whatever choice you make, the first step is removing the old stud. Then you have a choice of simply drilling and tapping.............or heating,freezing,smashing and banging. Its that simple. Pressed or driven in studs can pull out. Screwed and loctited studs don't. All studs can break.
I was relaxing some years ago & heard a clatter coming down the street, Thought, well someone is going to be doing some work. Then it turned into my driveway....crap. Stud snapped off in a 302 in a Merc we had just bought. Took the head off & was pleasantly surprised to find .030 pistons w/o a hint of a ridge!
May sound a little crazy, but guys used to just drive the broken stud on through to the water jacket, if it's not too long of a stud left to deal with like yours might be. There also used to be a special tool used to drive the studs back in; the stud was thread into the tool, after doing the temperature difference technique, and pound the stud home. My Mother had a mid 70's Blazer once, that had one stud that kept slowly pulling out. I made some witness marks on the stud, used some high heat Loc-Tite, and drove it back in the last time it happened (she was going to trade it in anyway), and it seemed to take care of the problem. Course I was a whole lot younger then, and would't do it that way today. They also make oversize studs to take care of the studs pulling out. I'm guessing this is on the 56 Corvette? Still have the 265 with 5306 heads? I have a set of 5306 heads, all new valves, with larger intake valves (1.84's), guides, Z-28 spring kit, and non-shouldered screw-in studs for my Pseudo-Junior Stock, 265 engine based on a 57, 265 block I am Butch/56sedandelivery..
Hi, I just did this 6 months ago. But a bit different. My stud was not broken but had a groove worn on the side. I did as suggested and put washers and used the nut and washers to remove it (well lubed mind ya) Once out I found I was in a water jacket as fluid jumped out at me I lowered the antifreeze level. The stud is very hard so be careful running the die. To Tap, they sell a tool to align the the tap to the correct angle or your rocker could be off center. Once tapped I cleaned the hole real good and installed the stud (as in previous picture). Here is where everyone will tell you different as everyone has their own way of sealing the threads. I used Loctite 262. Ran the stud in and out a few times adding plenty of Loctite. Double nutted it and ran it down tight. Ran it all summer with no problems. Al
Yes it’s the 56 Corvette with the original heads, I’m going to get it hauled back to my shop tomorrow and get a better look at things and decide how to tackle it. Those sound like a great set of heads that you have. I appreciate all of the input and past experience that has been shared by the H.A.M.B. crew. Sent from my iPhone www.speedoservice.com Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?
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