Hi Norm! I had the exact same issue just months back now as I’ve been tarting up my 03 that I bought in April this year. I wanted to paint the front engine casing before putting a crud catcher on. I tried hammering with a nylon mallet, prying with a 2x4 whilst heating under traction, freeze sprays, i tried just about everything many sleepless nights too! it seemed to me the part you believe to be an insert is actually just corrosion. As I had the same belief. I thought the flanges were tapped with inserts too! I used acf 50 on those left to soak for a few days, then heat cycling it, more acf 50 and plus gas, eventually the corrosion gives, I used some picks to work around the studs and loosen the corrosion up, finally got movement on one but then gave up as this was over a period of around 2 weeks. I decided to polish the pipes in place and did one hell of a mask up job to paint the front casing. The only real reason to take them off would be to get the barrels off. And personally a barrel off job wouldn’t be something to fix at the road side anyway. If I ever needed them off I would undo the center clamp and buy two new barrels and a new set of headers. They should slide off with the Center clamp undone. There’s not much room for error when drilling these heads as I believe there’s an oil gallery behind the exhaust studs which could easily be hit when trying to drill and tap for new studs.
I cannot thank you enough Adam…there I was thinking I was the only one who faced this on the planet. Although I am pleased that you have shared your experience I am sorry that you have been through it as well. Just not been able to sleep 😴, kept waking up and thinking of new ideas 💡 I am so in agreement with you, I thought there were inserts in the flange which were acting exactly as nuts😱🤷🏼♂️. When I woke this morning, and uploaded the TH-cam episode at 7am, I sat having a cup of tea thinking the only thing I can do is drill out the studs. I have done that before. Then a subscriber contacted me to say he cannot believe I can just leave it like that😱. He said if I could find a way and put it on TH-cam then he would pay the £200 Ceramic Coating at Performance 1 Coatings.🥳 wow, talk about an incentive. So I have been working on it for hours and hours. Watch for another TH-cam 🤔
@@normski3091 I look forward to it! If you can crack it then I’ll have a go myself! Thanks for the videos keep them coming! I’ve watched your other GS rebuilds and jazz ups! Keep them coming! Really enjoy the content.
Adam, depending how close you are to Chesterfield you can always ride over and we will do your header pipes in a day together. Then you can ride home knowing that they are done and no more sleepless nights. By the time I got to the 4th stud I really knew what I was doing. If you can get your stud nuts off OK I would pre-make 4 alignment tools and then drill all 4 studs one after another. Keep going up in size until we mill out the 8mm hole through the flange. Almost a production line. Even coffee will be waiting. No cost of course, you just buy the studs, nuts if needed and gaskets🤗
@Normski thats great of you! I’ve tried to send a few messages with my email address but it seems they’re being deleted by TH-cam! Not sure how to send a private message on here but I would be eternally grateful to take you up on that offer! Just watched the new video and it’s top work!
As part of this project are you going to replace the left hand side cam chain tensioner? It might already have been replaced. The new ones have a 15mm head vs the old ones I think where 17mm. Could be a component you might want to order ahead of scedule.
Hi Bjorn, I did think about that but the bottom one is so difficult to get to. Thank you so much for your suggestion. I have to find a way. Before I have used a HSS milling bit to drill out the studs 🤔😮
Ciao Norman, I have an idea . What do you think to put the exhaust manifold in traction ? If you continue to heat the part of the ring with the flame, maybe you can detach It. Sorry for my English....😬😉
Hi Massimo, thank you very much for your suggestion. Didn’t sleep last night, cannot let it go, have to find a way as I do not want to ride a bike knowing the header pipes are seized on. Understand what you mean by traction….thank you🤗
Rather than corrosion that looks a lot more like carbon built up around the studs, probably from a poorly sealed header pipe joint to the head. I think I'd try to dissolve the gunge around the stud next.
Hi Hymek, yes think it was a combination of everything. Whatever it was they would not move. Soaked in a special Wurth diesel inject release spray a garage that specialises in restoration of cars gave me. He said this will move anything if you leave overnight….it didn’t 😱. Tried Plus Gas and everything possible. So in the end the only option was to drill out the bolts🤷🏼♂️. Just posted next TH-cam!
Hi Norm! I had the exact same issue just months back now as I’ve been tarting up my 03 that I bought in April this year. I wanted to paint the front engine casing before putting a crud catcher on. I tried hammering with a nylon mallet, prying with a 2x4 whilst heating under traction, freeze sprays, i tried just about everything many sleepless nights too! it seemed to me the part you believe to be an insert is actually just corrosion. As I had the same belief. I thought the flanges were tapped with inserts too! I used acf 50 on those left to soak for a few days, then heat cycling it, more acf 50 and plus gas, eventually the corrosion gives, I used some picks to work around the studs and loosen the corrosion up, finally got movement on one but then gave up as this was over a period of around 2 weeks. I decided to polish the pipes in place and did one hell of a mask up job to paint the front casing. The only real reason to take them off would be to get the barrels off. And personally a barrel off job wouldn’t be something to fix at the road side anyway. If I ever needed them off I would undo the center clamp and buy two new barrels and a new set of headers. They should slide off with the Center clamp undone. There’s not much room for error when drilling these heads as I believe there’s an oil gallery behind the exhaust studs which could easily be hit when trying to drill and tap for new studs.
I cannot thank you enough Adam…there I was thinking I was the only one who faced this on the planet. Although I am pleased that you have shared your experience I am sorry that you have been through it as well. Just not been able to sleep 😴, kept waking up and thinking of new ideas 💡
I am so in agreement with you, I thought there were inserts in the flange which were acting exactly as nuts😱🤷🏼♂️.
When I woke this morning, and uploaded the TH-cam episode at 7am, I sat having a cup of tea thinking the only thing I can do is drill out the studs. I have done that before. Then a subscriber contacted me to say he cannot believe I can just leave it like that😱. He said if I could find a way and put it on TH-cam then he would pay the £200 Ceramic Coating at Performance 1 Coatings.🥳 wow, talk about an incentive.
So I have been working on it for hours and hours.
Watch for another TH-cam 🤔
@@normski3091 I look forward to it! If you can crack it then I’ll have a go myself! Thanks for the videos keep them coming! I’ve watched your other GS rebuilds and jazz ups! Keep them coming! Really enjoy the content.
Adam, depending how close you are to Chesterfield you can always ride over and we will do your header pipes in a day together. Then you can ride home knowing that they are done and no more sleepless nights. By the time I got to the 4th stud I really knew what I was doing. If you can get your stud nuts off OK I would pre-make 4 alignment tools and then drill all 4 studs one after another. Keep going up in size until we mill out the 8mm hole through the flange. Almost a production line. Even coffee will be waiting. No cost of course, you just buy the studs, nuts if needed and gaskets🤗
@Normski thats great of you! I’ve tried to send a few messages with my email address but it seems they’re being deleted by TH-cam! Not sure how to send a private message on here but I would be eternally grateful to take you up on that offer! Just watched the new video and it’s top work!
@@Psychonabike that is great Adam. Don’t know why TH-cam is rejecting emails, but mrnormanhill@yahoo.co.uk get through ok 👍
as ever love watching your vid's.....hope your get it sorted....look forward to see what happens........
Hi Phil, couldn’t sleep….had to sort…see next video 🤗
As part of this project are you going to replace the left hand side cam chain tensioner? It might already have been replaced. The new ones have a 15mm head vs the old ones I think where 17mm. Could be a component you might want to order ahead of scedule.
Hi Neil, well that is something I never knew about. Brilliant thank you 😊
Maybe try to weld a bolt onto the stud?
Hi Bjorn, I did think about that but the bottom one is so difficult to get to. Thank you so much for your suggestion. I have to find a way. Before I have used a HSS milling bit to drill out the studs 🤔😮
Hi Bjorn, had to do something otherwise I will never rest….just uploaded result🤩
Ciao Norman, I have an idea .
What do you think to put the exhaust manifold in traction ?
If you continue to heat the part of the ring with the flame, maybe you can detach It. Sorry for my English....😬😉
Hi Massimo, thank you very much for your suggestion. Didn’t sleep last night, cannot let it go, have to find a way as I do not want to ride a bike knowing the header pipes are seized on. Understand what you mean by traction….thank you🤗
Hi Massimo, out with the milling cutters😱 see next video🥳
When you said you were going to leave the header pipes in place , I knew this wouldn't sit well with you !
Hi Graham…..you know me better than I know myself….see next video🥳
Rather than corrosion that looks a lot more like carbon built up around the studs, probably from a poorly sealed header pipe joint to the head. I think I'd try to dissolve the gunge around the stud next.
Hi Hymek, yes think it was a combination of everything. Whatever it was they would not move. Soaked in a special Wurth diesel inject release spray a garage that specialises in restoration of cars gave me. He said this will move anything if you leave overnight….it didn’t 😱. Tried Plus Gas and everything possible. So in the end the only option was to drill out the bolts🤷🏼♂️. Just posted next TH-cam!