I’ve got all the plastic off my K100LT to prepare for painting and whilst I am there and under all that I’m having a little play.
 
The exhaust header pipe nuts are well corroded although the studs look okay.
 
Nonetheless, I’ve taken them all out (except 1) and I’m going to replace them with stainless studs (chop the head off stainless steel set screws) and nuts.
 
There is one which I can’t get out which is the front one near the engine so I’m going to leave it for now at least.
 
I wanted to take the headers off to realign the rear box (Motad) at a better angle for getting the wheel out but the headers are stuck into the head.
 
Is there any magic way of getting these off other than by heating the head?
 
I don’t want to go to the trouble of removing the head because this isn’t an essential job, it’s just something I wanted to do while I was in there.
 

Thanks all

I did it with lots of GT85 and physical violence (and a smattering of patience to go with it). The exhaust collars seem to love corroding into the exhaust ports. Once the pipes come out clean the exhaust ports with a rotary wire cup brush held in one of B&D's finest.

Before you go chopping the heads off innocent setscrews, consider this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-STAINLESS-STEEL-EXHAUST-STUDS-K100-K100RS-K100LT-K100RT-X8-/261264024002?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item3cd48ca1c2

just to reiterate  stainless is good for any thing glossy ...do not use them anywhere that heat and high tension is required ....the aftermath of stainless is that it is brittle and prone to snap quite unexpectedly from galling ...so the use of antisieze compounds should be advised ...don't know the probability of it being useful on exhaust studs though .

there is merit in the standard mild steel bolts and fittings ....depending on the location and stress factors

its always good to know what can be expected before installing it ...even better if you plan to replace them before they corrode too far ....your location could be a contributing factor in the level of corrosion and longevity  out here we have little added road salts ..sand during winter ...but for other places this could be a factor to consider ?



hers a look at the exhaust port ...just for clarification ,,,don't forget they are (usually use a copper ring as the gasket - which spreads out to form a grumpy to remove interface ) after years of service



good luck !!

Brute force, release oil and ignorance and patience then. I will have another try over the next few days. I always use coppaslip on zorst studs, even stainless ones.

James

charlie99 wrote:just to reiterate  stainless is good for any thing glossy ...do not use them anywhere that heat and high tension is required ....the aftermath of stainless is that it is brittle and prone to snap quite unexpectedly from galling ...so the use of antisieze compounds should be advised ...don't know the probability of it being useful on exhaust studs though.

I've been using stainless steel exhaust studs on all of my Guzzis for the last twenty-odd years (and now on the brick) without any problems... yet (I have to say that because Murphy is probably listening).