Can I Reinstall Exhaust Header Studs With Stuck Nuts?

When you’re removing exhaust headers and the studs come out with the nuts stuck on them, can you just reinstall those studs with the seized nuts still on them?

Partzilla’s powersports expert John Talley hosts live motorcycle and ATV repair Q&A sessions on our YouTube channel every Friday at 3pm Eastern. In this session, John was asked if stuck nuts on exhaust header studs would be a problem to reinstall.

Exhaust header studs

Stuck Nuts on Exhausted Header Studs Q&A

I’m taking exhaust headers off and half of the nuts came off stuck to the studs. In other words, the studs came out with the nut stuck to the stud. Is this a problem, or can I just reinstall them this way?

John Talley: I’ve had that happen before, more on cars than on motorcycles, side-by-sides or ATVs, but I just carefully put them back in there. Because think about what you’re working with. You’ve got steel threads going into aluminum. So just be careful and don’t force them, because once you gall them, you’re going to be investigating or learning how to do Time Serts, and I don’t think you want to do that. But anyway, just carefully line them up and get them back in there. That’s what I’ve done in the past. Do make sure that as you’re tightening them down, that they get enough threads in there and the bolt doesn’t magically start turning. It’s probably not going to be the case. Because if that nut was frozen on there enough where it pulled the threads, allowed the threads to come all the way out, it’ll probably keep it in position to bring it all the way back in. But no, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.