Stainless steel exhaust studs - are they a good idea?

Joey Tribiani wrote:
>
> it's all in what works for folks and what their preference is..... Years
> ago I bought some copper exhaust nuts at the same time I bought copper
> exhaust gaskets... since then I went to brass nuts that are a smaller size
> than the stock nuts... you can buy them at most vw retailers, or do as I
> did, I spent the five bucks the anti-seize would have cost me on 100 brass
> nuts (11mm wrench size and taller than the steel stockers).....
>

Like these?
http://www.geneberg.com/product_info...oducts_id=1410

Or these? Bag of 100 for $5.30, zinc plated, 8mm,
Also, self-locking, w/ built-in washer, $0.55/ea.
http://www.germanautoparts.com/Hardware/Nuts/Nuts

"Randall" > wrote in message
m...
> Joey Tribiani wrote:
>>
>> it's all in what works for folks and what their preference is..... Years
>> ago I bought some copper exhaust nuts at the same time I bought copper
>> exhaust gaskets... since then I went to brass nuts that are a smaller
>> size than the stock nuts... you can buy them at most vw retailers, or do
>> as I did, I spent the five bucks the anti-seize would have cost me on 100
>> brass nuts (11mm wrench size and taller than the steel stockers).....
>
> Like these?
> http://www.geneberg.com/product_info...oducts_id=1410
>
> Or these? Bag of 100 for $5.30, zinc plated, 8mm,
> Also, self-locking, w/ built-in washer, $0.55/ea.
> http://www.germanautoparts.com/Hardware/Nuts/Nuts
>
>
>
>

yep, like the berg ones... also those copper pinch lockers... I prefer the
brass...

On Mar 13, 12:25*pm, "Joey Tribiani" > wrote:
> I only use copper or brass(my first choice) nuts on standard steel studs....
> no problems removing them...

If I could find stainless studs for my entire exhaust system with
brass nuts I would use them.

Back in my "youth" I would snap header collector bolts trying to
remove rusted nuts. The temp variations and exposure under the car
caused steel nuts to rust.

One day and old-time racer suggested fine-threaded stainless bolts
with brass nuts along with lock washers.
The stainless would not rust and the brass nuts would expand at a
different rate than the stainless preventing them from bonding
together. Warm up the motor just a little and the brass nuts would
expand faster than the stainless bolts they held onto making removals
easy. The split lock washers and fine thread prevented them from
vibrating loose. And I didn't even need to use anti-sieze!

Not practical for all applications, but great when you "uncapped" your
headers every weekend !

In article
>,
AshMan > wrote:

> One day and old-time racer suggested fine-threaded stainless bolts
> with brass nuts along with lock washers.

IMHO, lock washers are a no-no for exhaust port fasteners and a super
bad idea for head bolts or any critical part that must have proper
torque.

Thanks for all the advice. I think Ill experiment by replacing the 2
most corroded of my studs will S/S ones but use anti-seize and brass
nuts on all the exhaust studs.

Can I just clarify that by anti-seize we are talking about copper
grease (Copaslip) or is there something better?

Thanks

Will