Just got some new nuts and studs for the pipe joint to a cast manifold. The nuts are either copper, or copper plated..

Is there a proper method to install the studs? or are they put in, finger tight and then the nuts whacked on??

The copper nuts are squeezed at one end to make sure that they are tight to install??

Anybody have the experienced view??

JohnN

Use 2 ordinary nuts locked together to wind the studs into the head, unlock them and wind them off.

Also works well as a cheap stud extractor as long as studs are not to tight

That makes sense, thanks - that's the exhaust sorted!

John

Nuts are probably made of brass, looks very similar to copper.

could you put one of the studs in a micrometer?

I've just bought some from burton. The ones i removed are 7.75mm the ones they've sent are 7.85mm and ........ don't fit !

MikeR, my studs are for a 1991 dohc 2 litre manifold and are 10mm metric thread, they measure 9.8mm at the centre where there is no thread.

Bought them from Ford, 23p each

I tapped the holes out in the head to make sure they were in good condition and clean. Sprayed them with electrical cleaner to remove debris. Dries the holes out. Small amount of stud lock and wound studs in using the two plain nut method.

The nuts are compressed at the ends as a way of locking them on like with nylocs (i call them bugger nuts as the end looks like it has been squashed or buggered (ie damaged - not in the sexual sense!!). I thought they were copper as well - certainly look like copper.

So you paid 0.23 each, approx 10 of them, total £2.30. Thats quite an investment for a dohc! Sorry, couldnt resist - i get stick for using SOHC as well (boat anchor i think the term is!).

The nuts are most likely brass which is an alloy made from copper and zinc. brass looks very similare to copper at a glance. Its is what was always used for car parts like nuts and radiators.

Copper on its own is too soft and would deform far to easily.

Copper is quite often used for pipes but the fittings on the ends of pipes are often brass.

[Edited on 2/3/05 by clbarclay]