How to remove rocker arm studs

Hi I would  like to know the proper way to remove rocker arm studs out of a chevy 350 cylinder head, stock I believe. Preferably without removing the cylinder head from the engine.  Seems the rocker arm was loose and has begun to saw its way through the stud. Thanks  

That's a tricky situation. The problem is, even if you get the factory pressed in stud out, you still have to press in a new stud, or machine it for a screw-in stud, you need to have the head off the motor.

Your best course of action is to bite the bullet, yank both heads, and take them to a machine shop to have screw-in studs installed. At the least, yank the one head and take it to a machine shop to have the one bad stud changed.  

I seen a video on you tube that shows a guy from the Eastwood company with a small block chevy head that he just pulled the old studs out and tapped the holes for a 7/16 roker arm stud. the stud was threaded on both ends with no hex in the middle,just straight. No machining other than pulling out the old stud and taping the hole!  

there is a problem....   you can pull rocker arm studs with the head on...  but... you really need a tool with full thread engagement ..  if you try to use a stack of washers and a regular nut.. you will pull the threads out of the nut and damage the threads on the stud to make it even harder to get out...

i have gotten them out with tall connecting rod nuts and stacks of washers.. but with care...


if you have a lathe... or a friend with one..   get a 5/8 to 3/4" fine thread grade 8 bolt.. (six stripes on the head)   have it drilled out and tapped to 3/8-24...   threaded to the full length of the tap threads..    you can then use this with some flat fender washers over the stud and a length of pipe that fits over the bolt... to pull the stud out..

you can generally use the same tool with a stack of washers to limit how deep you drive the new pressed in stud...


if you want to use a screw in stud...   you have to do the studs one at a time...  with a guide tool... they are available..

look at goodson.com...    other people also sell the tool...  this way.. you tap the stud hole straight..

when i ran the cylinder head department.. i had one customer bring in his heads.. he had installed screw in studs at home..  and got them all in crooked...

at the machine shop.. we had a stud puller... it was a port o power with a piston that an adaptor could pass through.. i was looking at the harbor freight hydraulic hole punch..

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96718    

i was thinking if the diameter is right to fit between the studs..

if you want to put in guide plates.. you also have to remove some metal from the stud bosses..

are your rocker arm studs damaged... with a groove in the shank where the rocker arm falls over and off the valve????