Why does broken studs keep coming up?
In all my years never heard of it until here where it pops up every now and then, is there an inherent problem?
Could it be the gearbox bracket rusting away stressing the whole area if not replaced in time?
I guess the cat and entire exhaust to the rear would hang on the manifold bolts if that bracket wasn't present as the next hanger is at the rear on the central pipe?
I think that's the reason.
Certainly if this bracket is broken or weakened it puts extra stress on this area, and this issue gets regularly reported on the forum. I'd recommend owners first check the security of this bracket when the car is four years old, and then every year thereafter. Fortunately, replacement is straightforward if caught early.
I wonder if the fast fit centres replace this bracket when changing an exhaust? If anyone has used one in the past, it could be a good idea to check this.
The same issue affects the Panda, but note the 60HP Pandas use a seemingly identical but different bracket, as the whole exhaust has a smaller external diameter. The Panda brackets are much harder to find, but you can use the 500 ones if you shim the inside and elongate the attachment hole. It's essential when refitting that the exhaust (technically it's on the cat) is held securely , or you too could be joining this thread!
I think your chances of extracting a complete set of exhaust manifold studs cleanly would be problematic on just about any older car; it's just that this issue means you're more likely to need to do this on the 500/Panda.
Thinking back to the old days, exhaust manifold nuts used to be made from a copper based material that didn't corrode; I suppose using steel nuts saves a few pence on the manufacturing cost,
