The stud nearest the firewall on top has a broken stud just below the block and I wanted opinions on removing the steering shaft to access the hole better. Are any special tools needed or precautions?

 

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Oh thats a pain in the ***.

 

Ok not sure if I posted this in the wrong place but I fixed this by takaing a 1/4 inch piece of metal and used it as a jig. I positioned it over the two bolts before and used them to position the last hole over the broken bolt hole and drilled it out and helicoil fix all together under torque!

 

Good idear right there.

 

Ya this is general discussion and you should have posted to technical. I just grabbed my broken ones with channel locks and gripped as had as I possible could while turning but I imagine yours was worse. Glad you found a fix.

 

Are they broken flush with the manifold, a little above, below?

Believe it or not when I had two break on my last 4.7 Dakota, I was able to back out the studs with my fingers. They were sheared flush with the manifold but not seized. Was able to get a fingernail on the end and start turing them out. If there is even the least little bit of meat sticking out try to see if they'll turn with a set of small needle-nose pliers or something similar.

Option two is to go ahead and remove the rest of the studs and pull the manifold far enough off the head to be able to get some pliers on what is left of the stud between the manifold and head.

 

I can't tell if the picture uploaded from my phone I circled the hole in green marker that the bolt broke off in. It must have broken off 50,000 miles ago because the stud that fell off was rusted on the end where the broken part should have been attached. It was rusted solid and hindsight being 2020 I would have pulled the steering shaft from the start and the easy out might have had a better chance as I drilled it off center.