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Help with Stripped threads


81EA81
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Turns out the lower drivers side timing belt tensioner bolt went missing allowing my new timing belt to slip off.

It appears to be stripped out.

 

So now I need to find a replacement bolt and I will need to repair the threads.

Ive read here that heli_coil is best.

 

eyeballing it, it looks to be a 10mm bolt,

Dose anybody know the thread pitch?

 

What helicoil will I need?

 

 

thanks

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helicoils or timeserts are the proper fix.

 

an easier option is to use a longer bolt. the hole is drilled and tapped deeper than the length of the original bolt usually. i assume this is an EA82 and i've done this on those exact bolts before i think (though it's been a long time so i could be mis-remembering!).

 

get a long bolt that can reach the bottom of the hole and chase the threads with a tap to clean up the ones that were stripped. have a washer or two on hand in case the longer bolt bottoms out so you can put them under the head of the bolt to space it out.

 

this is a lot of words for something really simple, just giving you some pointers to make it simple, but all you do is use a longer bolt.

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had to do this to an old XT of mine, Gary is correct a longer bolt will grab but it wasnt too long there after I was right back at it.

 

might as well get it done once. the helicoil seemed to work well and since the car is still going today I'd say you wont have any issues with it. except its a real PITA if you don't remove anything out of the way like i did.:-\

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probably depends how bad the threads are, i could see that going either way. use a torque wrench and make sure it's holding proper torque. a dab of locktite (the nonpermanent kind) might be extra assurance, but i've never done it and had them hold just fine each time.

 

i would clean the existing threads good too.

 

helicoil is definitely the easy, best, and sure solution. rent a very skinny right angle drill (local tool rental place had a really thin one once) or find a cheap adapter for your drill (what i have now) - they can be very small and fit in tight places. then take a drill bit, put it in a vice - and (with goggles on) wail the end of it as fast as you can with a hammer - this will shatter the bit in half - they are strong but brittle so speed is key to shear it in half - making it shorter and allowing easier access up front. i've done them before without removing the engine or a/c stuff. most of my work has been with XT6's though which have more room.

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There used to be a 'form a thread' that seemed to work in some cases. You painted a release agent on the good threads of the bolt, and put some putty in the retapped and cleaned hole. You wouldn't put in so much you filled the bottom of the hole with excess stuff. It dried and held well and the release agent let the bolt be removed later.

 

+1 on the helicoil or timesert, of course, but if its salvageable, the longer bolt and some 'form a thread' might be fine too

 

btw I had that form a thread hold a spark plug until it could be properly repaired many months later with an insert

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so both of my ea82 wags have a stripped exhaust stud on one side. what size tap do i need and what size bit to drill out the hole? PS no, i didnt strip them, one came with the motor i put in my loyale(thanx again, scott). and the other was partially stripped on my 86 but it has a little thread in the end of the hole.

 

thanx folks, RV

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lots of threads (HA HA HA :lol:) on here about this, but probably simpler to google it. the thread repair kits will say what size drill bit you need on the package - so you can read it when you pick it up at the store or google the helicoil or timeserts and find it out in the jiffy that way too.

 

the repair kits come with the tap, so i'm not sure how you're planning to repair this, i assumed you were talking about thread repair kits like helicoil/timeserts? if that's the case you'll just need a proper size drill bit and the kit with the tap and inserts.

 

you can use allthread too, as some folks have done to avoid the drilling/repair kit costs, there are threads on here about folks that have done that.

Edited by grossgary
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