nkx Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 i swapped out the cam seals, and apparently stripped the threads for the cam seal covers. what should i do? helicoil? tap new threads and put a bigger bolt in? stop being such a n00b? this is my first time doing any major work, and it was going ok, until now.... (hope i didnt ruin the threads for the oil pump bolts also :-\) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belizeanbus Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I've been where you're at and in my case, a longer bolt solved my problem. You might look into that before trying heli-coils. Also, be careful with the oil pump bolts. Torque only to spec (an inch-pound torque wrench might make these jobs go a bit smoother). I haven't actually stripped these myself, but I did once snap one of the bolts during an install. Good luck! belizeanbus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 i cant advise you, beyond saying if you go the heli-coil route, be careful to be good and straight with your drilling and tapping, and stuff rags in the motor anywhere that aluminum shavings might fall down into it. sometimes its a good idea to state the obvious, just to be safe:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 bump, any more ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 well i mean, the heli coil would appear to be a totally valid repair.. judging from the lack of comments to the contrary, anyhow. its not hard, just not that cheap, either.. and you have to be precise. make sure you use oil on the drillbit and the tap, and like i said cover or fill any orifices that might get metal shavings in them with rags, or something better... you do NOT want aluminum shavings running around in your oil, combustion chamber, coolant passages, any of it!! but despite the warnings and alarm, its NOT difficult. just be careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 john, try a longer bolt first, if that doesnt work, then you might have to drill it out and helicoil it. if you were closer, id help you out with that. i gotta go out and reseal the rx, again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belizeanbus Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 When I did this, I got a bolt just a little bit longer (not sure how much) and was able to grab some thread. I've since put another 15-20 thousand miles on the engine and it's still holding up. If you do this, though, just be careful how much torque you lay on it. Try not to over-do it. Those bolts really don't need all that much torque. And if you are guesstimating without a torque wrench, it might be easy to ruin whtever threads you can grab onto. I contemplated the heli-coil route at the time. It' pricey, so I would recommend trying bolts first, since they are cheap. I think the heli-coil set up will put you back about $40-ish, unless you already have what you need. The next problem is going to be accessing the area to drill. Unless you have the engine out of the car, or the cam towers off, this is going to require some work. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 LONGER BOLT. there is no reason to search for a nother solution, this it the best. i've done it dozens of times. there's plenty of room for a longer bolt. the only trick is not getting one that's too long. keep trying until you get the right size or cut a longer one down to the appropriate size. use a toothpick or something to stick down in the hole and see how deep it is. hold that up to your stock bolt and that shows you how much longer the new bolt needs to be. washers under the head will effectively "shorten" any bolt that is too long. be a good idea to chase the threads first with a tap to make sure they are as clean as possible. if for some reason you have a problem with this then helicoil will work just fine. helicoil on the cam cap holes is easy. you'll need a right angle drill or attachment probably if the engine is in the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 alrighty, will try the longer bolts first. thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 oh, and does anyone know the torque specs?? im thinking im going to have to guesstimate and use my finger ratchet so i dont overtighten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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