Ok, it was 2am and I didn't know when to quit, which lead me to erronously read the FM manual and loosen all trasverse gusset bolts on the passanger side.....well, when the transverse gusset came loose, the engine crossmember, attached to the gusset also came loose. Thank god the front part of the crossmember held else I'wouldn't be writting this.

My problem is this - when the gusset/crossmember suddenly dropped on the loosing of the last bolt, I think it stripped the last couple of threads on the engine body, since I can't get it back in w/o resistance - like its been cross threaded. What should I do? I'm think of using a tap with a 14mm with 1.5 threads, and see if I can clean up the threads, since only the last/first couple threads were damaged.

Ok, I'm ready for pearls of wisdom... Matt, Dan NY, you other guys...


Thanks,


Stephen

 

Im not as heavy as those other guys but it sounds like tapping it out is the best option. I mean what else could you really do? The only problem I see with this is the bolt wont be as strong in those threads and this is a pretty important bolt. If you can hela coil it then that would be better. Hope this helps, Im sure youve already thought of most of this.

 

Yeah, but there are other bolts there to also hold the traverse gusset, and I really don't know how many theads were damaged. Certainlly, if I can torque it, it should be ok, right?

On the heli-coil, how much of an improvement would it be? Do you have to drill it out to put in a heli coil? how strong is a heli coil?

Thanks,

Stpehen

 

As far as I know you have to have a helicoil tap and a tool to insert the coil itself. You probably dont have these. Tapping works real well considering how much thread you have. From what you said you have a good amount of thread left so I would just tap it. Just make sure your real carefull to make sure your going in straight when you tap of course, oh and really make sure its the right size tap. Try the tap in another known good hole first to check its size.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Nismomaxt


Try the tap in another known good hole first to check its size. QUOTE]

Good idea, I hadn't though of that.

Stephen