TaTommyWS6

Well, what was almost a flawless oil pump swap had one little hitch. While torquing in the pan bolts to 18 ft lbs, I got a quick lesson in not too tighten the rear bolts that much! The friggin rear bolt on the drivers side snapped clean off way up inside...

I bolted everything else back up, put all the fluids back in my car, and the new pump works great, the oil pan is bone dry on the outside, and that one bolt in missing! Should I care? I really don't feel like dropping the oil pan to drill it out... Is there a quick way to fix the snapped bolt, or should I leave "well enough" alone. On the driver's side, where the bolt snapped, there is another oil pan bolt about on inch away from it, so it looks like it has plenty of support there...

Any advice would be great!

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

BTW, my damn Hayes manual said 18 ft lbs for ALL oil pan bolts! I tried doing everything by the book and I got screwed! <img border="0" alt="[Banging Head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />

<small>[ November 23, 2002, 09:52 PM: Message edited by: TaTommyWS6 ]</small>

Jason99T/A

iTrader: (21)

The two long bolts you are referring to attach the oil pan to the rear cover. These bolts get 106lb-in. Your best bet would be to take the tranny out and remove the rear cover and fix the damage. Or, just purchase a new rear cover and new bolt and install that.

It's possible you may have an oil leak back there with the bolt removed.

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

I agree with the above. Also remember the oil pan is a stressed member on these engines. I would not run it without that bolt properly installed.

TaTommyWS6

Wouldn't it be "easier" to just remove the oil pan and drill out the snapped bolt with an "Easy-out" instead of replacing the rear cover?

I really don't want to pull my tranny out since I just had a new clutch installed a few weeks ago! (too bad I didn't break the bolt sooner!)

Removing the pan would involve less work I think, and I have an engine hoist to raise it a few inches (where do I grab it from?)

I can't believe what a royal waste of time this one stupid bolt is going to be! <img border="0" alt="[guns]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_guns.gif" />

Thanks for the advice!

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

Magic Man

For the pain it would be why not just wait a day or so and see what happens I mean a little seap won't riun the engine before you find a leak if it happens.

TaTommyWS6

Magic Man,
You're talking my language! I don't want to be half-assed about it, but I put about 60 miles on the car since I broke the bolt, and the oil pan seems to be bone dry... Hopefully it will stay that way.

Too bad there wasn't some mod I could do that requires the oil pan to be removed so at least it would not seem like such a waste of time!
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

WEASEL

What do you mean "way up inside"???

Did you remove the bolt head with partial thread?

This isn't the first time I read about someone doing this. Does ARP make anything to replace these with?

TaTommyWS6

The bolt I am referring to is the one in the far back of the oil pan that connects to the rear cover. (You can't see the seal because the bell housing is covering it). They are about 4 to 5 inches long....
I found another thread on this same topic in the external engine forum...

https://ls1tech.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...;f=24;t=003289

<img src="http://66.162.74.118/temp/drew/P8260138.JPG" alt=" - " />

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

991LE

iTrader: (2)

Now that sucks a fat ladies ***! <img border="0" alt="[Banging Head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />

TaTommyWS6

I would defintely suck a fat lady's *** if it meant my bolt would be back to normal...
It would be far less effort, and it would make a funny story for my friends <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

WEASEL

I asked because since you don't want to try to retrieve the other end of that bolt I was wondering if you could "rig" something to at least have a little better hold in there.

I was wondering if you could take another stock bolt and cut it a tad shorter than what you're holding in the pic and use that. That or find a stronger bolt and do the same.

At least until you need to get back in there and fix it right, you'd have a little extra hold.

White98Z

iTrader: (3)

I broke the smae bolt and i hav put about 3000 miles on my motor since then i hav enot seen leak or any other problems i would not do anthign if you dont have a problem

TaTommyWS6

I was kind of able to measure where it cracked off from, and it looks like it cracked pretty even with where the pan meets the rear cover, so I don't think I can rig anything up in the mean time.

But I will say this, there are an awful lot of bolts holding that section together already. One old pan bolt is literally an inch from that bolt, and there are bout 10 bolts holding in the rear cover. On top of that, the bellhousing has two big bolts that connect to the old pan. With all these bolts in place, maybe that 106inch lb bolt doesn't do too much... (I'm hoping) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

LS1swap

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by WEASEL:
<strong>I asked because since you don't want to try to retrieve the other end of that bolt I was wondering if you could "rig" something to at least have a little better hold in there.

I was wondering if you could take another stock bolt and cut it a tad shorter than what you're holding in the pic and use that. That or find a stronger bolt and do the same.

At least until you need to get back in there and fix it right, you'd have a little extra hold.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That sounds like a pretty good idea for the short term.... The stock bolt is 5-3/8" long, and the threaded section is 1-1/4" long. If that helps at all for figuring out how much is stuck in there.

TaTommyWS6

LS1Swap, that's good info! I think I should be able to get a pretty good "bite" then since I think less than half an inch of thread is showing on my broken bolt. I will certainly measure it when I get home!

Thanks!

StevieZ

iTrader: (3)

I'd wait to see if it leaks too. If it does then fix it, and if it doesn't , just leave it alone. My 98 Viper was missing 3 bolts from the factory! it never leaked and I never even got around to putting the missing ones in!

TaTommyWS6

I had my clutch replaced about two weeks before I snapped the bolt! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />

Anyway, it has been bone dry, so I'm going to leave it until I see some sign of leakage.

Thanks for the info!

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

SLowETz

iTrader: (12)

TaTommyWS6........that 2nd thread you found was me <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="gr_sad.gif" />

Instead of trying to deal w/jacking the motor and still dealing w/cramped working space, I just nutted up and dropped the trans.

Pull the rear seal and pull the rear cover and you'll easily be able to remove the bolt. I got lucky as there was a couple of threads of the broken bolt sticking out of the cover. threaded it out by hand. No prob.

IMO....as much of a pain in the A$$ as dropping the trans. is, I believe it's still safer/easier than trying to use a drill/easy out to remove the bolt. May want to have a look at the clutch while your there. I replaced mine while the trans was out.

Hope this helps.....good luck!

Mike

robertbartsch

What are you doing these days? My headers are on now and all I have to deal now is a burning tar smell and a banging y-pipe when accelerating hard out of a right or left turn....

...other than that I'm great!

Just getting the pricing on CNC Lingfelter ported heads from SDPC... manbe I will get Westchester Corvette to install them and the cam...what do you think?

Hope Santa was good to you and yours....