Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here
09-15-2003, 10:18 PM
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Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here Educate me on threads in the LS1 heads.
Here is my story. I just got finished installing headers on my car. This is the first time I have ever attempted anything this hard. Granted, I am a chump becuase I know bunches of you pull your heads and install cams all the time. Anyway...no matter how careful I was, it seemed to never fail that I would slightly cross thread a bolt. The first occurence happened on the third bolt back from the front on the passengers side header. I was having a hard time getting that sucker aligned and I got it crossed. I take all the blame for that one cause I put a wrench on it without hand tightenting it.
This just about stressed me out so much that I was ready never to pick up a wrench again. Then the next bitch..I mean bolt was the first bolt on the passenger side. It was going in at the correct angle, heck it was cross threaded and I never got it more than finger tight. The only way it could start is cross threaded. I called up a very helpful Houston ls1 mech and he said all I could do was torque them in so that is what I did. There I have it.. a jury rigged install. Exactly what I didnt want. On the way to buttoning up the rest of the parts, the freaking dip stick bolt is cross threaded...I only used my damn fingers...grr the only way this bolt would go in was with resitance. You would think that would be the end of it but one of my coil pack bolts did the same. I just decided not to force the coil pack bolt in and left it out.
Someone please tell me what the hell am I doing wrong. I am treating these threads like they are virgin poontang and they still cross thread on me.
Is there a tap and die set I can get that will clean up threads when I encounter this? Where can I get the thread types? I have a small tap and die set that my dad gave me but I dont know how to use it.
I guess I just need tap and die write up or something.
You gimp shade tree mechanic,
Hugh
PS, I only had problems on the passenger side head. The drivers side had no problems at all.
Here is my story. I just got finished installing headers on my car. This is the first time I have ever attempted anything this hard. Granted, I am a chump becuase I know bunches of you pull your heads and install cams all the time. Anyway...no matter how careful I was, it seemed to never fail that I would slightly cross thread a bolt. The first occurence happened on the third bolt back from the front on the passengers side header. I was having a hard time getting that sucker aligned and I got it crossed. I take all the blame for that one cause I put a wrench on it without hand tightenting it.
This just about stressed me out so much that I was ready never to pick up a wrench again. Then the next bitch..I mean bolt was the first bolt on the passenger side. It was going in at the correct angle, heck it was cross threaded and I never got it more than finger tight. The only way it could start is cross threaded. I called up a very helpful Houston ls1 mech and he said all I could do was torque them in so that is what I did. There I have it.. a jury rigged install. Exactly what I didnt want. On the way to buttoning up the rest of the parts, the freaking dip stick bolt is cross threaded...I only used my damn fingers...grr the only way this bolt would go in was with resitance. You would think that would be the end of it but one of my coil pack bolts did the same. I just decided not to force the coil pack bolt in and left it out.
Someone please tell me what the hell am I doing wrong. I am treating these threads like they are virgin poontang and they still cross thread on me.
Is there a tap and die set I can get that will clean up threads when I encounter this? Where can I get the thread types? I have a small tap and die set that my dad gave me but I dont know how to use it.
I guess I just need tap and die write up or something.
You gimp shade tree mechanic,
Hugh
PS, I only had problems on the passenger side head. The drivers side had no problems at all.
09-15-2003, 10:59 PM
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Re: Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here usally when a bolt comes out fine it should go back in fine. Was the motor warm or cold? if a bolt will not go in straight it's probably because something is pushing it to the wrong angle so you should try to wiggle it in. Also never tighten up a bolt tight unless all of the other bolts are already in!! 
09-16-2003, 02:12 AM
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Re: Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here DestroyerSS made a huge and important point, never tighten the bolts unless the others are started good.
I ran into this same problem. I did not read it but I am guessing that you are using the bolts supplied with the headers. I started doing the same thing and found it almost impossible. The stock bolts are pointed on the end and go in easier than the stubnose aftermarkets, that is why I reused them. As far as the cross threading goes I would take each bolt out and screw in a stock one to see if you can still find original threads, since it is pointed it grabs threads A LITTLE further in the hole. I do not know what to do about damaged threads though. Sorry
I ran into this same problem. I did not read it but I am guessing that you are using the bolts supplied with the headers. I started doing the same thing and found it almost impossible. The stock bolts are pointed on the end and go in easier than the stubnose aftermarkets, that is why I reused them. As far as the cross threading goes I would take each bolt out and screw in a stock one to see if you can still find original threads, since it is pointed it grabs threads A LITTLE further in the hole. I do not know what to do about damaged threads though. Sorry
09-16-2003, 08:25 AM
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Re: Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here Hugh, sorry to hear about your misfortune. Do you have any exhaust leaks? If you don't and, if you are planning on doing heads + later why not just turn those in then? Don't get down on yourself for trying...the worst part would be if you didn't learn anything from your mistake. If you have (a) leak(s) I would defer the task of thread repair to a Professional machinist as this probably would not be an ideal training expirement. Just keep your head and you'll pull through this.
09-16-2003, 08:31 AM
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Re: Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here The engine was cold. It seems you can mess up threads on these heads just by cross threading them by hand. Once you get them a little cross threaded they seem to go back in that way each time.
I used stage 8 header bolts. I wish that I had used the stockers.
I dont know if I have any leaks yet because I am waiting on an O2 extension. I should be fireing it up tomorrow. I think I will be ok in that area.
I wasnt planning on doing heads later but I may now.
Thanks for the support.
I used stage 8 header bolts. I wish that I had used the stockers.
I dont know if I have any leaks yet because I am waiting on an O2 extension. I should be fireing it up tomorrow. I think I will be ok in that area.
I wasnt planning on doing heads later but I may now.
Thanks for the support.
09-16-2003, 09:22 AM
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Re: Someone who knows their crap about threads come in here I agree that tightening the bolts when they are not all started is about 100% sure to give you trouble. I had a similar problem with the header bolts being hard to get started on my old 2000 LS1. Seems that the bolts had some threadlocker gunk on the threads. It also made it so the bolts were really hard to turn even when they weren't crossthreaded. I bought a die and ran the bolts through it. Seemed to help out quite a bit.