Half of my Header bolt holes are stripped!! HELP!
09-05-2018, 02:28 PM
#21
Maybe not, but it is the best solution. Once the heads are off the header bolt threads can be assessed properly and repaired as needed. Suggesting to someone whos struggling with cross threaded bolts that there is an awkward in car fix sounds more like a recipe for more trouble, even garbage heads possibly. I'm trying to save the guy difficulty and get him sorted out properly. Running a tap through blind sounds a mess and not anything I would do.
Maybe a thread chaser, but not a tap but OP if you try a thread chaser be sure to get a good quality one ARP etc. Chasing threads especially when crossed is a tad tricky
Maybe a thread chaser, but not a tap but OP if you try a thread chaser be sure to get a good quality one ARP etc. Chasing threads especially when crossed is a tad tricky
09-05-2018, 02:40 PM
#22
And? I offered my solutions and some good, albeit direct words of wisdom and he can use the advice or leave it thats entirely up to him. If you have better or different suggestions perhaps you would serve the OP best by focusing on that line of thought
09-05-2018, 02:41 PM
#23
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<br /><br />Might want to figure out what else has been wrenched on then. I know you want an easy answer to a bugger of a problem but there really isnt one. Heads come off easy, and fast, gaskets if MLS can be reused and some say bolts too. I replace both for low cost and fast Summit ship. All I can say is if it were my car? I'd peel the heads both off, check valves and seats, replace seals and springs and go from there but thats how I do things. I was young and impatient once too and spent at least one full night out in the middle of the bush freezing my nads off trying to get my sled back together after I tried the quick repair route. Sooner or later we all learn quick cheap repairs usually aint good and good repairs usually aint quick, or cheap.<br />
09-05-2018, 02:46 PM
#24
Its about 3/4 - 1" deep and theres not a ton of meat on either side of those holes. I like the LS9 springs they make a great stock replacement if its a stock cam. Theres all sorts of things to look at if you do open it up push the back of the rocker arms down on the pushrods to see if the lifters are holding lash or collapsed. You can replace individual or all pending funds. If the gaskets are steel they can be resused I have done this successfully but summit sells new Mahle LS6 for very reasonable coin so why not new if you can swing it? Bolts ehhhh I use new but some say the shorties can be reused but they are a little pricey.
What are you doing to this car anyways just installing headers? What other mods have been done or planned? Can help guide you somewhat better if we know more
09-05-2018, 03:07 PM
#25
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09-05-2018, 03:08 PM
#26
"Suggesting to someone whos struggling with cross threaded bolts that there is an awkward in car fix sounds more like a recipe for more trouble, even garbage heads possibly. "
09-05-2018, 03:11 PM
#27
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Its about 3/4 - 1" deep and theres not a ton of meat on either side of those holes. I like the LS9 springs they make a great stock replacement if its a stock cam. Theres all sorts of things to look at if you do open it up push the back of the rocker arms down on the pushrods to see if the lifters are holding lash or collapsed. You can replace individual or all pending funds. If the gaskets are steel they can be resused I have done this successfully but summit sells new Mahle LS6 for very reasonable coin so why not new if you can swing it? Bolts ehhhh I use new but some say the shorties can be reused but they are a little pricey.
What are you doing to this car anyways just installing headers? What other mods have been done or planned? Can help guide you somewhat better if we know more
What are you doing to this car anyways just installing headers? What other mods have been done or planned? Can help guide you somewhat better if we know more
09-05-2018, 03:11 PM
#28
If I followed you have 2 cross threaded, try to fix those with the tap/chase. That leaves you with 1 left to deal with. I'd consider tapping that the next size up if you really dont want to pull the heads. Yes the other suggestion mentioned about the timesert is the "proper" way, but sometimes there is quick and dirty and for a header bolt I wouldn't go crazy trying to make it like OEM.
09-05-2018, 03:18 PM
#29
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[/QUOTE]
a timesert is the last thing I want to do. And if you would have read the description you would have seen that I said I didn't want to remove the heads....
a timesert is the last thing I want to do. And if you would have read the description you would have seen that I said I didn't want to remove the heads....
Last edited by wssix99; 09-06-2018 at 07:39 AM. Reason: Removed original, inappropriate quote.
09-05-2018, 03:20 PM
#30
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If I followed you have 2 cross threaded, try to fix those with the tap/chase. That leaves you with 1 left to deal with. I'd consider tapping that the next size up if you really dont want to pull the heads. Yes the other suggestion mentioned about the timesert is the "proper" way, but sometimes there is quick and dirty and for a header bolt I wouldn't go crazy trying to make it like OEM.
09-05-2018, 03:21 PM
#31
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If I followed you have 2 cross threaded, try to fix those with the tap/chase. That leaves you with 1 left to deal with. I'd consider tapping that the next size up if you really dont want to pull the heads. Yes the other suggestion mentioned about the timesert is the "proper" way, but sometimes there is quick and dirty and for a header bolt I wouldn't go crazy trying to make it like OEM.
09-05-2018, 03:52 PM
#32
I see. Pricey heads to gamble on being ported and all but you wanna leave em in your best bet is to get a thread chaser. There are a few styles, ones that look like a tap and ones that look like a notched bolt. The threaded tap type are slightly undersize as not to cut new threads, rather reshape the ones you have. ARP makes these and they are pricey but are good quality. The ones I have are quite long though so that might leave the notched bolt type which craftsman makes a nice set also available at Summit and they are short. I would chase the threads best you can first and then test by finger and see how it goes. You can add studs this will certainly get you in as deep as threads go. The good thing is these bolts are not under a lot of tension so I hope you didnt strip them by over tightening? Torque spec is two stages; first stage 11'lb second stage 15'lb
I torque everything. One of the best bits of advice I ever received
I torque everything. One of the best bits of advice I ever received
09-05-2018, 04:05 PM
#33
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I think I'll clean up the bad threads as best I can the try to put In a stud to catch the bottom 1/4in of thread. And hopefully I can tighten it to spec. If that doesn't work I'll take the heads off and do it that way.
09-05-2018, 04:26 PM
#34
If your really going to push it and try and bang it together you can make a chaser out of a bolt by grinding three sides of the threads flat so you have a three sided threaded chase. It works well for clean gunk, but not ideal for chasing burred threads or in this case crossed threads. It will still be better than trying to jam a bolt or stud in there if the threads are crossed and you dig deeper your only going to make it worse and more difficult to repair. Good luck whatever you choose
09-05-2018, 04:37 PM
#35
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If your really going to push it and try and bang it together you can make a chaser out of a bolt by grinding three sides of the threads flat so you have a three sided threaded chase. It works well for clean gunk, but not ideal for chasing burred threads or in this case crossed threads. It will still be better than trying to jam a bolt or stud in there if the threads are crossed and you dig deeper your only going to make it worse and more difficult to repair. Good luck whatever you choose
09-05-2018, 04:46 PM
#36
Hmm showing age I guess. Push it is short for pushing the envelope which is common speak around here ( maybe nowhere anymore? ) for test pilots who pushed past safety to test aircraft. So when I say push it, that means pushing your luck basically. Regarding that, once the threads are crossed its almost impossible to get another longer bolt to go past the crossed threads onto untouched threads deeper in the hole without crossing them too. The bolt will follow the crossed threads in so when I say push it in this regards I am concered you will make it worse, and at least you could try a quick chase with a home mader to improve your odds. Aluminum threads are not very forgiving...
09-05-2018, 04:55 PM
#37
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Hmm showing age I guess. Push it is short for pushing the envelope which is common speak around here ( maybe nowhere anymore? ) for test pilots who pushed past safety to test aircraft. So when I say push it, that means pushing your luck basically. Regarding that, once the threads are crossed its almost impossible to get another longer bolt to go past the crossed threads onto untouched threads deeper in the hole without crossing them too. The bolt will follow the crossed threads in so when I say push it in this regards I am concered you will make it worse, and at least you could try a quick chase with a home mader to improve your odds. Aluminum threads are not very forgiving...
09-05-2018, 05:00 PM
#38
I don't want to get involved with all this other childish drama, but I think if you can drill and tap for bigger bolt holes you can put in a
Helicoil. Pretty simple, and you can stack 2 in there if you have enough room, be just as good as anything.
I have done several that way, and never pulled the heads. Good Luck.
Helicoil. Pretty simple, and you can stack 2 in there if you have enough room, be just as good as anything.
I have done several that way, and never pulled the heads. Good Luck.
09-06-2018, 05:37 AM
#39
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I don't want to get involved with all this other childish drama, but I think if you can drill and tap for bigger bolt holes you can put in a
Helicoil. Pretty simple, and you can stack 2 in there if you have enough room, be just as good as anything.
I have done several that way, and never pulled the heads. Good Luck.
Helicoil. Pretty simple, and you can stack 2 in there if you have enough room, be just as good as anything.
I have done several that way, and never pulled the heads. Good Luck.
09-06-2018, 05:44 AM
#40
This thread got me thinking a bit. There was a time when I would cringe at the thought of opening up an engine, it just felt like impending doom. Nowadays I whisk heads off, quick freshen, new lifters, reinstall and back to running in 4 hours or so unless I break exhaust bolts off which is happening more and more due to age of these things so that adds a couple of hours to the repair but I suppose I can see it from your perspective when I look back that now that the heads are on, you dont want to take them off. From my perspective now? It lines up more with my first couple posts in this thread. I accept these things and deal with them best I can.
Sort of like traffic, I used to get angry in traffic, now I simply accept that theres nothing I can do about it other than stay calm and not let it ruin my day. Anyways good luck with the repair, hope you get lucky
Sort of like traffic, I used to get angry in traffic, now I simply accept that theres nothing I can do about it other than stay calm and not let it ruin my day. Anyways good luck with the repair, hope you get lucky