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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHStripped one bolt from oil pan
Leading reported evidence
Use m6x1.0 tap
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
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1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
After drilling the bolt several times starting from a very small drill bit to a drill big slightly smaller than the regular hole, I used a m6x1.0 tap to clear what was left from the old bolt.
Leading evidence: 'Use m6x1.0 tap' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'threads got messed up somehow' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Inspect any metal particles / etc' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
The PO used some green locktite but I dont think this caused any issues.
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Suggestion · Original poster
I was removing the oil pan bolts for the first time so that I could inspect for any metal particles / etc...
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Suggestion
I sometimes get an eye roll response when I suggest replacing the sump bolts and exhaust manifold bolts with s/s studs - before the problems begin.....
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Suggestion
I sometimes get an eye roll response when I suggest replacing the sump bolts and exhaust manifold bolts with s/s studs - before the problems begin.....
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
After drilling the bolt several times starting from a very small drill bit to a drill big slightly smaller than the regular hole, I used a m6x1.0 tap to clear what was left from the old bolt.
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26 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Outcome without a verified action link
The helicol inserts and larger bolts did the trick for me.
I was removing the oil pan bolts for the first time so that I could inspect for any metal particles / etc... and all of them came out easily except for one which broke.
Should I be concerned? I am trying to get it out but if not, could the oil pan seal well without one bolt?.. Its the one on the side located at the middle.
Stripped the threads in the block or broke the bolt head off?
Either way, I'd make an effort to fix it before you just seal up the pan with a broken bolt. Vice grips on the bolt if it's protruding and a bit of heat will usually do the trick.
If it broke off flush, a pilot hole and bolt extractor or reverse twist drill bit usually works.
The oil pan should have all bolts present and properly torqued.
Needless to say but if the oil pan's oil seal is not 100% sudden oil loss is a possibility and the engine will almost certainly be destroyed by this.
Ok, you had an accident, broke off a bolt. Maybe it was over-tightened by someone else and not your fault.
Doesn't matter.
What matters is you have to remove the broken bolt *without* damaging the threads/hole. The threads/hole is in the engine block and if you screw up...
So unless you are very confident in your abilty to remove the bolt and to do so with no harm to the block my advice is to flat bed the car to a qualified shop and let a professional tech deal with this.
I sometimes get an eye roll response when I suggest replacing the sump bolts and exhaust manifold bolts with s/s studs - before the problems begin.....
The trick to broken bolt extraction is to punch it once and hard absolutely dead center. You need a little jig to do that . If you haven't got the jig/can't make one/don't understand why -Macster's advice is the only sensible course of action.
Lots of diy extraction tools and techniques on youtube but if you snap an easy-out ....
I already removed the bolt by drilling small holes and working my way up and re-tapping with a M6x1.0 tap.. The bolt however does not thread well... I am screwed so my only option would be to increase the bolt size for that one or using some helicoil...
I snapped some bolts on my 150 hp Mercury outboard changing out 2 thermostats. The helicol inserts and larger bolts did the trick for me. Hope it works for you.
After drilling the bolt several times starting from a very small drill bit to a drill big slightly smaller than the regular hole, I used a m6x1.0 tap to clear what was left from the old bolt. The tap went in well, I took my time and added oil during the process but when I screw the bolt, I was not able to tight it to 7.5 ft.lbs, the bolt just kept rotating for some reason. I suspect the threads got messed up somehow.
Is it a blind hole or is there a lip that it goes through on the other side?
Do you have good meat on the block or is the area thin?
I'd have no problem going to an M8 bolt if the area was big enough
I think this area for the bolt does have enough meat to open it up so I could insert a helicoil. I really dont want to use an M8 bolt since I would like to have all the bolts the same.. I think for this specific hole, there is a hole through the other side, its not a dead end.
The bolt I am talking about is in the exact center of the picture, this was it before me working on it.
I'd think you could easily open to an M8, but if you don't want to do that, then you'd need to insert something (timesert or helicoil).
If you wanted to be redneck...use a longer bolt and a nut on the other side. Just don't go crazy on the torque....assuming the lip is flat on top and not sloped.
Thanks for the suggestions, I think I will go with the heilcoil, I have already ordered. I will torque these to 7.5 ft.lbs but the bolt broke while removing it. The PO used some green locktite but I dont think this caused any issues. My thinking is that the bolt itself rusted inside.
For those of you looking to buy the oil pan bolts they are M6-1.0 x 16mm Hex Flange Bolts Grade 10.9. I just bought some A4-80 stainless steel ones which are more corrosive resistant.
Do not buy the IMS flange ones, they are 4mm longer..
Just as a reminder, DO NOT use a standard torque wrench on that type of very low torque fastener... You are much better off doing a light hand tighten unless you have a quality, low-torque inch pound range torque wrench. 7.5 ft/lbs is nothing... You can easily put that much torque on a bolt with just a nut driver, no wrench at all. Put a 12" torque wrench and socket on that bolt and your asking for trouble unless you are extremely careful.
+1 for taking the time to get yourself ordered the right solution imho, better done right than sorry on the side of the road with a 10k+$ sucking sound coming from your wallet.
Thanks for all your suggestions, remember this happened when removing a bolt from the car, not putting it back and over torque.. It could happens to anyone, specially if the bolts have not been removed and replaced in a while.
[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:]
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Don�t use a standard torque wrench? Perhaps you mean not to use a torque wrench for which 7.5 ft-lbs (not ft/lbs) is not in mid-range. But that is the idea for any torque wrench. Of course you are correct about the 12� torque wrench UNLESS it happens to be scaled with 7.5 ft-lbs as mid-range.
Oh, you must be one of those that think these threads are deleted after YOU have garnered what YOU need. No. You see other people learn from these threads from a search even years after the original. Granted, sometimes right becomes wrong, or the other way around, but torque is still measured in ft-lbs (not ft/lbs) and the key for accurate torque is still to use a torque wrench at mid-range settings.
But thanks for playing! You earned a bonus tidbit... set your torque wrenches to O when not using them.
;-)
Zerpersande, thank you so much for your amazing contributions! And all in just 30 posts!
I guess I need to go out to the garage and re-torque all my fasteners to ft-lbs instead of ft/lbs...
