Different ones. lol. Circle on left is the ones I replaced. Circle on the right are the ones leaking.
We are used to seeing torques in foot-pounds all over the place; I see oil pan torques, but very few others, often expressed in inch-pounds. If you miss that, you are liable to tighten to 12X the torque that is specād.
Yeah Iām 99% sure thatās how I snapped the heads off the two bolts. Iām far from a mechanic. Basically dealing with a disaster now. Had to drill out the remainder of the bolts and retap two holes. First time doing something like this. Got under the vehicle this morning and tried tightening the two bolts. I realized that even with the lock tight on the bolt, one of them just keeps spinning so that hole is damaged. I think Iām screwed.
When convenient I install a stud in damaged holes and seat them in JB weld. then a couple of nuts easily hold the pan in place snugly
4 Likes
Bummer, but a recoverable one. I would remove the oil pan and carefully pound flat distorted areas around the holes. Maybe even get a new pan. Drill out and tap and get new bolts wherever needed. Might need to enlargen some holes in the oil pan.
There are so many opinions on gaskets, sealants, etc., plus misinformed advisors on Youtubeā¦ Count me out. Good luck, take your time, you can do it!
Iād remove the pan, clean off all sealant on both engine and pan, make sure thereās no damage to the blockās sealing surface, check the pan on a flat surface for any uneven areas, correct as needed, then use @Tester 's recommended sealant. How did the old one get a crack?
What do you mean by install a stud? Like in the home of the engine mount? What kind of stud? Would I just fill the hole with in weld, let it set then retap the hole?
The old pan was cracked from my previous mechanic stripping the drain plug and Iām assuming over tightening it.
A weld produces very hard steel. Difficult to drill.
If you have a welder, this is how you remove a broken bolt.
Tester
I do not have a welder. The broken bolts have been removed and holes retapped. Iām now dealing with a different hole that I obviously over tightened or messed up. The bolt just keeps spinning and thatās one of the two that leak. Wondering if I should tlretap that one at a bigger size? Current size is M6. I can retap to M8. Or is it possible to add something besides lock tight to the bolt and when I screw it in it will seal up and hold tight?
Iād install a Helicoil thread repair insert.
Tester
3 Likes
Helicoils or Timeserts are used in high reliability applications. Iām with @Tester for this.
I believe what heās describing is to epoxy a stud into the existing hole.
You could cut the head off the existing bolt being careful to keep the threads intact or chasing them with a die after removing the head. Then clean the hole thoroughly with brake kleen or the like to remove any oily residue. Mix up a two part epoxy like JB Weld and apply it to the threads on the bolt (now stud) end where the old bolt head was and in the hole where it goes. Then thread it into place and wipe off any excess that squeezes out. Wait for it to cure. Then install the pan and use either a locking nut or two nuts (the second serves as a jam nut) on the stud(s) to secure the pan.
Of course, a helicoil or timesert would be ideal but this could be an option depending on what you have available and your specific needs or limitationsā¦
Suggest to hire a shop to fix the thread problem for you. Very difficult for a diyāer to do it correctly the first time. Experienced shop techs will have done this many times.
Before you install the pan again, use a straight edge to verify the panās flange isnāt warped. If it is, straighten it out first. Torque the fasteners to the manufacturerās spec of course. Fasteners for that application usually donāt require high torque values, and might be specād in inch-pounds rather than foot-pounds. .
1 Like
I have had good luck withcutting off the threaded portion ofa right size bolt that is long enough to protrude from the hole, making threads of fine steel wolo to go into the hole and putting some JB Weld weld into the hole. Put the cut end of the bolt into the hole alongside the steel wool and let set overnight making sure to clean any JB Weld or steel wool off the mating surface. A nut and lock washer will work fine.
Left the office early. Just got home. Picked up everything you advised. Going to start working on it now. Thank you for all the advice.
Update - no more leaks!! I took out the M6 bolts. Cleaned out the holes and retapped them. Put new bolts in and the fit snug. For the third bolt that was just spinning and not tightening up. I drilled out the hole a size up. Tapped it with an M8 threat. Put in a bigger bolt and it tightened up no problem.
Did not have to remove pan and redo the gasket. All is well. For nowā¦.
Again. Thatās to everyone for the help. Iām sure lll be back. Hopefully later before sooner.
4 Likes
Thereās another easy way to break off bolts . . .
If you donāt clean out and chase the female threads in the block first and thereās still a bunch of junk in there, you may very well break a bolt when you try to torque it down to specs
3 Likes