Are the pictures you posted of the canister with the valve removed? I see a threaded section and a ring section which I assume was part of the valve. It looks like you took some vice grips to both the threaded portion and the ring.
The ring should just slip off but if you squeezed it too hard with the vice grips, it may be distorted too much to slip off now.
Does the ring spin around on the threads? Do the threads turn when you use your vice grips on them?
Regardless of the answers to the above, I would get the cutoff wheel for the Dremmel tool and cut off the exposed threads and ring. You should be able to see the nut below when you do that. If the threads didn’t turn, then basically you have frozen threads and you will need to EZ out the bolt threads.
You might just try soaking the remains in seafoam or PB Blaster for a couple of days and then try the vice grips on the bolt threads again. It MIGHT work.
Please see the attached stock photo and let me know if that is better then replacing the captive nut and put a glob of JB Weld around it.
Keith: The old solenoid is already off.
My impression was that it was the threaded insert in the canister itself that was turning. Seems kinda strange since it held enough to snap the screw off which was kinda strange too since it appears to be a phillips head. Hard to get enough leverage on the thing without slipping but if a vice grip was used to start with . . . Maybe another case for PB Blaster a day or two ahead of time.
My bad luck. The tailpipe got a big hole. The car is loud and wont even accelerate properly. I am getting oxygen sensor error codes. I gotta take care of that first.
It never rains but it pours. I have two older vehicles, the idea is sort of an insurance policy for going places, if one won’t work the other will. The truth is more like whenever one of gets sidelined the other one soon gives up the ghost so I’m walking to the parts store anyway… lol .
I tried removing the broken bolt shaft tonight but wasn’t successful. I found out that the outer black plastic shell of the canister is very thin and not solid behind the broken bolt shaft. It is probably a little bit thicker than a credit card. There is no way it will hold enough JB Weld that is strong enough for a bolt or a captive nut. If I try to cut the broken shaft with a Dremmel tool, it will probably cut through the canister’s thin plastic skin. A few photos are attached.
I can insert my finger through the solenoid hole and feel the huge fastener that is inside and behind the black plastic outer shell. The fastener which was previously mentioned as the captive nut, rotates along with the shaft. I cannot pull out the broken bolt shaft because the fastener inside the canister is huge, 4 to 6 times larger than the diameter of the broken bolt. There are hairline cracks on the thin plastic all around the broken bolt.
How do I remove the broken bolt shaft?
How do I fasten the new solenoid since the JB Weld method we discussed won’t work?
I would suggest it is a surgery time.
Cut whatever is remaining with a Dremel, yes you will damage the plastic in few places, but it is unavoidable one way or another.
Once removed, you will have to use JB-Weld both from inside and outside to create some solid footing and you will have to embed nut or bolt right there, using your valve base as a template.
Trying to avoid any damage will get you nowhere
If they all move together, I don’t see what is keeping them from falling out. Maybe there is a thin layer of plastic over the captive nut. In you picture, I can see clearly the nut and the cavity it is in and the cavity has been rounded out.
I know you don’t want to damage the body of the canister, but if you can’t see the captive nut all the way around, then that is what is holding it in place. It should be real thin covering the captive nut so I would take an exacto knife and just cut through the plastic down to the top of the nut. It should fall out without further damage. The epoxy a new nut in place in the cavity and mount the new valve.
Thanks for your comments. I just removed the broken bolt shaft, collar/spacer and the captive nut.
Is there a way to make the NEW captive nut threading air tight?
Upside down bolt post is a good solution but how do I get the huge bolt head inside through the round cavity?
Do I need to test the canister for air tightness before re-attaching?
Photos are attached.
Or like said 15 or 20 or more posts before, go JB weld a T nut in there or get a $20 thread sert kit from HF. Prolly would have to JB a washer inside and out though first to get something solid to expand against.
I am thinking about using the reverse bolt method. See photos.
RTV sealants are thick and probably will not sip into the hairline cracks. I am also afraid RTV will also create a slight bulge if I spread a thin layer over the hairline cracks. That’s where super glue will probably work better because it flows like water and get inside the cracks easily.
Bad luck, the replacement new solenoid is not holding a vacuum. I tested by energizing the solenoid with a car battery and then sucking air through the solenoid.
Which of the following sealants are the best for my situation (I already have them)?
Super glue for hair line cracks
GE silicone RTV for filling the captive nut cavity
ACE hardware quick set (5 minutes) two part epoxy for filling the captive nut cavity
Super glue and baking soda for filling the captive nut cavity
You can use a bolt like you pictured. The JB Weld will seal it up so it wont leak. Personally, I would go to the hardware store with the bolt supplied with the new vent valve and buy a nut. The thread the nut onto the new bolt and use it to position the nut while setting it into the canister housing with JB Weld.
Be sure to not get the JB Weld on the bolt threads or you will be back to square one with a stuck bolt. Once the JB Weld is set, remove the bolt and check for any gaps between the nut and the body that are not filled in. If there are any, fill them in with more JB Weld. Once every thing is filled, then use your dremmel with a sanding disk to knock off any high spots, don’t worry about the low spots.
If you are concerned about air entering around the bolts, then while you are at the hardware store, pick up some teflon tape to seal the threads if the supplied bolts don’t already have a thread sealant on them.
BTW, I think the valve opens when you apply voltage so you should have been able to suck air through it. It should be normally closed.
Thank you for your comment. The solenoid is normally open. It closes when energized. I am going with crazy glue and baking soda. Let me know if that is a bad idea.
