# Thermostat housing bolts broke off 4.3 sonoma **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585 "2020-06-30T00:28:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/21 "2020-07-01T02:16:22Z")
Your drill should have enough torque to drill a hole. A left hand drill bit will unscrew a bolt if is somewhat “free”, a corroded, seized bolt won’t unscrew that easy. If the bolts are badly seized you will need to drill them out completely but only up to the treads. A screw extractor will only cause the bolt to expand making the problem worse. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/22 "2020-07-01T02:20:35Z")
I hope it does . I’ve had them soaking in Blaster PB all day. So if it doesnt come out and I have to drill the bolt out how do I fix the threading? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/23 "2020-07-01T02:31:52Z")
I use a drill bit that is smaller than the threads, then peel the threads out with a pick. The bolts need to be drilled dead-center. If the threads become damaged you could install heli-coil inserts but that means a trip to the auto supply store for the kit. If there is enough material in the manifold, the holes could be threaded to the next larger size bolt. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/24 "2020-07-01T02:53:44Z")
I’m glad you brought u the helicoid insert. I’m not so nervous about doing this in the morning. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/25 "2020-07-01T14:54:12Z")
For a hole that small, you don’t need much torque. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/26 "2020-07-01T15:51:21Z")
I once salvaged an old junk intake with the thermostat threads stripped by cleaning up what was left of the threads and inserting a bolts into the thermostat hole and threading them upward with nuts on the top. That was long ago when I was much more dexterous. These days I would probably use a thread insert. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585/27 "2020-07-01T16:27:52Z")
> [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](#): > > out how do I fix the threading? That depends on how bad the threads are messed up. A thread chaser might help if the threads are not too much damaged. Otherwise you have to tap a new thread. That’s not too hard to do. Lots of videos on youtube. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/thermostat-housing-bolts-broke-off-4-3-sonoma/166585.md?page=1)