stripped tensioner stud. need recommendations.

[Possum79]

So my car has been down for a month now and i need back running like last week. I was putting my timing belt back on just now and was torque-ing the tensioner stud and the little f-er just came right out. never even got close to the 33 foot pounds its supposed to be. I need recommendations on how to fix this stupid thing with it in the car and hardly any space to work on it. I need the car back on the road. maybe its time to just buy a new car. Im tired of it already. ha.

[Luckypabst]

The same thing happened to mine - I was able to heli-coil it in position the same day and had no down time...

It can be done! Napa got better than $50 for the kit but it was late and I was in need. McMaster might have a better price on the basic kit.

It worked out that the stripped hole was close enough to the tap drill size that I only had to tap it to the heli-coil size, install the insert and throw it all back together.

Be extra careful if you try this, any mistake and the head will have to come off for further corrective actions - keep the tap well lubed with aluminum safe lubricant, be dead certain that the tap is perpendicular to the end of the head and keep backing the tap out a turn or so to break the chip. I was able to turn the tap with a small crescent wrench - you'll not get a tap wrench in there and this makes it extra important that you check and triple check that the tap is square to the head through the entire process.

Chris

[Possum79]

So Im looking at the thread repair kits avaliable at kragen. What size is this studs threads orginally so I know what to try and buy?

thanks in advance.

[Luckypabst]

M10? Bring the stud and match it up. I can't say for sure, it's been 5 months or so since I did this.

[Possum79]

Is it possible to jack to  motor up to drill this sucker out? I went out and got a perma coil kit and I didnt luck out with the hole being big enough for the tap.  I need to drill it out to 13/32. I had to jack the motor up a little to get the tensioner back on before it stripped out. It barerly didnt clear bit taking out the motor mount bold and jacking it up a little got it in there. Will there be enough room or the right angle that I wont ruin something else on the oposite side?

[Rabbit on Roids]

just drill it as deep as it was before.

[Possum79]

WOOT I got it. I didn't have to drill after all. I unbolted the motor mount and jacked it up in the stupidest spot but the oil pan. Glad it didnt crack the block. The drill bit I had was slightly smaller then the one I was supposed to use and it went it without drilling so I figured I am close enough to tap it. Coils in and belt is on. Now I realize my front seal is leaking on my pump like a siv. CRAP! right on the belt.

Thanks for the help.

[Rabbit on Roids]

better replace that like, oh, a long time ago.. once that belt gets pretty fuel soaked, it will end up breaking. and that will pretty much destroy your engine.

[Possum79]

I'm going to keep an eye on it. Im not sure where it was comming from and seems to have stopped. Could be from a line I had disconnected. If it still leaks after a while It will get yanked out and replaced. That one isnt too hard to replace is it. I don't really have a problem pulling the pump out and It would just give me experience timing it from nothing. Today was my first time getting to use my nice japanese timing gauge I bought months ago. So nice. 

Used Vince's site on timing it. Love the way its laid out. I give that an A. A+ once he finishes the page. hehe.

[Luckypabst]

Right on!
UH... Don't jack the engine by the oil pan! Use a 2x4 or something and lift along the block skirt where the pan bolts on!!

Chris

[Possum79]

I used the skirt there not actually on the oil pan. That was a typo. But I didnt use anything to protect it. O well. Nothing happened bad. ha. I gave up for the day when it hit 100 degrees out. too hot. Tomorrow I will get the rest of the belts on and fire her up. I already used a wrench to make sure Im not getting any valve to piston contact. I will probably double check that tomorrow.

[lovinthedeez]

I used the skirt there not actually on the oil pan.

so you're saying you put the jack on the flange where the bolts go??

[Possum79]

yes. thats why i said it was stupid. Lucky I didnt crack that lip off the block and ruin it.  Ran into other problems though after I got it all back together, stupid car.

[rabbitman]

stupid car.

I always get a kick out of comments like that.  Yes, it is stupid.  All cars are stupid.  They are, in fact, the definition of stupid.  There is no intelligence to them at all.  The car is inanimate and doing nothing to you, for you or against you.  You, on the other hand are doing things to the car, causing all of the results and actions of the car.  Everything that the car does (or does not do) is in fact done (or not done) by you.  If it is doing anything that you think is stupid then in fact IT is NOT doing it... 

lol kinda lost me there haha.....but yes my car is stupid too