Help! Stripped Threads In LIM!!!
 

Okay so here's the problem. My car was getting retarded hot and kept blowing antifreeze out the over flow tank. Anyways, bought a new thermostat, radiator cap, and some antifreeze. Pulled the over flow tank out and cleaned it out, flushed the block, heater core, and radiator, removed the thermostat, and as I was putting the thermostat housing back on with the new t-stat installed, I realized the threads in the lower intake for the housing bolts were stripped to hell. Just one of them. The other one is nice and snug. So how can I make something work temporarily until I find a lower intake to replace it with?

Options considered:

Longer bolt with the same thread patter and hope to catch some good threads further in the bolt hole.

Bigger around bolt and cross thread the hell out of it.

Same size bolt with coarser threads and cross thread it.

Any other ideas or options????

Post a picture of what you're referring to.

Cant at the moment being that I'm not home with the car but its the bolt hole for the thermostat housing. The t-stat housing has a bolt on either side holding it down on the lower intake manifold and the threads in the lower intake where the bolt goes are stripped.

Chase the threads with the correct size tap and hope there is something left.

Replace threads with a Helicoil (prolly the best option)

Do not try to cross thread anything as that will just make more damage and make the whole thing less repairable.

Replace LIM is the worst case you will run into.

Massey

Oh and for the overheating issue we talked about yesterday could also be a blown head gasket. Try to see if you can rent a chemical head gasket test set and check for combustion gasses in the cooling system.

Massey

Hope it's not a head gasket. I'd just part the car of that was the case and buy a 240sx.

What about self tapping studs along with nuts on top to replace the junk bolts?

You'd be creating more damage than necessary. I'd try chasing the threads first. You could, if it came to it, drill out and re-thread to next bolt size.

Helicoil is a better then original repair. Most high end aluminum part that have threads are helicoiled from the start. In aerospace we use them all the time in new parts.


But there is this.
/motosuperstore?v=B3WxsZxLqi0

I believe I'll be drilling the lower intake.... Lovely... :(