gorge

While I was tightening the turbo coolant feed nut on the LIM the bolt snapped.

What are my options in trying to fix this?
Can the bolt be replaced or is it part of the LIM itself and will I have to replace the whole LIM?

If the bolt can be replaced, what's involved in replacing it?

Is there any chance that it won't even leak? One of the bolts is still on there and I just installed a new gasket. Maybe I could use a certain type of gasket silicon to help create a seal?

Is rehosing the coolant from the radiator and blocking off the LIM coolant an option?

calwell

iTrader: (1)

This happened to me and I I had to drill it out and use a Helicoil repair kit. The threads should be 6mm/1.0. Using only one bolt wont work. Another option may be to drill it out and tap it to the next larger size 7mm/1.0. I did not atempt it on the car. It may be possible but difficult to repir on car.

gorge

How does the helicoil repair kit work?

gorge

also, did you have to remove the LIM to perform the repair on it?

barnett87rx7

iTrader: (1)

is there any bolt sticking out because it is a stud and you can remove it if not drill it out and tap it and use a bolt not a stud

calwell

iTrader: (1)

its gonna be tricky to drill and tap in the car. You would at least need a right angle drill and some patience. I know its a pain but pulling the turbo and the manifold off would probably be the best option. Or you could bypass the coolant line temporarily

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

Or buy a block off kit for that hole in the LIM, cut the feed line a fair amount up from where it meets the turbo, flare the tube a bit and run a line to it from the rear iron.....

It's extreme but it works, its how I'm running at the moment; but I've got N/A housings so I MUST do that.

Or remove the turbo and the manifold, drill and tap it...

Either way its a huge "SON OF A #$#@" moment and we've all had them.

AUGieDogie

iTrader: (4)

This is what I use for broken bolts.
http://www.quikcenter.com/

Works like a champ. OR Pull the LIM ( I know, I know its a PITA) and take it to a machine shop.

gorge

I'm going to have to block off the LIM coolant eventually anyway since my new turbo is oil cooled so I might as well do it now.

What's the rear iron you're referring to?

I thought that blocking off the LIM coolant would involve bolting some sort of plug to the two bolts that would usually be there.
So how is it done then?

Also, I've heard you can have problems with freezing when no coolant is running through the intake manifold.
How much of an issue is this?

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

^answered in no order whatsoever:

Oh, good point. You need to remove that bolt to get a block off plate (plug) on there anyways, and since you need to remove the turbo and manifolds to get the new turbo on there it seems you've got the perfect opportunity.

The rear iron, the last piece of metal comprising the engine block in your car, the one that holds the main seal and the heads of all the tension bolts. That one. On the top of it is a coolant nipple that usually runs to the throttle body. I use that coolant outlet to feed my turbocharger with coolant.

As far as problems with freezing? I haven't had any, haven't heard of any and think that without any water flowing through the intake manifold, what is there to freeze?

gorge

wont be installing my new turbo for a couple of years so i need to know how to get things working in the mean time

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

Well like we said, you are going to have to get that bolt out. In order to do that safely and without causing more damage is to remove the turbocharger in order to be able to remove the LIM. Then, remove the LIM and either replace it with a spare that doesn't have a busted bolt or take your current LIM to a machine shop and have them remove and tap some threads for another bolt or helicoil.

gorge

What do you mean that you need to remove the bolt to get a block off plate on there?
How does that work?

If that's truly the case then I'm sure as hell not removing the whole LIM just to take the 1 remaining bolt off..

PvillKnight7

iTrader: (16)

It's a steel bolt in a piece of aluminum. Just weld a few beads to the broken stud then lock some vice grips on the weld and unscrew it.

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

^^ That would be far easier, do that if you have access to a welder.


Dude, did you bust the stud off yourself? In order to either:

a) secure the coolant hard line

or

b) install a block off plate

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE THE STUD. Without doing so, you will only have one side of the plate / hard line bolted on and you will have a coolant leak.
A block off plate works just like the hard line flange, except there is no tube attached, its a block off plate. It bolts to the LIM just like the flange does.

If you don't have access to a welder (I don't) you are going to have to use tried and true methods of removing a stud that has broken off. (I.e. drilling out the stud and tapping new threads for either a larger bolt or a helicoil.) In order to ensure that you don't $^&% up the LIM and tap threads that are off center and crooked you MUST have a method of tapping at a right angle. Now, you tell me if you can do that with a turbocharger on and the LIM in the engine bay. If you can, kudos, do it. If not, quite ignoring answers given to you and remove the freaking stud.

rotary_bünta

iTrader: (3)

i had a similar issues but not related to the a car.

i had bold snap off in the thread, i went to sears and got this special bit that drills into the broken bolt, and when you reverse the rotation the bit grabs the inside of the of the bot you drilled into and slowly un threads it out.

hope that helps

gorge

Can someone with welding experience tell me how hard it would be to seal the coolant outlet by welding it shut.

PvillKnight7

iTrader: (16)

no

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

gorge

What helicoil part did you use to replace the bolt?

Slow Rotor

Mate given the responses you have said, you don't seem qualified to fix it. Take it to a shop and pay the money.

gorge

If i was qualified to fix it, i wouldn't have started this thread, and most of the other threads on the forum wouldn't be here either because if people were qualified to do it themselves they'd already know how.
We come here for help to learn how to do it ourselves.

PvillKnight7

iTrader: (16)

Gorge, you only have two options if you want to fix this broken stud yourself.

1.) drill and tap the broken stud

2.) weld a bead to it and unscrew it

Either you lack the knowledge or you lack the tools. This problem isn't unique to rotary engine. Use your brain and the great powers of google ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Asb4RWMvig

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

All hail the powers of Google.

MIDNFauciUSN

iTrader: (8)

Bringing up a thread from the dead... but I just ran into this.

One word... ^^THIS^^

Cant believe I didn't think of this, but I had a little portable benzomatic torch - about 20 bucks... worked like a charm! I BARELY had enough stud for my vise grips to hold on to... but it did great!