Anyone ever have their bolts stripped? I tried everything from vice grips...pb blaster and today i recently purchased some bolt extrator socket set... just rounded it off....
Anyone got spare housings or know the bolt size with the exact sizing and such with the threads?
Coolant leaks from there when the car is warmed up. and i have the gasket ready and a new thermo...
Any ideals?

if vice grips won't get it out your next best option is to grind it flush and drill it out and tap it for a heli coil if the stud won't come out after the housing is off with vice grips.

The vice grips just slip out.... It's not that it can't get it out. I really don't wanna go the drill n tap route -_-. Imma try and grind the head into a gripaple shape and try that..

If you grind to get the neck off, you could try heating the stud with a torch before trying the vice grips. Heat works sometimes.

I need to find my butane torch... Idk where it is... That's what I wanna try next

A snapped bolt in my thermostat neck is was led to alot more parts and money thrown at my car lol

Ooh man. I don't want that. I got another waterpump housing

Go get yourself a MAP torch kit, and heat the housing around the bolt, NOT the bolt itself, you want the housing to expand first, which it will because its aluminum. After you get it hot, grab with the vice grips and go back forth with it to help loosen the crud in the threads, it will eventually work its way out

Will try that out. Raining til Tues

Whether you replace the housing or manage to remove the broken bolt, in either case, save yourself the agita and use studs instead of bolts next time.

You make it sound like it was my decision to put bolts in the thing hahaha.

Bolts were stock I believe, so you're absolved of guilt and can blame Mazda.
Or Obama.

Spray fluid film on that thing everyday until you try again. That stuff works wonders

Will do boss... Raining like cray. Will try on my days... Supposed to be dry

One of the bolts for my thermostat housing is stripped and I know i can get it out but im having a hard time finding the bolt, atkinsrotary.com has them but wont let me order them for aome wierd reason. And no parts shop, and the dealer has retired them. What I really need to know is the thread size and pitch so i can go buy them from any bolt store. Can someone help me out?

Thank you!

should be fairly standard. there is a list of bolt sizes in the archives.

Take one of the other three that's not stripped out of the housing and into Autozone, Ace, Lowes, etc. They have a plate with various metric(and standard) thread sizes. You can determine the size and pitch this way then purchase the appropriate bolt.

I have had this work once maybe twice. When all else failed on a fork lug bolt on my dirt bike I ground a flat spot on one side with a Dremel. Then placed a screwdriver against an edge of the flat and started hitting it with a hammer. those short impacts finally got it moving so I could get it the rest of the way off with vice grips.

For those still asking, these bolts are M6-1.0. Don't recall the length of these though.

Thank you that is the simple reply i was looking for!

So im back again got the bolt I was worried about out no problem. Other bolt broke off, heat didnt work, broke off flush dilled and tapped it. Leaks super bad now, can't go any bigger. So to solve all my problems easy and expensively I just want to replace the front cover( the whole piece the the water pump bolts to and the thermo housing bolts too) that is the front cover right? If not what is the technical name? When I search front cover what im finding doesnt seem to look like it have the hole/flange to mount the thermo housing please help. Going through a gallon a day 😪😩

Thank you much

Replace the water-pump housing, which the water-pump secures to and all of that bolts to the front plate of the engine.

Good luck!
-M