Lower intake manifold , the rear stud by the firewall got stripped.

Here are the options that I know of
JBweld
drill and tap w/ a larger diameter (but I am concerned about going into the intake
“helicoil”
buy an used one (costly and waiting)

from EXPERIENCE what should I do with this?


Secondly should I replace the two gaskets if I pull it?

Anyone try/know about the PPP gaskets as sold on Ebay, by precision power parts?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-95...spagenameZWDVW

Thanks

D

 

Which stud you on about???
The one that bolts into the block??

 

sorry bolts the LIM to UIM. So this is the stud in LIM that you screw the "cap" nut on to bolt UIM to it.

 

If its one of the top 5 that bolt to the LIM you might have a few choices..
get a socket that may just barly fit (I mean just can go over the bolt) and get a extention and hammer it on and see if it can bite enough to turn it off. Also try geting a pair of vice grips. Last thing to try would be drill out the bolt from the top and gettting a stamp or somthing like that and hammer the hole you drilled through the bolt and it should colaps and take a pair of needle nose and pull the fragments out but only do that if NOTHING else works.

 

I guess i was not clear last time i took the UIM off, i notice the stud was very loose and when i tried to tighten it, it looks like the threads in the LIM were stripped, i put a bolt in it with some washers that seems to have a better bite than the stud. Now i have a couple of weeks and thought it should be fixed right.

So it comes back to the start of the thread
should i
JB weld the stud into the LIM
hog it out and try to rethread the hole in LIM (risky)
put in some "helicoil" <sp> (never done before but hear it is a good solution but you still have drill it out and rethread.

Given this is aluminum i was wondering if the JB weld it the best first step, i guess if doesnt hold i can still do the other options.

Thanks

 

Obviously the JB Weld would be the easiest. However, the best would be to use a helicoil. Just make sure to stuff the intake runners with paper or a rag before you any work in that area.

 

I would not jb weld anything. Look at the next size up, tap it out for that size and drill the hole out in the Upper manifold. Or remove the lower intake and weld up the hole and retap it original size. Or remove the lower intake and buy another one ( @ $50 used )

 

Ok, where are the $50 used ones at?

 

i like the welding up the old hole and retapping for the same size idea, if you have the means/experience i would do that...

the next best solution would be a helicoil, i dont know the torque specs but they can't be that high...

if you are careful and make sure you are going the very next bolt size up you should be fine drilling it out and retapping it, but i'd really try the welding method or helicoil first...

buying a new manifold just seems a little extreme to me, i'd wait until the manifold isn't usable before replacing it, and try fixing the problem first...

 

Helicoil is the way to go. Do it right, and it'll be stronger than it was originally.

Dale

 

sometimes here on the boards, i just saw some last week, uim and lim for $50 each or so..try craigslist and ebay also.

 

why go throught the hassle of inserting a helicoil? the stud is supposed to go in "relaxed" and it is not load bearing, it should be like 20nm or so, which is just hand tight.

it could prob be fixed as simply as changing the thread pitch to a larger coarse one. an insert would be overkill unless you are in love with keeping the stock hardware

 

If its the stud, I'd just JB weld it in, as mad7 said, its not load bearing and you dont have to torque it up that much so it'll hold.

 

the hassle? it would take just as long to thread in a helicoil as it would to cross thread another stud into the hole, which would be a really stupid thing to do btw, he's trying to remedy the problem you are talking about making worse ... its not about "being in love with the stock hardware", its about doing the job the right way and not ghetto rigging your car....

 

If your on about doing the job right there is only one way....Thats new lower inlet manifold.

 

Like I said, drill up and retap next size. If the car were before me here, you'd be on your way inside 30 min time and with the original chromed accorn nut

Good luck and remember - keep shaving and trash out of the intake/engine or you'll be posting a " how to retrieve a tool from the engine" thread next

tom

 

no, thats the expensive way, your comparing intentionally crossthreading a bolt to get it to hold, to helicoils and drilling/tapping the hole, which are completely different solutions... buying another manifold requires an afternoon of work and buying new gaskets (on top of the cost of the manifold itself), personally i'd rather spend half a minute installing a helicoil (which will easily hold the minimal torque) and call it good ...

 

Helicoil gets my vote

 

I suggest a helicoil. Cover your intake ports with tape so nothing falls in. Clean up any residue adhesive with some acetone before you button it back up.

I don't know about the gaskets. The LIM get's pretty hot being right next to the turbos. I think any claimed power gains are bogus because of that. They claim the gasket will withstand the heat, but it's a lot of work to replace if it fails.

 

I say tap to the next size up. its alot easier and lot less hassle.

 

Helicoil. Anything else is a bad idea.

 

ook i can see where my post was misunderstood.

tap it up a size/pitch. no need to drill and seat a helicoil imo.

 

For all the guys that posted "get another lower intake manifold".

Are you all insane? A two day job compared to 30 minutes max???????

IM here to tell you next to completely rebuilding your engine that has to be hardest, most time consuming job known to man.

How do I know?

IM in the process of doing just that (for reasons other than a stripped thread)

What a ****.

You have to take everything off the engine to gain access to remove the POS........

Coils, rats nest, fuel injector rails, down pipe, turbos, air pump, alternator, airbox, intercooler & main cat. + drain both the coolant & engine oil

HELI-COIL. It takes a metric 8X1.25 kit. $20-$30 at any good auto parts store.

How do I know?

Been there & done that too. Only I stripped the hole out for the center long bolt.