jayfyv

Okay SO I'm looking under the hood today and I notice that the bolt that once was holding the cable for the throttle has broken off. Looks like it will need to be drilled out to be replaced? is it okay to run the car like this? does anyone have experience with this problem. Is this even very important? What should i do haha :/ any help is much appreciated!!

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

That is actually the stud that broke not a bolt. You or a competent mechanic should be able to get that out using the appropriate tools. What those tools are, I don't know. Try googling broken stud removal and see what you get or wait and see if someone else chimes in that has experience with that.

Just be careful. The intake manifold is soft aluminum.

Bahamasair

Use a left hand drill bit. It will usually unscrew the bolt before you have finished drilling it out. Get an extractor too in case the bit doesn't get it out. If you had a welder you would put a nut over it and fill the middle of it with weld then just unscrew it with a socket.

jayfyv

okay okay thanks! should this be okay to drive around with for a day or two before I replace it?? I never noticed any change in throttle response, just found it looking around...

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Looks like there is plenty of meat left. Remove the upper intake manifold, clamp some Vice Grips on it, and twist it out.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

If you remove the UIM, don't forget to cover the openings in the LIM!!!

With any luck, you don't need to remove it.

jayfyv

ok haha not going to lie I'm kinda nervous about taking off the UIM. going to attempt the drill method where would a guy pick up a replacement stud for this.. as you can tell i know very little about engines haha.. this is basically the first time I've taken closer look at one (rotary or piston) .. trying to learn as much as possible

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Personally, I don't think I would use this as an attempt to learn. If you screw it up, the LIM is a bitch and a half to remove. The turbos would need to be removed in order to get to the LIM bolts. Most competent mechanics should be able to handle a repair of this nature for not much $$.

Removing the UIM can be a daunting task. I hate doing it. Always makes me nervous.

Ray Crowe at Malloy should be able to get you a replacement stud. His number/email are in the 3rd gen FAQ

asianguy02

iTrader: (4)

its not too hard to get to it. Removing the UIM is a 10 minute task at worst, just take it slow and remember where everything goes, take pictures if it'll help. Then just stuff some rags down the intake runners and pull that b***h out with some vice grips or a pair of beefy pliers and you should be fine. The stud is double terminated and is sized approximately M12 with a 1.25(?) thread pitch and probably 30mm long total, maybe 25. If you have any questions on parts definitely call Ray Crowe. That man can be a god amongst men when it comes to finding and getting parts.

While your at it down there, order some block-off plates, and pick up a set of 330ohm resistors and get creative and remove the AWS and other easy to get to emissions related crap (EGR, ACV etc.) It cleans things up nicely and makes it so that many things aren't there to go wrong later. I can provide pics of everything I've done under there if you really want.

jayfyv

okay THANKS for the help guys!!!! asianguy, pics would be great!

asianguy02

iTrader: (4)

Ill get them up in the morning. Keep in mind my pics are going to be fairly different from yours. Ive got a j-spec intake mani and went to town on the vacuum lines last week, so its all silicon and missing the metal portion of the rats nest in favor of regular vacuum T's. Less clutter FTW!

Other differences will be I dont have an EGR valve or AWS from the factory as a result of the different intake mani, and I removed the TB coolant lines. Ill note it pretty well to try and avoid confusion, but its pretty straight-forward.

asianguy02

iTrader: (4)

http://www.rx7.org/Robinette/manifold.htm

Remembered this as I was driving home from work. Its pretty detailed, and if you want I'll still snap some pics later, but I just got done with a 22 hour day so it'll be a few hours before I get there.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

I honestly think there is far more chance to screw it up by drilling it out then just removing the upper intake manifold. Every Time I've seen a newbie try to drill out a stud, it has been a massacre, causing far more damage.

If you do attempt to drill it out, center punch the stud and then start with a small drill bit and make sure to stay straight! Get the hole just big enough so you can fit in your extractor/reverse drill, soak the area with penetrating oil, and hope for the best.

Bahamasair

When I suggested the left hand drill method I didn't even look at that being one of the top intake bolts. I agree it would be way easier to take off the intake and use vice grips on the stud. Drilling it out is always my last resort and I hardly ever have to do that as I can usually weld on a nut and take it out that way. Trust me it might seem easier/safer to drill it but after you start and the bit either slips off the stud or just plain takes forever to cut the hole you will wish you had taken off the mani.

jayfyv

Is this broken bolt not partly holding the manifolds together? I'm thinking of getting a mechanic to help me with this. This car needs to go in to be saftied this week. If we were to take the UIM off is there anything really specific to this car to know when it's opened up that an average mechanic wouldn't know?

asianguy02

iTrader: (4)

theres about a god awful amount of vacuum lines that need to be reconnected when the UIM goes back on and some of them are fairly out of sight. Dropping any nuts turns into a game of "where the hell did it go and where are my foot long needle nose pliers so I can get it out" quickly, unless one falls into the engine, then its more along the lines of, "FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"

The busted bolt isn't likely doing anything to hold the UIM off, thats why the nut was on top of the stud. Its too short to have any real lateral traction on the metal, and its got 3 other studs and a bolt to hold it on anyway. Worst case scenario is it blows out the gasket and creates a massive leak for vacuum and boost. Just remember to be gentle with all of the studs as the car is pretty old, and the internals probably have not aged as gracefully as the body.

jayfyv

bahaha OK this should be fun thanks again

Captain_Panic

iTrader: (15)

If you are careful, you have nothing to worry about. The UIM and Throttlebody will come off as one in 30 mins your first time. Download the service manual on the 3rd gen Faq and get dirty. Take pictures from many angles, even label things if you need too before you disconnect, then use the pictures to identify the hoses. Be gentle on removing the vac lines and coolant lines. BY the way, this will give you a great oppportunity to inspect the brittle condition of your Rats nest. May well be you nex project come winter.
Take this from a once newbie (still learning - I am by no means a master, but I have had a few good teachers). I was afraid to do this too. Last winter I did a Full NonSeq mod, taking my turbos and everything off the block, and even busted a few studs. Getting the UIM off will make you feel more empowered and hopefully have you reading the service manual to better understand how simple this car is.