i need to change my 160 stat to a 180 cuz my car runs too cold(i put in the 160 to try to fix the cooling problem it used to have , but now with the griffin radiator it runs really cold)
however, when i put the 160 in, one of the housing bolts was definitely stripped(where the bolt goes into is stripped, not the bolt itself, previous owner was a hacker). i managed to tighten it a few turns, and luckily it doesnt leak. however, i dont think ill be that lucky again. how can i get around this?

i was thinking i could just drill a larger hole, tap it, and put a new larger bolt in, but metal shavings would fall down into the coolant wouldnt they? this would be bad right?

any help/ideas are appreciated

 

Its aluminum, so you really should pull the intake, drill and tap. I guess a helicoil could work too.

 

DON'T drill and tap to a larger size. You'll be sorry, sooner or later.

Drilling and tapping to the original size won't do anything. "Stripped" means the metal that the threads would be tapped out of, is now missing. There's nothing there to tap. There will be even less metal if you drill it.

The Heli-coil method is the way to go.

 

ok...so what exactly is the heli-coil method?

 

yeah and if you drill to a different size your also going to be drilling out the water neck too.....

go to a parts store tell them you need a heli coil and tell them what you are doing they will set you up

 

Big deal, its not like we havent done it a hundred times in the past. It depends on what you have at your disposal, and what you can get your hands on. If you cant get a helicoil and you need to drive it, drill it and tap it.

 

I heli coiled both of the bolts for the themostat housing and they haven't leaked a drop. and to keep metal shavings out of the coolant...good old fashion duct tape.

 

ok thanks guys

i guess i will heli-coil it (i talked to my dad and he knows all about them so i should be all set)

 

what would be the negative in drilling and tapping a size up other than having mismatched bolts? I've never had to, but I'm curious

 

You may have to drill out the thermostat housing too, maybe. The last time I had to do this, I didnt. Also, you will have two different sizes of bolts, which can be confusing to some, I guess. Its really all personal preference.