i was fixing a leaky thermostat and striped thread so the bolt just keeps spinning and wont tighten i dont know how to use a tap and die any advice on it or a different method

 

NAPA, O'Reily's, AutoZone--

See if they have thread-repair kits. Take the bolt with you, they come in several sizes.

I believe it's called " Heli-Coil Thread Repair " or something similar to that.

Is the intake aluminum or cast iron??

 

preety sure its aluminum

 

The Heli-coil will work.
No tap & die needed. Pretty much screw it in & you're done.

The threads on a Heli-coil are a little wider & cut into the aluminum.
You can get different sizes so if you go this route, take the bolt with you.

Also, some ppl just try a 1 size wider bolt & slowlt thread it in a few turns, back it out, thread it in a few more turns, back it out, etc until it threads
all the way in. You have to be careful not to cross-thread it if you do this.

IMO, I would do the Heli-coil because I just don't have great luck when it comes to cross-threading!!


( edit )
As long the hole is symetrical still, it'll go easy. If it's out-of-round, you will have to make sure you screw it in straight.

 

SCREW it in straight on that part are you talking about the heli coil or the 1 size bigger bolt

 

Sorry, I've been doing other things!!

If the hole is symetrical, then either way will work.

If it's out-of-round, you will have to be careful either way you decide to go.

I've never used a bigger bolt to fix threads without tapping, so I don't know how to go about doing it.

Does your local parts store have a " loaner tool " program?

 

no they wont loan anything neither will auto zone

 

with the heli coil do i have to drill out the hole then re thread it?

 

Deja vu? I thought you fixed it already?

Anyway, yes, you need to drill out the hole. Be sure the drill is aligned with teh centerline of the hole. You will also need to be sure the tap is aligned with the centerline as well, or the threads will be crooked. Its doable by hand, just have to take your time. Once you drill out the remains of the threads, you retap for the helicoil. Thread a section of helicoil in with the tool, and break the tang off once the helicoil seats fully. After that, your done.

Also, FWIW, dont torque the bolts past 16 ft-lbs. I stripped one on my victor-e awhile back as well. Aluminum is not real strong, and even with a stocket you can overtighten the bolt without really thinking about it and pull the threads.

 

nah that happened on my 88 sport coupe same problem but instead of striped hole it was snapped bolt same spot though i dont think i will try the heli coil my self since i have terrible drill skills and do not want to chance drilling in sideways or what not how much do you think it would cost in the shop like how
long would it take

 

Well, this happened to me a year ago and I admit that i fixed it but haven't gotten around to fixing it right. I just put a bunch of rtv on the bolt and the surface around the bolt and tightened it down the best it would go and waited patiently for it to dry and it has been fine since.LOL Almost positive will have to use a 3/8 tap and die set , a 3/8 bolt this time too and removing the throttle linkage and throttle body would help.

 

You need a Drill Guide. Grab a vice and get your thermostat housing. Take a piece of scrap 1/4 steel plate and clamp it to the Housing. Use your Thermostat housing holes as a guide to drill the steel plate. once you do that, you'll have a clean, true hole that's perfectly spaced from the other one. Next, take the Drill bit that the Heli-Coil set calls for and drill out one of the holes on the template that you just made with that drill. Now bolt the template down to the intake manifold and use the larger hole that you put there as a guide. that way you won't miss drill the hole. Once you've done that, You can remove the template and tap the hole. Make sure you have a Square ready. Once the tap takes a bite, Turn it a half turn and check it with the square. if it's not square, Adjust the angle without turning the tap. Once you're straight again, do another half turn and measure. Once you've completed 2-2.5 Rotations, you should be good to go. Remember to take it easy. Once you're lined up, Every rotation, back up the tap a quarter turn to break the chip. Make sure you use alot of WD-40. You'll be fine. Just take your time.

 

dude, it is a simple job. Take about ten minutes. Just get a drill bit and drill the hole , then put your tap in there and re-thread. Then or course have you new bolt ready. It is not as complicated as some of the other examples. Simple ten min job.

 

got the job done for 40 bucks friend came over and i watched the him do it there was all this powder coming out he said the hole was filled with jb weld it looked preety easy i just wouldent want to try for the first time before ive never seen t done shi*ts all fixed now though thx for advice