Long sad story short - decided to pull my motor to replace all the gaskets and freshen up my engine bay over christmas break. Never done anything like that so it was basically just a learning experience that I thought would take a week max at a very slow pace. Two months later I'm having to move immediately and won't have a garage anymore so don't have time to screw around anymore. My Camaro has already been hauled off 2 hours away to my dads place and I'm stuck in a borrowed ford taurus the only thing left is to get the harmonic balancer back on and the pulley but guess what, just like my title says the bolt hole is effing stripped out... I'm to much of a puss to just mess with that but I'm assuming it'll be okay to just drill out a new hole and use a wider bolt... but I'm scared shitless to screw it up, anybody else face this before?

 

I highly doubt you'll be able to drill out and retap the hole. If you can't repair the threads with a tap, you're better off getting another crank.

Tips to prevent damaging the threads

When removing the balancer, don't use the tapered adapter of the puller in the hole. Install a bolt back into the hole and push against the bolt.

When installing a balancer, never use the bolt to pull it in. Install some threaded rod into the hole and use a nut and washer on the thread rod to push the balancer on. Best option is to buy or rent an installer tool.

 

Bad idea.

Best way to deal with it is a Heli-Coil. Piece o cake. Make it like it never happened.

The correct size is 7/16" - 20.

Then you get to use the RIGHT normal bolt with a correct washer that all actually fits and works RIGHT.

Then all you gotta do is learn NOT to use the bolt to try to draw it back on, but instead to "rent" the tool, at ZERO cost, to do it RIGHT.

Did I mention the concept of RIGHT enough times to get the point across?

 

Well actually I did it RIGHT. I rented the puller and the installer from Oriellys and it wasn't until the installer wouldn't work did I realize something wasn't RIGHT. Then I took the RIGHT bolt and played with it and it wouldn't start. Then I researched for hours and found nothing so I went out and bought another RIGHT bolt. Can clearly see tho where the cranks threading is flattened out. Never once said I did it half ***, that was an assumption by you two, so there wasn't any need for that little lecture lol.

Anyway what is Helicoil I've never heard of it

 

Neither of them said you did.

http://www.emhart.com/brands/heli-coil

 

Just to be certain (sorry didn't sleep well) you say the bolt won't start, right? Before you go crazy with the heli-coil try and run a tap to chase out the threads. Maybe just the threads close to the top of the bolt hole are messed up.

 

Well maybe the problem wasn't what YOU did then, but rather, someone else who came before you. Without question though, that problem was caused by improper assy somewhere along the line.

However you got to the point you are now at, DON'T use a different bolt; that'll do nothing but cause problems at every turn in the future. Fix the damage the RIGHT way and use the RIGHT bolt, rather than hacking on your crank and ruining it.

 

It's been posted here numerous times before. Either clearance drill, tap, and install a thread insert as the Royal Davenport suggested, or simply tap the hole 1/2-20 (a STANDARD size) and install the correct bolt. You may have to clearance drill the hole in the balancer hub, but there is no need to replace the crank for a stripped snout.

 

I know its been awhile since I posted this, but sorry for being so pissy. pretty sure its just the first couple threads, and im going to try to tap those just to get the thing started. Like I said earlier life hit the **** fan hard right when this happened so I cant even keep her at my place until I get it going but this weekend im going to try and get it fixed.

 

It's always nice to know the outcome of a situation. Just let us know how it turns out.

 

A heli coil is junk, get a time sert, so much better.

 

I also ran into the same problem stripped about a 1'4 inch of the bolt tread. was gonna chase the threads to see if the were okay but if I do have to use a time sert which one do I get? sry little new to all this if it sounds like a stupid question