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Stripped bolt on timing cover

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Sportsdoc

Jedi Trainee
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Stripped a 7/16 bolt on the timing cover today despite using a torque wrench set to 15 foot pounds. Of course it is on the bottom of the cover. I tapped all the holes before hand and had all new hardware and this is the only one I had a problem with. Any suggestions?

Thanks.
 
Forget it untill next time unless it leaks.
 
Are you sure you pulled the threads out of the block, and didn't tear them off the bolt?
Incidentally, If that was a 7/16" head on the bolt, it is a 1/4" x 28, and should only be torqued to 6 ft lbs. 15 pounds could have been why it stripped.
Jeff
 
I'm thinking I stripped the threads off the bolt so I'm going to try a new bolt first then see if I need to do something else. I should have looked at my torque settings sheet; thought I remembered seeing 15 foot pounds but your settings are correct. Live and learn.
 
If it is one of the bottom bolts that go thru the front engine plate, just re-tap it to 1/4 x 20 and it will be fine.
I have a couple like that. Be sure to use a very short bolt in those lower holes. The longer ones will bottom out and strip the threads.
 
A bit of goop and tighten em up nice and snug by hand, I don't think this is a place for a torque wrench.
 
All the 1/4" fastners on a the front plate are threaded into the engine plate, which at best on has a couple of threads. The bottom have caused nightmares for many a A-series owner, and caused more than a few leaks in this area.
A old racer's trick is to take a 1/4-28 jam nylock nut and grind it flat on on one side to take a few of the hex points off, so it doesn't interfere with the oil pan, then hold up against the backside of the engine plate with needle nose pliers to get it started as the bolt threads into it, once it is positioned up against the back side of the engine plate you can now hold on to it with a open end wrench as you tighted the bolt, now you extra threads in this area to hold the plate secure. Hope this helps.

A tip on grinding the flats of jam nylock, first hold on to it with vise grips, it can get away from you with normal pliers and turn into a dangerous projectile, then take baby steps with the grinding, keep a cup of water near for cooling , if you get the nut too hot it will melt the nylon in the nut rendering it useless, so baby steps and keep it cooled down.


On the other 1/4" fastner on the engine front plate you can simply add a nut to the back side of the plate, the one nearest the water pump is tight, but a jam nut will work there, just make sure you don't bottom out on the front of the block on this one.

Oh and Richard, put your torque wrench away on this one, that's probably what got you in trouble to start with, anything with that less of a torque should be done by hand, it's real easy to blow past a torque with such a low setting, with fastners like this it becomes a "touch and feel" deal, we builders call it GAS spec (good and snug) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
I developed hand techniques like many everyday wrench turners over the years, for me it's all about the "feel", I nomally choke up the wrench handle on small fastners like this, and even use just a couple of fingers rather than my whole hand because even with a 7/16" wench and it's length it's real easy to use the length and leverage of the wrench to overtighten and strip. For a weekend car guy, these little nitches are the hardest to learn, it's like using a mic it all about feel and that can not be taught, just learned through continued experience. Good luck, hope this helps.
 
In some places we use thin nylok nuts on the race cars. Not sure these will even be thin enough but just may be.

As long as it is striped any bolt that will fit will work.
 
Jack, a jam nylock, a jam nut is half height of a normal nut, they are available in regular hex nuts as well as nylocks.
 
Aye, just not sure about the SAE threads but think any would do as long as it is striped out already.
 
Thank you guys for the help. I'm going to try a new bolt first and then use the nylock nut if that doesn't work along with putting away the torque wrench on this part. I guess I should be thankful I only botched one of the bolts!
 
Jam nuts, and jam nylocks are available in 1/4-28, we do this on the race cars even when the threads are still good in the engine plate, to add extra clamping force to this area of the timing cover, which is prone to leaks on a A-series engine.
 
Looks like I just stripped the bolt. Got a new grade 8 1/4-28 but it was 3/4 inch long, the shortest I could find. Shortened it with a hacksaw (gently), smoothed the edges with a wire brush and it screwed right in securely and snug--no torque wrench.

Thanks again for the help.
 
Super deal, well done.
 
I don't understand your procedure you talk about. How do you start threading in the bolts with the jam nut behind the engine plate when you are try to install the timing cover?
 
Just as a tip, when I have a torque value that small I whip out my Inch pounds torque wrench and do some math. Foot pound torque wrenches are not accurate at that low of a setting, so I use the 3/8" drive inch pounds torque wrench. Multiply by 12. So 15 foot Lbs. = 180 inch Lbs. much more accurate.
 
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