Just did my first timing belt this weekend. Went to put on the big side bracket and realized one of the holes was stripped. The first few threads. With bracket off i screwed bolt in and it catches about a third of the way in and screws in fine. But with bracket in place it wont reach the good threads. So far ive been told helicoil or timesert, just screw a stud in and use a nut (which is what im considering if i can find somewhere to get a stud and if theres room for the bracket to slide out), or try a longer bolt (but ithink it would bottom out before getting torqued properly. Or even the copper wire trick. Has anyone just used a stud/nut for this? Just trying to keep from having to take water pump off to drill it out as id have to remove timing belt again etc. but if thats my only option it is what it is.

 

The correct fix is, as you said, timesert or helicoil. If you've never used a timesert or helicoil before, it's not the hardest thing in the world to do, but this is in a somewhat tricky location, especially if the sub-frame is directly across from this bolt in question. Drilling the old threads out perfectly perpendicular is the most critical (and hardest) chore of the whole deal.

If you want to do the nut & stud, you can get metric all-thread on McMaster-Carr and cut it to length. You'll want it to be long enough that you can get a nylock on it, but not too long that you can't get the bracket out. There is also a slight chance with this option that the water pump leaks since you won't have 100% thread engaged from that individual bolt. So be mindful of that.

 

im confused on the possible water pump leak? Wouodnt that be highly unlikely? Since everything will be properly torqued ?

 

You might not be able to achieve full torque on the bolt in question, without pulling the remaining threads out of the block is what I'm saying.

But 8.8lb-ft isn't much...... so just be careful.

 

Just to clarify, the picture below indicates the 'big side bracket' in question?

If so, maybe take the bolt to a local Ace hardware and try and determine original size, then, see if they have one just over the size needed, in order to catch the deeper threads?

 

Nvm, I thought this was 1 of the bolts that seals the water pump. My B.

 

It looks like #29 or 30 below?

 

yea that top right bolt #30. Does it not seat all the way in when torqued? I figure a longer bolt would just bottom out before getting it tightened down. I notice honda does make a bolt 5mm longer i could give it a shot

 

^
To find joy with a longer bolt (110), like the one below

You have to carefully determine how much thread 'meat' you have to grab at the end.
It's important to determine there's enough room at the end of the 'boss' so one does not punch through , sometimes an extra washer can be added to provide that extra millimeter of space before maxing out at the bottom / end of the 'boss', get what I'm saying?
It's a delicate operation herr doktor.

 

In post 3 has you replacing with all thread and nut. I would use a thread locker on the part that screws in.

 

Zeta's advice on the longer bolt is your best bet outside of using a timesert.

 

Have you fix it?

 

not yet. I grabbed a stud and nut tho which i need to cut about an inch off..also grabbed that longer 110mm bolt i will try first. Im gonna mess with it today

 

blue threadlocker?

 

If using the stud, yes blue locker on threads going into block

 

In case you haven't finished, I would suggest just drilling a few mm out of the cover so that the bolt goes in deeper. A.I. says the cover is aluminum so it should drill easy. I'd first measure the hole depth at least 2x to make 100% certain you do not bottom out.

 

so the longer bolt works and i snugged it in (not torqued yet). Bracket is tight. But i worry if im bottoming out/damaging the block if its slightly too long? I stuck a washer on the bolt to take up a bit more length but then it engages less threads. And because its the bolt that goes into that deep hole on the bracket i cant tell for sure if its pressed all the way against the bracket.

 

If you don't have a small caliper with a depth measuring function that you can maneuver within the bracket bolt passage, use something with the bracket in place, to get an idea. A straight cut piece of measured clothes hanger rod, for example.



Insert it as far as it will enter, within the bracket & block, than measure to the flat area of the bolt passage bracket, where the bolt flange will contact.
Compare that number to the new 95801-10110-08 bolt to get an idea of what you have to work with, depth wise.