I finished my engine upgrades - heads and cams - and moved on to the SE compensator. The project was easy right up until I reached down and grabbed the old compensator bolt which just so happens to be shorter than the new one. The shorter bolt must have grabbed a couple threads and when I began to torque, the damn bolt broke free. Uh Oh! When I backed the bolt I noticed some material wrapped around the first two threads. Insert expletive.


I ordered a new 1/2"-13 tap from Fastenal which should clean up the mess, and with the longer bolt everything will be just fine. Isn't wrenching fun?

 

Your describing what I would call 'Oh **** Territory'. If I was one of those that could work my way thru to the other end of what your describing, thats when I would start calling myself a wrencher. Until then, I only consider myself a ' Wanna be'.....good luck let us know how it turns out.

 

Dang Aric; I'll bet that was fun...lolol.. not..
Did you replace the primary bearing while you were in there, per chance, and if not did you inspect it?

 

Maybe try a thread restorer first before the tap. The tap will actually cut the threads and make a looser fit.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

 

yeah running a tap in there may cut new threads ACROSS the existing threads.

be very careful

when starting bolts, turn by hand in the wrong direction until you feel a click. at this point the male and female threads are lined up.


mike

 

X2, I use them on a regular basis just to clean out old loctite

 

always!

I once installed a set of pistons with the old circlips. Didn't realize it until the next morning, when I found the new circlips still in a plastic baggie on the workbench. I almost let it go, but there's too much that can go wrong if the circlips come loose in the bore. Off came the heads and jugs, new circlips installed, and put it back together again. Better to do it right than have to take it apart after a catestrophic failure. Now, when I pull the pistons off, I'll give the old circlips a half twist so there's no mistaking them with the new ones.

 

Why not just toss 'em?

 

I think most of us have done something similar. Sounds like you pulled out the first two threads. As Lonewolf said, I also would use a "thread restorer" before using a tap but, a tap can be used if you are careful.

 

I snapped my comp bolt off when I was putting in the EVO 30T a while ago. Unnerving