Stripped the Screw on the Fuel Rail - Options?
07-30-2009, 08:41 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Stripped the Screw on the Fuel Rail - Options?
I was finger tightening one of the two hex bolts that attaches the fuel rail to the block when it got a little tough to turn so I backed it out and could clearly see some carnage in the hole. I pulled the rail off and tried to thread the screw in slowly and sure enough about 1/4 of the way in it just stops.
What are my options? Is there a tapping type screw that I can put in to create a new thread or do I need to do something more drastic (ie; helicoil)?
Of course, this is the LAST f'ing screw I put back in after having the intake off, new ICV, new TPS, new vacuum lines, venturi delete, etc...literally the last damn one before I was finished...always works that way, I guess.
Would this be handy? Some folks who reviewed said they'd used it on aluminum blocks: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ap#reviewsWrap
If I'm forced to go with helicoil, which should I use? They have stainless, titanium, etc...? Should I go with the same size hole or am I going to have to make a new hole a bit larger?
Anyway, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
What are my options? Is there a tapping type screw that I can put in to create a new thread or do I need to do something more drastic (ie; helicoil)?
Of course, this is the LAST f'ing screw I put back in after having the intake off, new ICV, new TPS, new vacuum lines, venturi delete, etc...literally the last damn one before I was finished...always works that way, I guess.
Would this be handy? Some folks who reviewed said they'd used it on aluminum blocks: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ap#reviewsWrap
If I'm forced to go with helicoil, which should I use? They have stainless, titanium, etc...? Should I go with the same size hole or am I going to have to make a new hole a bit larger?
Anyway, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
07-30-2009, 09:26 PM
#4
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
yeah, i bought a tap and die kit from sears - just need to go pick it up. I'm going to try that and get a bigger bolt and see how that works before going with the helicoil. That bolt only needs to hold 10-12ft/lb of torque so if I can get it tapped where the bolt will go in, I'll put a little anti-seize on it and I'm sure it will be OK.
07-31-2009, 12:44 AM
#6
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
So, tapping it didn't work. The screw would go back in easy but wouldn't torque down enough - I could only get about 8ft/lb out of it then it would just spin.
So, I went and bought a 6mm Helicoil set and fixed that one and whaddya know I'm torquing down the other bolt and it just starts spinning when its down. #$%@#
So, I Helicoil that one too and it works better but they still don't seem to have enough grab and start spinning right when they hit 10ft/lb or torque.
I think I'm going to take the previous advice and stick a threaded bolt down in there and just use a nut on the other end to tighten it down. Not sure what else to do...
Do you have to break that piece off in the middle that stick out somehow before putting a screw in the hole? I've read some guides that say yes and some say no. I think my screw is a tad bit longer than the helicoil so wouldn't it knock it out on the way down? I was thinking that maybe it was holding up the screw causing it to spin a bit or something but not sure...
So, I went and bought a 6mm Helicoil set and fixed that one and whaddya know I'm torquing down the other bolt and it just starts spinning when its down. #$%@#
So, I Helicoil that one too and it works better but they still don't seem to have enough grab and start spinning right when they hit 10ft/lb or torque.
I think I'm going to take the previous advice and stick a threaded bolt down in there and just use a nut on the other end to tighten it down. Not sure what else to do...
Do you have to break that piece off in the middle that stick out somehow before putting a screw in the hole? I've read some guides that say yes and some say no. I think my screw is a tad bit longer than the helicoil so wouldn't it knock it out on the way down? I was thinking that maybe it was holding up the screw causing it to spin a bit or something but not sure...
Last edited by choinga; 07-31-2009 at 01:39 AM.
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07-31-2009, 02:28 PM
#9
Race Car
I see a couple issues here:
1) You did not break off the tab. You should break off the tab because you are threading the bolt in until it hits the tab, then it is turning the entire helicoil in the hole to thread in further
2) This is happening because you did not use loctite on the outside of the helicoil. I always use red loctite on helicoils when installing them. If you allow it to fully dry before inserting the bolt it will not fuse the bolt to the helicoil, but only the helicoil to the supporting material
3) That doesn't look like one of the fuel rail mounting bolt locations
1) You did not break off the tab. You should break off the tab because you are threading the bolt in until it hits the tab, then it is turning the entire helicoil in the hole to thread in further
2) This is happening because you did not use loctite on the outside of the helicoil. I always use red loctite on helicoils when installing them. If you allow it to fully dry before inserting the bolt it will not fuse the bolt to the helicoil, but only the helicoil to the supporting material
3) That doesn't look like one of the fuel rail mounting bolt locations
07-31-2009, 07:24 PM
#10
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
HAHA - thanks...good point. I did not loctite the helicoil itself when I put it in but I did put anti-seize on the bolt itself so hopefully it comes back out. 
No, that was just a pic I found that showed the barb at the end of the helicoil. I guess that barb makes it go down further if it's not out - seems like the screw would pop it out before it drove it down more though.
No, that was just a pic I found that showed the barb at the end of the helicoil. I guess that barb makes it go down further if it's not out - seems like the screw would pop it out before it drove it down more though.
