woodstock964gt3

Help!
I started to install my RSS bar last night. I removed the front pass. lower belt bolt w/o a problem. The drivers side came out funny (for lack of a better way of putting it). It looks like the previous owner cross threaded it at one point.

Anyway, any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Chuck

LVDell

IIRC, you'll need a chaser to rethread. I had a shop install the Teq bar in my GT3 and they cross threaded and stripped it. THe thread chaser re-threaded the receiver and it was good as new.

StephenB

+1 Use a thread chaser/restorer. It can reform the threads with the material left. Be sure to work the chaser back and forth to keep the threads clean of any debris that will be removed along with a bit of lube. Never use a tap. I have the craftsman 42275 48 piece set that I have used successfully several times.

woodstock964gt3

Thanks, I was thinking along those lines.

Of course I blame everything on this news group..... If I wasn't a reader I would probably never be putting all these new parts on this car and would never have noticed that bolt.

My wife wanted me to personally thank everyone.


Thanks again for the help, greatly appreciated.

SH || NC

To add to Stephen's comments about clean, I would also spray a little brake cleaner in each hole to also help remove any debris.

enthusiast

I believe some of these anchors are damaged during the original assembly at the factory. In some instances the anchor threads are either machined poorly or foreign matter gets in the threads and kept in place in the paint process. The anchor bolt is run in with a power tool so I doubt the worker notices the extra resistance if the threads aren't clean, hence the threads are damaged.

woodstock964gt3

It certainly could have been damaged during the build of the car, but from the looks of it the previous owner had a bar of some sort installed.

Looking closely at the carpet I can see some damage in what would be the rear seat belt holes. Probably a Porsche harness bar or something similar as it did not mount to the shock towers.

I looked closely at the threads on the bolt I took out of the drivers side and they are definately damaged. Passenger side looks fine.

Unfortunately, my bar needs to be taken out or at least repositioned to get a thread chase in, and of course Sears had none so that had to be ordered! Always something.

Oh well, plenty of other things to do.

woodstock964gt3

Ok guys, tried the chaser (the sears kit is very good thanks for that part #) but could feel that it wasn't helping much. It won't hold torque. Plan B was a tap, a little better but def. Not something I could trust.

Does anyone know if I can access that part of the car from the bottom or from behind the side skirt?

It would be great to get at it from that side and tack a nut in there. I was thinking of welding the hole closed and re tapping it, but it looks like the anchor is just an insert so that makes me a little uneasy.

Plan E or F is a time sert. The threads don't do a whole heck of a lot with a shear load so I believe that would be an appropriate fix.

Any thoughts would be appreciated as always.

powdrhound

I had the exact same problem on my car. The driver side seatbelt bolt and hole were stripped when the previous owner installed the Teq bar. I looked at all options and the only way to do it right was to use a Time Sert thread repair kit. Basically you drill out the damaged threads with the provided drill bit, then retap with the provided tap, and thread in a hardened steel threaded insert which will lock into place with the provided tool. It worked beautifully. Here is a link to the product. You need part number 0762 which comes with the 0.600" insert as standard and is the perfect length.

http://www.timesert.com/html/inchsert.html

woodstock964gt3

Yep, that's what I used as well. Worked like a champ.

Viperbob1

You are correct. The nut is just a really crappy insert. You can do the timesert thing which will bring it back to the same level of crappiness. But hey, they seem to work. Other option is more involved with a popping out the insert and spot welding in a plate with a better nut for more security. Not as many people go for option 2. So just do the timesert.

jittsl

I had the same problem in the same place and simply tapped it to take a 1/2" bolt. Dont think I even had to drill out the spacer on tquip bar.

stownsen914

I'm helping a friend who's having this exact problem. We went straight for a tap, but the threads were too damaged, and after tapping the the bolt does not effectively grab the retapped threads, so the insertis stripped now. I thought of a Timesert, but I'm concerned that the insert in the door sill may not have enough meat on it (i.e. wall thickness) to be opened up and still be strong enough to hold up in the event it ever (perish the thought) really gets tested. Anyone know what the wall thickness on that insert is?

On a related note, I thought of trying to get a nut in there to secure the bolt that way, but I suspect there isn't a great way to get to the other side of that insert.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

Black Shadow

A suggestion: Try a Keen-sert to repair the threads then try a grade 8 threaded stud when installing the Tech bar.
It is much easier to install the bar's spacer over the stud then trying to thread the bolt back in. Use a washer and grade 8 nut to secure it.