SpiritofSenna

Hi,

So few weeks ago, I had done the IAC valve clean..Everything went well except for the fact that I felt one of the 2 bolts that hold IAC onto the manifold become slightly loose after tightening..(i.e., the feeling when you overtorque...)

I didn't think too much of it and drove the car. One day, after a drive I heard bubbling under my engine bay....turns out that one "overtorqued" bolt is missing and caused a slight gap at IAC.. the bolt was no where to be found...So I ordered a new bolt and tried to screw it back in, but it seems to "free spin" the same...now I read about taking care not to over tighten it so I wasn't going at it any hard..

What could be happening here..?Could I have stripped the thread somewhere? on the intake manifold ? Or am I simply being too cautious and not tightening them enough..?

If the thread is stripped on the intake...what's my best option ? Do I have to get a whole new manifold just for this bolt....?

***SUMMARY***
-IAC bolt went missing possibly due to overtorque..now the bolt keeps "free spinning"; what should I do?

Appreciate your help in advance !

wisdom

Retap the threads on the manifold?

s2kneub

you might be able to retap m6x1. otherwise, helicoil m6x1 or tap m7x1 and get new bolts at ace hardware.

zeroptzero

Those threads and those bolts are very easy to strip. If you have room to go up one bolt size like mentioned above that would be the easiest - 7 x 1 mm, then you need to buy an appropriately sized bolt from a fastener shop, I've done that on a number of bolts on this car. Otherwise you can do a heli-coil repair also as mentioned above. Your only two options. If you were closer to me I'd do it for you at no cost as I have those size of tools from having to do that repair a few times in the past. Maybe check if there is a local member in your area that can help out, or you will have to go and buy the appropriate parts and tools.

SpiritofSenna

Sounds like the process is much more involved than I had hoped..

Do you think it's okay to run the car without the bolt ? (not in longterm, but for the shortwhile before I get this sorted out..)

Also, mechanics should be able to repair this or do I need to go like a "specialist"..?

Thanks a lot for the input guys !

zeroptzero

Don't run it like that as it will leak engine coolant and you will eventually get an air pocket in the cooling system which can overheat the car if it gets bad.

The repair is pretty easy for anyone that is handy and has the tools - drill with proper sized bit, proper sized tap. Any mechanic could fix it, if you don't mind the cost they will charge.

One of the worst feelings in the world is threading in a bolt that strips, God I hate that feeling. I just had a suspension bolt strip on me yesterday, luckily I had all of the parts to fix it in about 10 minutes, so not too bad.

S2Kennyy

do in both holes a m6 helicoil! and dont drill to deep! because you will make a hole in the intake manifold itself!

zeroptzero

Yup the key to doing the repair is knowing when to stop with the drill, he,he, you don't want to bust through the manifold.

SpiritofSenna

Thanks for the advice. Although I'm not sure if the repair is "pretty easy" for me..lol I hope I could get this fixed in 10 minutes..

I think I much prefer the idea of this helicoil repair and I've been looking into it but I'm not sure how to go about..

First of all, for tools, I couldn't find any at our trusty "Canadian Tire"...amazon shows something like this: Amazon Helicoil Kit

Is that the right one ? Also, are there any other tools that are required ? If you have any suggestions as to which tool or kit that you use, that'd be great !

Secondly, I'm trying to educate myself here..the process seems straight-forward: drill, tap, and helicoil insert..I'm trying to find a good reference video and came across this: Helicoil Repair Video

On the video, it shows that the metal shavings as well as the "indent" at the end of the helicoil insert are popped off..Wouldn't all the particles and metal be going somewhere ? Would I need to do a coolant flush after this ? Or do I simply blow out with compressed air or brake cleaner?

Lastly, if you got any tips I'd sincerely appreciate it..Don't want to come back and say that I've drilled into my intake manifold whilst trying this repair..I'm thinking maybe putting a tape on the drill bit that marks the length of the bolt would be a good idea..

I think I'm going forward with this. Thanks again !

SpiritofSenna

I don't even want to think about coming back to this thread with "I made a hole in the intake manifold.."

Thanks for the tip!