Stripped Pressure Plate Bolt
Jo Baggs
so I over torqued a clutch pressure plate bolt and I think I stripped it in
the flywheel. The bolt isn't coming out and I cant turn the bolt by hand.
The other four bolts are seated very nice. So...can I leave it alone?
Will Honea
You can - but it's not a good idea since sooner than later it's going to do
2 things, both bad. First, you will warp the pressure plate as the
pressure backs the stripped bolt out. Second, you WILL back that bolt out
and the noise it makes when it goes flying will cause at least temporary
panic even if it doesn't jam somewhere and take out something even more
expensive.
To remove the sucker, use a sharp chisel or knife edge. Drive it under the
head then try and back it out with a wrench while you pry with the other
tool. Personal opinion: it's easier to just back the other bolts out then
use the pressure plate to push the last one(the busted one) out as you
crank with a wrench. Inspect that hole in the flywheel closely. If you
bunged the threads in the hole you're in for new flywheel in all
likelihood. If it's OK, use an appropriately sized tap to clean the
threads, buy a new bolt and start over.
--
Will Honea
Jeff Strickland
"Will Honea" <who...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Another removal technique that might work is to remove the bolts that can
come out, then GENTLY pull on the plate as you turn the bolt that does not
want to come out, hoping that a thread will catch and it will come out the
rest of the way by itself. Obviously, you have to be sensitive to such
things as bending the pressure plate.
When you get the bolt out, you will have to (at the very least) use a thread
chaser to clean the threads, or use a tap to cut new threads. You can't make
new threads with a chaser, but you can clean threads that have been damaged.
A thread chaser kit will have chasers for bolts and holes. You may find that
you will have to migrate to the next size larger bolt. This might present
balance issues, I'm not sure. A thread chaser and a tap are a little bit
different tool, but I suppose you could use a tap as a thread chaser if you
have a tap already.
If balance is an issue -- you'd have to weight the bolts to see if the new
larger bolt is significantly heavier than the original bolt -- then you
would counterbalance the light bolts with an added washer. I think the mass
and the relative small change in weight of a bolt shouldn't be a problem,
but I'm not sure. Of course, you could tap all of the holes to the new size,
and use five bolts that are all the same.
Will Honea
When Jeff and I agree, you got a problem. I suspect that you will be able
to use the same threads once you clean them up. In most cases, the bolts
are softer than the cast metal in the plate. If you use a tap - to me it's
the original thread chaser anyway - be real care to get it straight and
properly seated before cranking on it and use lots of lubricant in the
hole. When done, clean out the hole with something like spray carb
cleaner.
Another thought is to use a helicoil if the internal threads are buggered.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea so check with a local machine shop
before proceeding.
Might I suggest the purchase of a good torque wrench? Even my finely
calibrated hands need some help with those smaller (less than 1/2 inch)
bolts ;-)
--
Will Honea
Jo Baggs
torque wrench.
RoyJ
Will Honea
bolts are long suckers and not that big. The book specified one-time use
only. After snapping a couple I found out that the spec puts them right on
the tensile edge and heating will actually stretch them just a tad so that
they won't take the spec'd torque once removed. They actually tell you to
check the necking to make sure you have the new ones.
My biggest problem now is remembering which kid "borrowed" my torque wrench
last....
RoyJ wrote:
--
Will Honea
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III
Take apart, it may be just the bolt that's stripped or you may HeliCoil:
http://www.helicoil.in/helicoil.htm new threads into the wheel. Just think
you would feel if you cut his feet off!
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2000/11/lakewood/
--
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:BillH...@billhughes.com
http://www.billhughes.com/jeep_bookmark.htm
"Jo Baggs" <J...@says.shaddup> wrote in message
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