Wires
01-28-2005, 08:48 AM
While I was under my MM looking at the starter, I noticed that the bolt that holds the trans line bracket was half-in and half out of my engine block. Somehow, I knew that it was not simply loose. I tried to tighten it, and I found that the threads in the engine boss were stripped. A steel bolt into an aluminum engine can reek (wreek?) havoc and that's what happened.
I don't know if the tech that did my engine install messed it up due to the bad angle (The engine mount is right in the way) or if the part was mis-tapped from ford, or from the previous owner of the block.
Anyway, I messed with it for a while, and didn't make things any better or worse. The lines seem pretty rigid without the bolt in place, but I'd like to have it "right."
I know the dealer won't pull the engine mount to fix this right (drill, tap, heli-coil) and I don't think I want to attempt it. I thought about cramming in a plastic bolt, or maybe if I could get a short tap in there I could make some threads (and or clean up what's left) enough to hold this bracket on.
Does anyone have any thoughts? I'll take flames and critisism, too, if necessary.
I don't know if the tech that did my engine install messed it up due to the bad angle (The engine mount is right in the way) or if the part was mis-tapped from ford, or from the previous owner of the block.
Anyway, I messed with it for a while, and didn't make things any better or worse. The lines seem pretty rigid without the bolt in place, but I'd like to have it "right."
I know the dealer won't pull the engine mount to fix this right (drill, tap, heli-coil) and I don't think I want to attempt it. I thought about cramming in a plastic bolt, or maybe if I could get a short tap in there I could make some threads (and or clean up what's left) enough to hold this bracket on.
Does anyone have any thoughts? I'll take flames and critisism, too, if necessary.