Am I screwed here… what now?


Yeah, you’re in a tough spot. What kind of tool did you use to tighten that?

If you’re desperate, JB Weld could help you patch it up and pretend it never happened, but that bolt might be permanent after that. Not ideal, though.

Are there three bolts holding it in or just two? How did this even happen?

It’s not a perfect solution, but maybe try some cold weld epoxy to patch it up for now.

Hartley said:
Are there three bolts holding it in or just two? How did this even happen?

It’s not a perfect solution, but maybe try some cold weld epoxy to patch it up for now.

I bought this engine a while back, and it was held by only two bolts. I didn’t really inspect it until now.

@Cameron
Man, sounds like you got stuck with a bad deal.

Hartley said:
@Cameron
Man, sounds like you got stuck with a bad deal.

Yeah, it was a bad impulse buy on my part. Lesson learned the hard way.

Is this repairable, or do I need to replace the whole block?

Cameron said:
Is this repairable, or do I need to replace the whole block?

You can try JB Weld to patch up the cracks. Fill everything as best as you can, but make sure to clean the area first. If the threads get messed up, use a tap and die set to fix them. It’s a budget fix, but it could work.

Maybe a welder can fix the cast boss, then drill and re-thread it.

But you’d probably need to pull the engine for that.

What exactly goes there?

Zola said:
What exactly goes there?

It’s for my half shaft.

Cameron said:

Zola said:
What exactly goes there?

It’s for my half shaft.

Yikes, that’s rough. Honestly, this might be bad enough to replace the block unless there are deeper threads you can still use.

If not, you could epoxy the bolt permanently in place. Clean the hole and bolt really well, attach the half shaft, and then apply epoxy generously before tightening the bolt lightly. Let it cure for two days. Not great for whoever owns it next, though.

@Tan
Why is everyone talking about epoxy? Wouldn’t welding and re-threading be better?

Keaton said:
@Tan
Why is everyone talking about epoxy? Wouldn’t welding and re-threading be better?

Welding cast aluminum is really hard, especially on a dirty, oily engine still in the car. To do it right, you’d need to pull the engine, clean it, and then drill a new hole carefully. Epoxy is way easier and cheaper, even though it’s not perfect.

@Tan
Makes sense. Thanks for explaining that!

Keaton said:
@Tan
Why is everyone talking about epoxy? Wouldn’t welding and re-threading be better?

Welding wouldn’t hold a bolt properly here. Plus, adding more metal isn’t doable in this situation.

@Zhen
Ah, I see. Is it also because cast steel is hard to weld? Appreciate the insight!

Keaton said:
@Zhen
Ah, I see. Is it also because cast steel is hard to weld? Appreciate the insight!

Exactly! Plus, welding equipment isn’t cheap, and I doubt the person who posted this has one.

@Tan
“Future owners be damned” had me cracking up. Brutal situation though.

@Tan
Why not use a threaded rod and a nut instead?