Stripped bolt on LS1??

[skeeters65]

I think I may have stripped out the Oil pickup tube bolt.. It is the bolt that is on the end of the pickup..

I looked it up and it says 106lb in..

I can get about 30lb in on it but am afraid to go any more cause it doesnt seem like it is getting any tighter..

When I backed it out the first time there was one ring of aluminun on the bolt..

What should I do??

Chase it with a tap??

Put some RTV on the bolt and get it as tight as I can go??

Any other suggestion??

Thanks

[trapin]

Are you talking about where the pickup tube bolts onto the oil pump? Shouldn't there be two bolts?

106 ftlbs sounds too tight for cast aluminum.

[paul67]

Are you sure it's 106 seems a lot, what size and thread is it,can you go up a size,I would look into poss of using a loctite, and chase the thread anyway as it might pick up when putting the bolt back in, is it the correct bolt as it seems like it might be to long.Can you post a pic.

[skeeters65]

I just pulled out the bolt and then re-installed it with the new pick up.. So I know it is the right bolt..

It is 106 INCH pounds!!

[Blaster11]

If it is inch pounds than it is about 12 inch pounds to a foot pound, so 106 inch pounds comes out to about 9 foot pounds. Not much torque required.

[paul67]

Yes its 9ftlbs or 106inchlbs go to LS1howto.com and it explains it all.

[paul67]

You will prob find your wrench is reading in ftlbs.

[skeeters65]

You will prob find your wrench is reading in ftlbs.

I know how to use a torque wrench!!!

[LS1NOVA]

Does it torque down to 106" pounds??? I see three options:
Torque it to spec and if it strips, replace the pump
torque it to spec and if it strips, helicoil the hole
Put some locktite on it and hand tighten it till its tight.

[paul67]

What's the NM reading

[WS6]

I am assuming the engine is not in the car. Is that correct? If the engine is in the car, I would go ahead and pull the pump off the engine. You're right there already. This will allow you to see the thread much easier. If you want the threads right, the pump has to be pulled anyway.

A visual inspection should tell you everything you need to know. The hardware store should have this bolt if it turns out to be bad. I believe it's either a 5 or 6 mm bolt. If the pump turns out to be stripped you can heli coil it.

Don't sweat this too much. Pumps are cheap and you can get them easily.

[skeeters65]

I dont have the torque wrench in front of me right now but it was a 1/4 drive that only went up to 50inch pounds..

Anyway how do you get the pump out??
What are the draw backs of helicoiling it??

Thanks

[MrQuick]

...you can always tap it to the next larger size and use the matching bolt.

[protour_chevelle]

lol I did the same thing. But it just broke the head off, I then chased the broken bolt out.

double check your torque wrench and post a pic of it.

[Patrick]

Upgrade the pump and chain while you're at it.

BTW the "Camaro" pickup tube use only one bolt to secure the pick up tube. Corvettes have the tab flipped so that it secures to the "front" bolt hole...Someone (either here or on LS1.Com) modified their Camaro pick up to use both bolts. You could weld on a tab and use the "front" bolt hole.

[Jim Nilsen]

There are no drawbacks to using a heilicoil, in fact , it is recommended in aluminum a lot to get true torque specs that will remain constant through it's lifetime of use.

[00fxd]

I'm not familiar with these engines [yet] but can you stud that hole?

[MrQuick]

I'm not familiar with these engines [yet] but can you stud that hole?

I was raised around horses and that was funny to me. sorry, but yes you can.

[00fxd]

I was raised around oil fields, tight hole, dry hole always sounded funny to me. I would stud that oil pump mount hole then. As well as any other critical hole in aluminum.