King of stripped bolts...is this a good temporary fix?

Is there a word for the phobia of stripping bolts?? I’ve stripped 2 third member bolts, broken 3 studs, A-pillar grab handle bolt, tail light assembly bolt, I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot, and now my transmission drain bolt. It spins and it won’t tighten or loosen. (I didn’t even get to 15ft/lbs of torque!) I drove it for 20 min and it leaked a tiny bit out. So I cake it in RTV and drove it an hour and back to work today, no leaks. Is this a good temporary fix until I can get some more fluid to tap and rethread?

 

If it's not leaking then it's a good temporary fix.

Personally, I would buy a new pan

 

I got pretty good at using Heli-Coils on my Tacoma. (including the trans drain I think, or might have been one of the trans pan bolts, I forget now)

 

Blessed be the Friday thread on the wrong day....




New pan man.

 

For some every day is Friday.

 

Cake and bake, baby

 

Dude you need to hire a mechanic or quit wrenching. I'm 65 and I don't think I have wrecked that many bolts.

Oh and never use the stated torque value for a drain plug that has lubricated threads. It will strip 9 times out of ten before you get to the torque setting. Drain plug has a seal or gasket or crush washer. Good and tight is good, 15 ft/lbs is way overkill. I have never used a torque wrench on a drain plug.

 

2x

Been working on my own vechiles for 32+ years and while I use a torque wrench on any bolt that, if it came loose, would result in a safety or serious mechanical issue, I too don't use a torque wrench on a drain plug - good and snug is good enough. Agree with getting a new pan.

 

Dear Herman Munster: stop tightening the hell out of stuff that doesn’t require mammoth strength!

 

I'd put a new pan on it. I'd also not use a torque wrench on a drain plug.

Use a torque wrench on things like head bolts/studs, maybe suspension parts, axle nuts. Personally, I only use a torque wrench on head bolts/studs, knock sensors, stuff like that. Everything else is by feel and I've never had an issue in the 20+yrs I've been wrenching.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/media/ugga.665806/full?d=1595955052

 

I think you did a great job! If it was a boat at least you wouldn’t sink!

 

Get a torque wrench.

 

those bolts are 15 ft/pds. but they have a real tendency to strip out if you don't replace the crush washer they will strip. FYI I also replace the crush washer and never torque the bolt over 10 ft/pds.

 

I've never had a pan bolt strip, with or without a torque wrench tightening to the stated spec. The majority of friction is on the face of the fastener, or plug in this case, and not the threads, so a few drops of oil on the threads aren't going to cause a huge variation in the preload to cause them to strip. Same with using anti-seize on the threads and tightening to the stated spec. There have been statistical preload studies conducted on oiled and bare bolts and the mean preload doesn't significantly change between the two- what changes is the standard deviation/variation is smaller in the batch with lubricated threads.

 

What type and size TQ Wrench were you using?
I find that a 1/4” drive in in/lbs is best for light stuff.

I actually test my wrench on a larger bolt first, just to be sure it isn’t “acting up”.

Anyways, if it isn’t leaking. Drive it, and get it fixed ASAP.

 

Yup this. 15*12 = 180inlbs. set my 1/4in torque wrench to that, break out the digital torque adapter, go to a big bolt and make sure the torque wrench is calibrated and breaks away at the set torque.

1/4in wrench gets used for anything under 15ftlbs, 3/8ths 15-60 depending on the bolt, and 1/2in 50+ I hardly use the 3/8ths due to the overlap of the 1/4 n 1/2. But ALWAYS check em against the digital torque adapter first. Dont matter if its a HF or a fancy snap on clicker torque wrench, they all need to be calibrated on the regular simply due to differences in temps etc.

 

@pdaddy

 

Maybe someone should write a white paper on torquing fasteners and make it a stickie.