Sheared 280i thermostat housing bolts

Sheared 280i thermostat housing bolts

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Discussion

AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Well whilst being thourough and trying to flush the coolant system on the project wedge I decided to remove the thermostat today.

Used plenty of plus gas and all felt well, but two of the three long bolts sheared off far too easily!

Anyone know the best way to extract the two sheared bolts. It looks like they go through the engine cover and into a separate unit behind but can't see what it is. Anyone have any tips before I jack the car up to try and find out what to do?

Jon280

195 posts

136 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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If memory serves from when I took mine apart a while back, there are two parts to the housing. The front where you have the head of the bolts, then the rear that the bolts thread into.

If it's the head that has sheared or somewhere along the bolt, once the are all undone or broken, you should be able to remove the front and back part of the housing. The threaded part is only on the rear housing, not all the way through the block. May take a bit of effort, on mine with the gasket and gasket sealant the back was almost as if it had been welded on!

I would imagine at this point the remaining part of the bolt should be able to be removed from the rear housing.

mrzigazaga

18,534 posts

164 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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That is a pi55er mate...The trouble is that the housings are alloy and the screws are steel...I have torn the thread out of the rear housing and snapped the front fixing lugs of the housing in the past...If you can remove the third one and then as John say's the front housing will come off..The rear is held on by the bolts but with the front cover removed you should be able to get some grips round the threads and remove them...Its worth replacing them with slightly longer bolts and fitting nuts on the backs...Although i think one of them is too tight to the engine for that so an original size will do without the nuts..If you are replacing the thermostat make sure its a brass one and retain the sealing ring off of the edge of the old one as most thermostats don't come with it anymore...Ziga

AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Thanks guys, I have just been to see Mr Tank and he told me about the rear housing. I have just got back and as said it felt welded to the back. I managed to remove it (breaking it in the process rolleyes) and now I just have the two parts of remaining bolts left in the block.

Just got to figure out how to remove them now and get a new rear thermostat housing on order.

Good news is I flushed through the block and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting smile

AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Just finished drilling out the two stuck bolts. Lucky there is plenty of space in front of the engine and the radiator was already removed!

Just got to order the new housing and bolts now smile

Annoying that the whole of today I have managed to remove the thermostat hehe

mrzigazaga

18,534 posts

164 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
if you have a job sourcing the part then try these guys...I have used them before..Cheers...Ziga
http://www.motomobil.com/thermostat-cover-v6-20-28...

AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Struggling to find the rear housing on that site, or anywhere for that matter. Will have to make some calls tomorrow

mrzigazaga

18,534 posts

164 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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AceOfHearts said:
Struggling to find the rear housing on that site, or anywhere for that matter. Will have to make some calls tomorrow
Sorry i didn't read it properly, I thought you wanted the front...However there is one for the rear advertised on the same page..Lower right..Unfortunately they seem to be in VERY short supply..It may be worth asking them...I will ask my Ford friend to see if he has any secondhand ones knocking about...Ziga

You could also try these people...

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&...

Edited by mrzigazaga on Friday 18th April 21:32

adam quantrill

11,535 posts

241 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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I had an engine mount bolt snap on a friends Rover block.

I got a steel bar and drilled a hole to fit over the bit that was sticking out, then welded it on. Then I could tap the bar around and it turned easily.

The welding puts a lot of heat into the bolt which helps the loosening process.

hallsie

2,184 posts

219 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Give me a call tomorrow.

wink

Stu

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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AceOfHearts said:
Struggling to find the rear housing on that site, or anywhere for that matter. Will have to make some calls tomorrow
Swear there were some on eBay. Fit the new ones with copper grease, or drill it all out slightly o/s and use longer bolts with nuts.

Tasmin200

1,258 posts

186 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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pasogrande

375 posts

256 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Lewis,

Look for some anti-seize compound. When you put steel bolts into aluminium threads this grease will stop the corrosion that "welds" the bolts in.

Wilf.

AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Tasmin200 said:
Ouch, £30 does sting a bit. Best I've found so far though frown

Jon280

195 posts

136 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Just had a look through my spares box, and found this. Let me know if it would be of any use!




AceOfHearts

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

190 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
Jon, that looks exactly like mine. I will send you a pm smile


mrzigazaga

18,534 posts

164 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Get yourself some long bolts and nylon nuts..New gaskets and plenty of gasket seal..Don't chuck the old one away..It could be repaired...Ziga

Grady

1,221 posts

259 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
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And when you put it all back together, use lots of grease and such to hold the various washers/gaskets/t-stat in place so the T-stat doesn't slip out of place and you snap an ear off the T-state housing.