Installing Throttle Body Plate, Broke a Bolt, now it leaks ---

[alwayscode390]

I was out installing the "LT5" throttle body plate I bought.

Started the car and it was leaking from one of the bolts.

I went to tighten the bolt a little more to make the leak stop , and the bolt BROKE!!! :o

Now its pouring fluid out of the bolt hole.

What are my options here? Thanks ---

[alwayscode390]

If I install a throttle body bypass ... and tap out the bolt , everything should be fine, right?

Is it bad to drive it 5 miles up the street to my mechanic while it leaks a little bit?

Is there a risk of the car catching on fire? ---

[WVZR-1]

Can you NOT remove the rest of the bolts, the plate and THEN get a grip on the broken to remove it? New plate didn't come with hardware?

[alwayscode390]

I got the rest of the bolts removed, reinstalled the stock plate ... and its leaking out of the bolt hole that is broken.

Its pretty deep in there, I cant get ahold of it.

The new plate did NOT come with hardware or a gasket :( ---

[Daniel_Mc]

Why not do a TB bypass and not even worry about the coolant in the TB. Also coolant is not flammable.

Daniel

[Paul Workman]

Drill out the broken bolt and install a Helicoil?

[alwayscode390]

I found an eyeglass screwdriver set which has REAL small flatheads in it. I may be able to get the broken top of the bolt with one of those.

I will try that before I go the helicoil route.

Who sells the TB bypass kits on our cars? I see Haibeck has one for $25 ... is that the ticket?

Ive installed atleast 3 of these plates without issues before ... but I noticed the corrosion on the bolts when I took them out. I should have gotten new bolts.

I read that antifreeze IS flammable, but at a high temperature ... just wanted to make sure it wouldn't catch fire from the engine block heat.

Thanks :) ---

[WVZR-1]

I found an eyeglass screwdriver set which has REAL small flatheads in it. I may be able to get the broken top of the bolt with one of those.
Thanks :) ---

I'd guess those are 4.5mm bolts and maybe a 3mm or 1/8" center-punch, 3mm drill bit and extremely small extractor!

I'd be interested in the size and pitch of the screw!

[alwayscode390]

Can you NOT remove the rest of the bolts, the plate and THEN get a grip on the broken to remove it? New plate didn't come with hardware?


Thanks so much for the idea ... I couldn't leave it alone so I went back outside ... took off the old plate ... pulled up the old gasket and WALLAH!!! Just enough thread was poking out that I could grab it with a small set of needle nose plyers. :dancing

I just reinstalled the new plate with stainless bolts that I had already. These should be a lot stronger, have stampings in the head.

YAY!!! :cheers: I appreciate it guys ... still may do the bypass so I don't have to worry about any leaks in the future. ---

http://i46.tinypic.com/jin77q.jpg

[Jagdpanzer]

I'd guess those are 4.5mm bolts and maybe a 3mm or 1/8" center-punch, 3mm drill bit and extremely small extractor!

I'd be interested in the size and pitch of the screw!

Dave,
According to Jerry's handy LT5 fastener spreadsheet they are 4mm x 0.70, 14 mm long, T20 torx

[XfireZ51]

How tight did you turn that bolt? They're pretty small to begin with. You can do the bypass or just block the passage making plenum removal so much easier.

[WVZR-1]

Dave,
According to Jerry's handy LT5 fastener spreadsheet they are 4mm x 0.70, 14 mm long, T20 torx

I guessed the M4.5 based on the bore diameters of the cover. I've one here that's 4.555 to 4.60 and it seemed the bore would more closely match the diameter of the bolt but after reading your post I checked and the "clearance" drill for an M4 is 4.5 I should have expected that probably because the M4.5 is only done in the Metric fine and that is very seldom ever used by GM. I thought the exception here might have been the Rochester Products Division.

[alwayscode390]

How tight did you turn that bolt? They're pretty small to begin with. You can do the bypass or just block the passage making plenum removal so much easier.


I think the bolts were really corroded (a bunch of tan gunk on them).

I probably overtightened it , but it still wasn't tight enough to keep the antifreeze from squirting out HAHAH.

The new faceplate didn't have the groove in it like the factory plate, I am sure that doesn't help with sealing against the gasket that has the groove in it ---

[carter200]

The plates are machined perfectly flat and as you noticed smooth providing a perfect seal on a new or reasonably good shape gasket. The corroded bolts have been an issue in the past but NEVER a sealing issue with my plates.
Glad you got the broken bolt out with minimal trouble. Take care :handshak:

[alwayscode390]

Thanks Carter .. the plate is awesome quality for sure :) ---

[Hib Halverson]

Glad you got it fixed.

50/50 mix of antifreeze and water will not burn.

[Z51JEFF]

I did the Haibeck TB bypass.Even though its supposed to slip under the plenum I had to pull the plenum to get it in.I wanted this to be as subtle as possible so I put hoses on the TB nipples and ran them towards the bottom of the plenum.http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/FLYTYM/DSCN0349.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/FLYTYM/DSCN0356.jpg

[alwayscode390]

Thanks a bunch for the heads up ... im not wanting to pull the plenum right now , but maybe in the future :) ---

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Here is some info for your future consideration. Several of us have done coolant delete in the plenum after some info from Locobob (see post #31 if you are a paying member in the Registry and can pull up the old newsletters)

http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11425&page=4

I love it years ago and never looked back. So easy and no mess to pull the plenum in two shakes (dry). Not for the NCRS guys of course. :cheers:

[HAWAIIZR-1]

You can eliminate TB coolant LT5 Eliminated Systems (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-zr-1-discussion/2942569-tech-info-lt5-eliminated-systems.html) or Bypass TB coolant. Marc Marc Haibeck (http://www.zr1specialist.com) Bypasses TB coolant because of the difficulty of getting ALL the air out of the coolant system without the bypass. Not difficult for Marc but difficult for others who might drain the coolant from time to time :D

Eliminating TB Coolant makes for a very neat installation on both sides of the Plenum.

Cliff,

You are hereby officially crowned the "King of Links and Information" :worship:

Craig :saluting:

[alwayscode390]

Thanks Hawaii and Dynomite ... awesome info guys :) ---