Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) One of my AFC housing bolts will not tighten fully

[WKener]

I changed afc springs this afternoon and I found, when re-placing the AFC housing back on the pump, that one of the four bolts holding the housing down to the pump will not tighten fully. This has not been the case any time before when working in that area...



Here are the facts:

-The problematic bolt is the on the engine-side of the housing, toward the front of the truck (so it's the top left bolt when looking at it from a front-left tire standpoint).

-The bolt/housing was in good working order before

-The bolt threads properly, as normal, all the way down but will never tighten up.

-I did not overtighten the bolt in any way, I was just threading it down, and it never generated any sort of resistance to it's rotation.

-The threading on the bolt itself looks good, so the problem lies in the housing



So I ask of anyone that has a suggestion, how do I get this remedied? How would I re-thread the inside of that hole (that seems to be where the stripped area is)? All seems well with the other three tightened down fully, and the fourth just sitting in place... But I don't like it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[M Barnett]

Sounds like you need to put in a thread insert to fix it. The threads have to be stripped if it won't tighten up.

Michael

 

[Jim Fulmer]

WKener



I seen more that one person go with one bolt missing intentionally, usually the top forward one (you know the only hard one).



Jim

 

[jimk]

bolt

My pump had a stripped out bolt and I did not have a thread insert for a metric bolt so it taped the bolt to quarter inch and has been that way for 2 years. I have had no problems with it. I use anti-seize on the bolts. LOL Jimk

 

[rjones]

My bottom 2 bolts stripped,I had to use inserts also,Try running a metric tap down first before adding a insert might save some time. Good luck... ... ... ... ... Rick

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The hole you reference is the one where the breakoff screw was. When you (presumably) replaced the bolt, what length did you use? If too short, it could have either not engaged the threads or stripped out the first couple threads. You could use a M6 x 1. 0 x 18 Allen head with the two stock washers. Check the hole and see what it looks like with the afc off. I can send you one of those allens if you can't find them locally.

 

[WKener]

Thanks for the suggestions guys

Joe: I never did replace the breakoff screw, I originally Dremelled out a nice slot for a flathead, so it's still the original bolt. I am going to try to find that allen today, and I appreciate the offer.