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While i was changing my oil on my 99 vert i thought i would check and tighten the oil pan bolts and i found a couple and this one in particular was finger loose and when i started to tighten it it felt as if it either broke or stripped.
(it is the small bolt on the right side in the pic.)
am i screwed? it did not fall out, i instantly stopped turning and it just stayed in place. how long is the bolt? is it treaded into the block?
i've searched online for some info on it but came up a big nothing.
i have used the car since and all seems fine so far, but my foot is alot lighter now. does it need to be fixed pronto?
thanks
Thank you for the replies.
Interesting reading indeed.
I have put around 20 miles on it since the discovery and have not
seen any leaking around the bolt head.
I plan on taking it to mount st helens this weekend and am hoping it stays in place and not just fall out and leak oil while driving. That would be a bummer. Im thinking if it hasn't leaked in the 20 miles iv'e put on it i may be in the clear for the road trip which is about 240 miles round trip. (Fingers crossed.)
Now i know what i'll be doing this off season.
I think i will put some sealant around the bolt head just to keep it from
falling out (just a temporary fix) until winter. Is that a wise idea?
I'm curious, what is the worst that could happen if it fell out?
I would hate to be so far from home if all hell broke loose.
Curious if you bought this car new or used? Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Likely that bolt has been loose for quite some time and you didn't know about it.
There are probably numerous cars with loose or stripped rear bolts.
If it isn't given you issues. don't mess with it!
That has been my thought. If you ever separate the torque tube from the engine, I would very much consider fixing it as I would think moving things around may start a leak.
Curious if you bought this car new or used? Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Likely that bolt has been loose for quite some time and you didn't know about it.
Hello vettenuts, I inherited my vert from my brother 3 years ago and im thinking its been that way for awhile before that time as well.
I just happened to happen upon it while changing fluids.
I enjoy working on it most of the time but as i age (56) it gives me a workout, lol.
Hello Bill,
Thats what im thinking too, i may just apply some sealer around it until the day comes when it can be properly repaired. As long as the tranny doesnt drop or oil pour out im not going to sweat it much. Researching the issue it seams that im not the only one who's encountered this problem. I do appreciate all the feedback here and am applying that knowledge but have a ways to go since this is my first corvette but not the first car iv'e worked on, but it is the most interesting and i'm loving every minute of it.
Not to freak you out but... the trick with fixing that is you need to get the oil pan off. Which means you have to pull the motor or drop the subframe while supporting the motor as the mounts attach to the subframe.
Ive done a complete connecting rod bearing replacement on all 8 cylinders with the engine in the car.
Fixing that can be done without engine removal BUT,, you have to be creative and think WAY WAY ahead.
Once you have the oil pan off, putting a helicoil in that damaged hole is pretty straight forward.
Bill
Agreed I was friends with some GM techs when the '01 re-ring was happening. They used the Kent Moore tool or a modified (cut) subframe to support the engine. The re-ring was gravy money once they had the process figured out.
I wonder if there are good (unused) threads beyond that bolt. If the bolt is so loose you are concerned of it falling out, you could remove it, clean out the hole w/brakleen, explore/measure the depth of hole with a stiff wire, & use a longer bolt. If no good threads are in there, replace the bolt with a stud & red loctite. after the loctite hardens, use a polyloc nut & washer.
I wonder if there are good (unused) threads beyond that bolt. If the bolt is so loose you are concerned of it falling out, you could remove it, clean out the hole w/brakleen, explore/measure the depth of hole with a stiff wire, & use a longer bolt. If no good threads are in there, replace the bolt with a stud & red loctite. after the loctite hardens, use a polyloc nut & washer.
I'm still up for what Bill Curlee said about leaving good enough alone. But, if you just have to fix it, along with what JBB said. If the hole is drilled further up you can run a tap in there and get a couple of more threads that way. If you have to cut the leads off the tap so you can bottom it out as deep as possible.
broken bolt on batwing
