3rd Generation Maxima (1989-1994) Learn more about the 3rd Generation Maxima here.

Cost to rethread Engine Coolant bolt hole.....

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-10-2002, 06:47 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
Cost to rethread Engine Coolant bolt hole.....

I was changing the coolant in my Max and now I can't get the front engine coolant bolt back in. I am guessing that the engine block needs to be re-threaded....

What's weird is that I can get the bolt in half way by hand and then it begins to strip. I thought that some dirt had gotten in the threads so I cleaned the threads with a pipe cleaner but that didn't help either. I guess I am going to have to take it in but was wondering about the cost of something like this....
SmithAtlanta is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 06:59 AM
  #2  
STFU n00b!
iTrader: (44)
 
Matt93SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Houston
Posts: 18,095
bolt holes for coolant on the block? uhhhhhh..... no such thing, bud.
anyway, shouldn't cost too much if all they have to do is run a tap down the hole. take the bolt to a parts store or machine shop supply house and see if you can buy or rent the tap to do it. small ones are only a few bucks, but large ones can easily get to be 20-30$... may want to rent that one.
Matt93SE is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 08:31 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
They are on the block, Matt....

(figure 7)
http://www.cybrrpartspro.com/Chilton...61CH01_44.HTML

I may have not used the correct term, though. They are correctly called the drain plugs.......

I have a tap but I can't get it to the plug.
SmithAtlanta is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 09:35 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Nismomaxt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 188
Originally posted by SmithAtlanta
They are on the block, Matt....

(figure 7)
http://www.cybrrpartspro.com/Chilton...61CH01_44.HTML

I may have not used the correct term, though. They are correctly called the drain plugs.......

I have a tap but I can't get it to the plug.
Its not actually on the block...it drains the block.
Nismomaxt is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 09:40 AM
  #5  
Ad·min·is·tra·tor
iTrader: (14)
 
DanNY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 17,725
Originally posted by Nismomaxt


Its not actually on the block...it drains the block.
LOL...what?!

there's a bolt that's bolted to the ACTUAL block of the engine. MANY MANY don't bother with it..it's too far buried in the car to even try and loosen.

then theres the air bleeder bolt on the intake area

and the drain petcock..(stop giggling).

so YES there's a drain bolt ON THE actual block.

i can't open that page so i'm going to assume this is VG.
DanNY is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 09:50 AM
  #6  
I'm needing a caw
iTrader: (82)
 
Jeff92se's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 34,147
VE Dano. It's good to see people are making use of the link. Or maybe Smith found the link before. From what I can tell it IS on the block just left of the front motor mount?


Originally posted by DanNY



i can't open that page so i'm going to assume this is VG.
Jeff92se is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:03 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
male's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 989
DO NOT go to a dealer to get a hole tapped. I got charged $120 to tap the cam seal bolt holes. So easy to get to. I was ****ED, especially because they told me they had to extract the bolts. Little did they know I had removed the bolts BY HAND the day before, I put them back in even though they were stripped out. Damn that dealership. Anyway, do it yourself if you can, it's easy and will save you some $$.
male is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:05 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
I now know(but too late for me)that it would have been easier to:

A. Open the petcock and bleeder screw and drain the coolant.

B. Put a hose(running water) in the radiator and flush it with the engine running.

C. Once you see clear water coming out of the petcock, stop the engine and let the water drain out.

D. Close the Petcock.

E. Refill with coolant until you see coolant come out of the hole where the bleeder screw was taken out....

.....But I went by the more difficult directions in the haynes manual.....and stripped the drain bolt that is on the front side of the engine block.

I guess I'll take it to a mechanic friend of mine and see if he can tap a slightly larger bolt hole or maybe just clear the way for the old bolt to go back in(with thread sealer of course).
SmithAtlanta is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:10 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
Originally posted by male
DO NOT go to a dealer to get a hole tapped. I got charged $120 to tap the cam seal bolt holes. So easy to get to. I was ****ED, especially because they told me they had to extract the bolts. Little did they know I had removed the bolts BY HAND the day before, I put them back in even though they were stripped out. Damn that dealership. Anyway, do it yourself if you can, it's easy and will save you some $$.
I have a tap, I just can't get it to the hole because of the bolt that is above and to the right of the drain plug.

SmithAtlanta is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:22 AM
  #10  
STFU n00b!
iTrader: (44)
 
Matt93SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Houston
Posts: 18,095


for those of us with netscape, spaces in the URL are bad....


First time I've ever seen anybody actually mess with that thing. no need, really. (as you've already stated)

Anyway, you can pull the engine mount loose and get to it- doesn't look THAT hard to get to. I'd rather do that than tow the car to a mechanic and them pay them to do the job. what a PIA.
Matt93SE is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:54 AM
  #11  
Ad·min·is·tra·tor
iTrader: (14)
 
DanNY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 17,725
Originally posted by SmithAtlanta
I now know(but too late for me)that it would have been easier to:

A. Open the petcock and bleeder screw and drain the coolant.

B. Put a hose(running water) in the radiator and flush it with the engine running.

C. Once you see clear water coming out of the petcock, stop the engine and let the water drain out.

D. Close the Petcock.

E. Refill with coolant until you see coolant come out of the hole where the bleeder screw was taken out....

.....But I went by the more difficult directions in the haynes manual.....and stripped the drain bolt that is on the front side of the engine block.

I guess I'll take it to a mechanic friend of mine and see if he can tap a slightly larger bolt hole or maybe just clear the way for the old bolt to go back in(with thread sealer of course).
look for something called helicoil. good luck.
DanNY is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 10:57 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
I'm using Phoenix(derivative of Mozilla(derivative of Netscape)) and I don't seem to have problems with spaces but each browser has it's anomalies.

I followed the instructions in the Chilton Manual(I accidentally said Haynes earlier).......mistake......

I don't have a leak right now(after tightening it about 3/4 of the way and putting some sealer on the threads) so I will probably wait until I see a leak and re-tap it then. I'll keep a jug of 50/50 antifreeze and a socket set in the back of my car just in case but it's not leaking now.

I have worked on numerous things on this car and this is the first bolt I have ever stripped. I guess I should have picked a day where I had more time and it wasn't 40 degrees outside. I probably would have taken my time and not made such a stupid mistake.....
SmithAtlanta is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 11:00 AM
  #13  
I'm needing a caw
iTrader: (82)
 
Jeff92se's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 34,147
You could run an extension on the tap/die you would use. Especially when you say the first part of the threads are okay. You just get it started carefully and then chase the rest of the bad threads.
Jeff92se is offline  
Old 12-10-2002, 11:02 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
SmithAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 118
Originally posted by Jeff92se
You could run an extension on the tap/die you would use. Especially when you say the first part of the threads are okay. You just get it started carefully and then chase the rest of the bad threads.
That's what I will do but I have to remove the motor mount bolt to get a good angle to tap into the existing hole.... That's the PIA part....
SmithAtlanta is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
MR2 T'd
5th Generation Classifieds (2000-2003)
6
07-09-2021 05:06 AM
lowpost99
1st & 2nd Generation Maxima (1981-1984 and 1985-1988)
7
05-16-2021 11:18 AM
captchaos
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
17
03-15-2016 12:18 PM
Maxboy23
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
6
09-04-2015 06:04 PM



Quick Reply: Cost to rethread Engine Coolant bolt hole.....



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:15 PM.