Removed hood on 04 OBW. When reinstalling the hood, one of the four hood hinge bolt holes in the hood stripped, so can't tighten hood hinge bolt. What's the best proceedure to repair the bolt hole in the hood? 

helecoil or another brand like it.

helecoil or another brand like it.

I don't think the bolt hole is in a solid piece of metal, so it may not be a normal helecoil/ time cert application. Don't know though, because Ive never stripped a hood hinge bolt hole.

Edited October 14, 20169 yr by steve56

It's a captured nut inside the sheet metal. If the threads on the bolt are stripped off, I would try running a tap through the nut to clean the threads out, then use a new bolt and that may get enough bite to hold it.

 

If the threads in the nut are totally gone, Make a small cut in the metal next to the nut and see if you can slip a speed-nut in for a slightly longer bolt to grab into. https://lmr.com/item/LRS-85911K/86-04-Mustang-6-Peice-Body-Speed-Nuts?year=1999&gclid=CLfLvcW12c8CFclbhgod1_MMCQ

Edited October 14, 20169 yr by Fairtax4me

It's a captured nut inside the sheet metal. If the threads on the bolt are stripped off, I would try running a tap through the nut to clean the threads out, then use a new bolt and that may get enough bite to hold it.

 

If the threads in the nut are totally gone, Make a small cut in the metal next to the nut and see if you can slip a speed-nut in for a slightly longer bolt to grab into. https://lmr.com/item/LRS-85911K/86-04-Mustang-6-Peice-Body-Speed-Nuts?year=1999&gclid=CLfLvcW12c8CFclbhgod1_MMCQ

Thanks. I knew it was something other than a metal structure that the hinge bolt turned in to. Is the captured nut  attached to something in the hood. I know it  must be held in there by something. Interstingly the bolt is just barely stripped on the end but the captured nut seems to be complelely threadless. Can the capture nut be tapped out for a next size larger hinge bolt.

Edited October 14, 20169 yr by steve56

It's easy to cross thread the hood bolts if the hinge is not lined up.

 

Leave all the bolts lose and start them by hand.

 

I'd pull the hood off and try the standard tap first.  There is not much depth in there so take it easy.

Run a tap through it and see what happens. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

 

Slightly larger tap, i'd probably go for it, it's benign enough i wouldn't be too worried about it, but I'm weird if it was my personal vehicle I wouldn't even care to run it with just one bolt, it's not going anywhere.  that hood plate will rust in place in due time around here anyway.  LOL

 

I assume being a captive nut and thin hood there's no room to work with - but on the engine you can often use a longer bolt that accesses threads that are deeper than the orginal bolt.  Done that gobs of times, but captive nut situation that might not work.