Hello,

 

I have a 84 GL AWD and discovered that one of the four bolts that holds on the skid plate covering the oil pan is completely stripped. It just spins around endlessly when I ratchet it. What are my options for repairing this? Will I have to get a mechanic to tap a new thread? Can I do it myself?

 

Thanks,

Derek Basch

Hello,

 

I have a 84 GL AWD and discovered that one of the four bolts that holds on the skid plate covering the oil pan is completely stripped. It just spins around endlessly when I ratchet it. What are my options for repairing this? Will I have to get a mechanic to tap a new thread? Can I do it myself?

 

Thanks,

Derek Basch

If possible it would be much easier to just use a slightly longer bolt, a nut and lock washer on the other end and just clamp it down good. Otherwise yo uare going to need to drill it out to the diamiter you want, buy a dap/die tool set, tap threads into your hole and then you can thread in a bolt.

If possible it would be much easier to just use a slightly longer bolt, a nut and lock washer on the other end and just clamp it down good.

I'm not getting something. Wouldn't I need to remove the currently stripped bolt before I could thread in a new longer one? The stripped bolt just spins in it's female thread hole and I can't pull it out.

 

Thanks for all the help,

Derek

I'm not getting something. Wouldn't I need to remove the currently stripped bolt before I could thread in a new longer one? The stripped bolt just spins in it's female thread hole and I can't pull it out.

 

Thanks for all the help,

Derek

Yep gotta get the old one out.

 

Tried clamping vice grips down HARD on the bolt head and pulling down as you spin it?

 

Have access to a welder? Could weld a pipe to it and then get some real leverage

 

How about a drill and some bits? Might have to just drill it out Since the threads are trashed anyway you wont have to worry about saving those !_!

 

Is this one of the bolts to the unibody or one of the bolts to the main crossmember / bracket behind the oil pan?

The capture nut that the bolt threads into has likely come un-welded from the sheet metal of either the lower radiator support cowling, or the engine cross-member (you didn't specify which end of the skid plate has the stripped bolt). This is a common problem for any mechanic, and a good knowledge of how to repair stuff like this is an essencial part of knowing how to work on your own equipment. You have a couple options - first, trying to grab the capture nut with some vice grips is a good start - if you can do that, you ought to be able to turn the bolt out. If that doesn't work, then you can either drill the bolt head off with a bit slightly larger than the diameter of the thread, or cut it off with a die-grinder. As for replacement, if you can get in there and weld in a new capture nut, that would be ideal, but probably too much work, and maybe not even possible to get to easily. Putting a new bolt and nut in there is possible if you can hold the other end while threading in the bolt, but you may have to resort to a large sheet metal screw instead. If it's on the front cowling, removing the radiator will give you better access to the capture nut location, and if it's on the cross-member, you should be able to get your fingers up in there - probably a needle-nose vise grip too....

 

GD

Take the other three bolts out and rotate the skid plate so you can see whats going on. If it is the capture nut that has come loose, you should be able grab it with vice grips, channel locks or maybe a wrench. If the bolt is turning inside the nut, just pull down on the skid plate and turn the bolt out.

Thanks Everyone!

 

I didn't realize there was a capture nut to deal with. I dug through the layer of dirt/oil and found the nut. The nut wasn't turning so I pushed down on the bolt while pulling on the skid plate and presto! The bolt looks like it was a replacement bolt and stripped out faster than the rest of the bolts. Either way, I am replacing all four. BTW, it was a bolt on the crossmember.

 

My car deserves better than me

 

Cheers,

Derek Basch