Need help...stripped stud

It is just crankcase pressure, not like it is a pressureized oil galley behind there.
Will it leak? It's a Ferrari, it might leak even if all the nuts were tight! At least it is the top one where there shouldn't be any oil anyway. Really what do you have to lose? Try it. If it leaks, well, you were going to rip it out anyway. If it doesn't then you have time to source the stud and decide when to go back and make it right.

 

Looking again at your picture, do you mean the stud is stripped? I ask because it looks like that stud is poking out more than the others. I suspect that it has pulled out the threads in the aluminum hole. Perhaps this was your Helicoil reference. But I think you have more than stud issues here.

Who here mentioned tapping blocks? You should make one up before you go drillin'.

 

It's a bit tight in there for a proper repair of drilling, retapping, and putting a helicoil in there. I would see if a right angle drill can save your butt, if not, I would leave it until next time you have the thing out. Pray it does not leak.

 

If your planning on driving the car down to the 308 event, if it blows out on you 1000 miles from home it wont be much fun. As bad as it sounds, drilling and retapping are the only correct ways to solve the problem in the long run. Your working with aluminum, so you dont absolutely need a power drill. Attach a short handle of some sort to a drill bit to work it manually, if you work up in steps youll be amazed how fast they cut. You should also be able to drill and retap the hole through the cover instead of ripping it all apart again, and the cover will protect material falling into the motor. Grease the drill and tap and most all the debris will come up with with the tool.

 

Hello from Germany,

I had the very same problem on exactly the same stud many years ago. I tried a quick fix with a Loctite Liquid Metal product. I succeeded and it was amazing, how much torque I could apply onto the nut with this 'glued in ' stud. Actually I could apply the correct torque for a M6 stud without stripping it.
During the next big major I repaired the cam cover with Helicoil, but I'm sure, this Loctite fix would have lasted forever.
BTW; the strength values of everywhere available JB Weld are similar to those of the Loctite product I used.
Another thing you could try is a longer stud. The threaded portion on the cover side is too short. I'm sure, the thread in the aluminium goes deeper. For a temporary fix you could take a M6 bolt of sufficient length with thread till the head, cutting the head off. Then screwing it completely into the cam cover, installing that front cover with the gasket, and finally cutting the rest of the self-made stud off.
Problem with those studs in our aluminium engines is, that the thread portion reaching into the metal is simply too short. According to any engineering literature, the threaded portion and the bore should be much deeper. Sometimes I think they mixed something up with steel values, but even in steel the thread lengths are at the lower limit.

Best Regards

Martin

 

Jim,

I've had a few of these studs pull on various F-cars, as well as my BB (which has that exact same cover). As there's just crankcase pressure behind the plate, leakage (if any) should be minimal. It's really not a big deal to install a Helicoil, nor should you have any difficulty getting that stud from Ferrari. As mentioned, care should be excercised to prevent alu chips from entering the engine...

I've got a faily large selection of OE studs, so if you have a problem, just drop me a note with the stud dimensions...

Good luck Jim,
David

 

Is that stud reversed?
It makes sense for a longer threaded section in the aluminium than for the nut end.
Possibly with the longer end inside there may be enough good thread remaining to get you out of trouble.
If not, I'd heli-coil it.
Is there enough room to manipulate a T-handle on a tap there? I've used one to drill with in similar circumstances.
If you just buy the single size heli-coil kit, make sure you get the correct tap for blind holes. They have them with pointed taps too for open holes, like spark plug threads.
Good luck.

 

Great outcome!
Put a smile on my face. Your's too, I'd wager.

 

Wow, that's the best stripped hole story I've ever heard! Congrats!!