testarossa problem...how screwed am I?

Changed the oil. gearbox fluid, changed intake gaskets, fuel hoses, replaced a ton of hardware... no problems.

Went to flush the coolant, no problems...

Took out the airbleed screw near the front of the engine, filled the system ... no problems...

Went to tighten the airbleed screw... and it snapped. CRAP!!! This was the last thing I needed to do to start the motor!!!

This screw is on the firewall, and an absolute bear to reach. Brass perhaps? Tried to remove it with one of those screw extractors and an airratchet, but it just chewed up the screw...

ARGH!!!

Now what???

Its part 26 that snapped... http://www.ricambiamerica.com/images/diagrams/full/TR-87_024.jpg

I am hoping this isn't one of those things where the whole motor comes out... .

 

That is such an odd spot, that no tools will fit...

I actually used a small rechargeable ratchet my wife got me for christmas. Its pretty useless for most things due to lack of torque, but it is one of the few tools that fit in that tight space.

I was shocked the screw broke. There is a copper washer there, so I figure I had to apply some torque to it. I was using the smallest ratchet in the set (4 inch long handle, TINY!), and a 10mm nut. You can barely move the ratchet an inch, using a couple of fingers to tighten. So, its not like you can go nuts on torquing it...

The screw went in super easy, its not like there was any corrosion. If I could cut a slot in the remaining screw, it would probably easily come out.

I have tried two different screw extractors, with lousy luck. They are going in just a bit off center, and its limiting their function....

I suspect that unless I get really lucky, I am going to have to get that housing off...

So, the follow up question...Can I get that housing off with the motor in?

Anyone?

 

Too high a risk it will get into the threads... sigh

I might try the dremel next... cutting in a slot won't be easy...

I thought about getting a right angle adaptor for it and trying some tiny drill bits... problem is, the dremel only goes clockwise... it may push the screw in further...

 

Thanx guys... Looks like the housing is coming out... Looks like a tight fit. I will go at it this weekend...

So it looks like just the 2 screws hold it on, and then 3 hoses (6 clamps) ?

Brian, you mentioned "6" hoses? The diagram only shows 3. Am I missing something? Does the alternator/compressor need to be removed, or will the housing slip between the two?

 

Alright, finally got the thermostat housing out, got the broken screw out... getting ready to put it back together...

Now, I don't want to go through this again...

Can I replace the brass screw with a steel one or stainless steel and just use some anti-seize? Or is the risk of it seizing so high that a brass screw must be used???

Help please...

 

Shamile, removing the thermostat housing is a bear:

1) Remove the black grate over hood
2) Remove the short large radiator hose connecting the thermostat to the block
3) Loosen the CAD plated strips holding the aluminum coolant tubing to the firewall
4) Loosen the 2 bolts retaining the thermostat, this is the easiest part

5) Now, you have to loosen the radiator hose clamps. There is a hose on either side to the radiators, and a small hose on the left. Getting these hose clamps undone is a complete bear. The screws on the clamps point straight down, and a ratchet just won't work. You can barely move the ratchet 1 inch or so, before you hit something. Go to sears and buy a lithium powered hand ratchet. $50 or so, great tool. I got it for Christmas from my wife. Figured I would never use it.... . Taking these clamps off took me the better part of a weekend, with tons of cursing involved. You are pretty much laying on top of the motor to even reach some of them..

6) Now, in theory, the radiator hoses should just slip off. But then reality sets in. These things WILL NOT SLIDE off. I had to wiggle the thermostat for a long time to loosen it at all. Subsequently, had to remove the passenger side aluminum cross over radiator tube... also not fun. The housing will slip out between the alternator and compressor...

7) Putting it back in is worse. The hose clamps are an absolute bear to get back on. At one point I was laying on the passenger rear fender, on my left side, with two hands way into the dark-side, blindly trying to tighten a clamp... Not fun. The rest is just going in reverse.

8) Some folks have had problems putting the radiator hose back on the thermostat to the block. If you bend it in 1/2, into a 90 degree angle, you can fit it in, and when you let go, it expands perfectly onto both housings...

Moral of the story... Working on anything along the firewall is not a lot of fun. You will drop tools! I dropped a socket 3 times!!! I got to the point that I was tying strings to the socket wrench so I could pull it back up. The space is very tight... I still have to find 1 socket that managed to get "lost."

So, can you change the thermostat in a testarossa with the motor in? Yep. You just don't want to ...

As my wife saw me cursing, she looked at me and said, "You are secretly enjoying this, aren't you ." And honestly, I did. Its therapeutic. But on the flip side, if I had tons of excess cash, I would pay someone to do this in a heartbeat. This project gave me 3 weekends of "fun."

 

I know...

I look forward to the major over the next couple years .

Everything always takes a long time the first time you do it...