Chris, welcome to one of the better lists on the LBC circuit.
Your thermostat housing stud does not have a reverse thread. If
any piece of it is protruding do not cut it off flush. Get the
most aggressive professional machine shop penetrant u can find and
apply liberally for a number of days. Then hit the stud smartly
with a steel headed hammer. Then put a larger vice grip on the
stud, tight enough to crush the threads and start judiciously
wiggling it to unscrew it counterclockwise. You've got to show
some courage but hopefully not break the stud off. At this point,
if the stud gods are not with you, pull out a torch (propane is
good enough for the non metallurgist). Hit and unscrew again - its
a like tooth extraction - you can actually feel the car wincing.
If u fail in this mission, burn this email. Then you will be back
to flushing the stud (not possible if broken below the surface)
and trying to center punch and drill a hole for an extractor. If
the hole is not centered and u don't have an expensive extractor
this can become a mess. If the extractor breaks off in the hole
you are up the proverbial Swanee. In the end an oversize hole and
helicoil kit (not cheap) will be your or your mechanics final
salvation.
Do not damage the head surface.
The 30 mile drive should not be a problem. take some water in case
it springs a leak, but never pour in a large quantity of cold
water into an overheated motor.
Mike L
60A,67E,59Bug
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Rose <chris_rose@totalise.co.uk>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: May 26, 2000 4:00 AM
Subject: New lister
> Hi all
>
> I have been lurking for around a month, but this is my first
posting.
>
> I've got a quick question. I have recently aquired a 1963 MGB
Roadster, from
> my dad, who loving re-built it when I was a child and has had
the car for over
> 20 years.
>
> Its mine because it has been standing in my dad's garage ever
since he had a
> motorbike accident and was unable to drive the car any more
(pedals were too
> heavy for his damaged knee) I couldn't bear to see the car go
and so, when he
> wanted to sell it, I took it from him.
>
> Its suffering all the normal problems of a car which has stood
for a while,
> and I am working on those. However, I am not a mechanical
genius, and have a
> question.
>
> Whilst replacing some corroded cooling system pipes, one of the
bolts which
> goes from the engine head and holds the thermostat housing in
place sheared
> off while I was tightening the nut.
>
> I am assuming that this is not an integral part of the engine,
and is probably
> a bolt which uses a reverse thread and so can be replaced.
However, could
> anyone advise me the best way to remove this bolt? (its broken
about halfway
> up, and so I don't think it was a case of me over tightening.)
Should I try
> flattening off the top of the bolt and using a wrench to try and
unscrew it,
> or should I break it lower down and drill out the remaining
part?
>
> Also, it was the final bolt I was trying to fasten and, despite
the break, the
> system does not appear to be leaking any water from the cooling
system. Do I
> risk driving the car around 30 miles to a trusted mechanic
friend, and get him
> to help me, or is this a job which I should be able to do
myself?
>
> Any tips from anyone who has done this before themselves would
be very much
> appreciated. What I want to try and avoid is damaging anything
else whilst
> trying to fix this problem.
>
> Many thanks
>
> Chris Rose
> 1963 MGB Roadster
>
>
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