|
ok, we were replacing the thermostat and upon re tghtening the top bolt , snap. I had broke the screw and the end fell off. Does anyone know if the entire housing can come off , it has 3 screw or bolt heads that look like this holds it onto the full engine , feel well shockin wasnt even my car , weird thing is it didnt feel tight when it happend
|
|
Yes you can remove it ,invest in a torque wrench well worth the money.
|
|
|
weird thing is it didnt feel tight when it happend
You can't go by feel unless you're a very experienced fitter/technician. I agree with Andy Bairsto ~ get a torque wrench to avoid future occurrences in the future.
--
L'escargot.
|
A torque wrench might not have helped here; thermostat cover bolts are very prone to corrosion which weakens them. They occupy the hottest part of the water system and are often zinc plated bolts in an aluminium head - a sure recipe for bimetallic corrosion. Studs were generally a better bet as you could sacrifice the cover if corrosion set in, but bolts are now used to reduce cost. I hope you managed to extract the broken piece.
659.
|
Torque wrenches are Ok. They've been around for years, but they only prevent over or under tightening. And they only do that when conditions are ideal.
In the real world, where mating surfaces are distorted, threads damaged, and old parts re-used they are next to useless.
|
|
I always find a smear of copper grease is worthwhile on exhaust, suspension and cooling system fasteners, as well as spark plug threads. With Japanese engines being so oil-tight, corrosion as mentioned between zinc-plated bolts and aluminium alloy housings can be a problem.
|
|
OOPS. I shouldn't have said Japanese engines, I meant to say Modern engines...
|
|
|
|
