Did you chase your threads before trying to install the bolt? If the threads are really chewed up you can probably get away with a heli-coil.

No dirt, clean as a whistle after running the tap through to make sure they were ok, then spraying with liberal amounts of carb cleaner, letting that dry up overnight and running a lint free swab through to make sure. It felt almost like something compressed in a little bit so the pressure let off the wrench for about one complete turn, then started getting hard to pull again but I have not reached the 135 set on the wrench so I don't know what that could be. It certainly unnerved me though.



Yes. I know about Helicoils, someone else said I can't use them, plus I don't have a drill that would fit up in there and still be precise enough.

did it start to compress that washer yet? I wouldn't be too worried unless your tight against the crank and its still spinning. I would also suspect the pulley wasn't flush against the crank and the bolt is drawing it down.

That does not sound good.

Can you use a longer bolt to engage more threads?

Preload is everything. If the bolt does not holed the pulley on with enough tension it will try and move on the crank. This beats up the key and will loosen the bolt.

When a fastener has enough preload the friction forces on the pulley will always be higher than the engines vibration forces.

Try and use a longer shank bolt. I know that might mean going to an early design. I don't think these problems are so much a bolt problem as they are a preload problem. As long as you can get the bolt to the new torque level you will be fine.

Also loctite will change the friction of the bolt and affect the preload level. Do the torque instruction specify lightly oiled threads on the bolt?

Kevin

I don't really know how to tell if the washer was compressed or not. I went back out and the cycle happened again (some resistance gone, then hard to pull again). Fortunately the tension got to the point where I was having to work very hard, but my torque wench still hasn't tripped....



Kevin, that's my concern too. Longer bolt... well there is only an additional 8mm at the back of the hole and all the bolts I can find are 50 (like the OEM bolt) or 60mm. Yes I could grind it down a bit, but then there is the fact that it is an M14 with a fine thread and nobody has an M14, grade 8, with a fine thread. I looked everywhere. At this point I am willing to bet that I am not over 110ft-lbs, but I am afraid to try to go higher. Some say use a Helicoil or two, others say I can't, it would be a bad idea. I need it done like today, but man, what a terrible set of circumstances.

There is no reason that a thread insert wont work if you can get it in there. I have one in the block of my 2.6 engine and it's held up fine for nine years. It's on one of the head bolts.

Before removing any metal I would strongly suggest talking to the place you bought the vehicle from. Explain what happened and see what they say.

Looks like Toasty is 45 minutes from you. I'd see if you can't haggle some of his time. He's worked on pretty much all flavors of Monteros at this point.

I might look into having Toasty's help. As of right now, I got it back together with red thread locker from Permatex. To be completely honest, I do not know if I got it to the full 135 or not as I went through several softening cycles, then got to a point that SORT of felt like my torque wrench's trip point but my arms were numb and I can't be sure. I let it sit for a couple of hours for the thread lock to set, and just now started it and drove it around the block before putting it in the garage (it's been in the street the last two days). Everything seemed OK I think. By that I mean I felt a slight vibration at idle, and there seemed to be a lot of noise from the belts but at the moment I have no idea if there really is any more than before. It's equally possible that I am being overly critical because it's made me paranoid. I certainly would have been happier if it would have gotten tighter and tighter with no shifts at all until my wrench said I was good or I could pull no more. I am going to check tension a little later when it cools down again though. Maybe make a pros and cons list of getting someone to help me do an insert anyway just for more peace of mind.

Uh oh, I hate to have just thought of this now, but what's the status on the crank oil seal? If you used threadlocker red, my understanding is it will take a good bit of heat to break it loose next time. It would be a drag to have the seal go before you need to do the next t-belt.

Apparently there are two different reds. One does take a bunch of heat to release, the other has the same heat rating as the blue (300 I believe). I have the lower temp one in there. As for the seal, it was replaced when the bolt broke last month so it should be good for some time. As for the T-belt, I have been planning on doing it some time this year and I accept that it might be a struggle to get the bolt back out when I am ready to do the t-belt, but frankly at this point I am more worried about the bolt backing out again and ruining a trip than I am about getting the bolt out when I am ready to have the truck down for a few days. Time will tell though. When I do go for the t-belt, I am pretty sure I will do a helicoil (or 2) as well. Does it suck to go through all of it? Sure, but sometimes that's life.