I was closing up my thermostat housing cover on the top of my water riser on a SBC. Seems like I stripped one of the threads for the 3/8 x 16 bolt that holds the housing/riser down to the manifold.

Any ideas short of replacing the manifold?

What can you do with aluminum at this point?

Can I try a 3/8 x 20 and see if I can get it to catch (once, I know once I remove that bolt, if it works in the first place, I'll be screwed again) with some threadlock and buy some time until I can do something more legit?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. The boat is in the water, and I don't have time to do an intake manifold replacement this week, but I do need to show the boat to a buyer. If he's interested, I won't hide the problem, but I don't want it leaking at the time, either. I'm not going to scam anybody.

I would like to get it tight enough that it can be dealt with in the fall if possible. I had a similar situation once with a cast iron intake, but that was iron.

Thanks for any suggestions. Replacing the whole manifold wouldn't cost very much, but it's a time issue this week. Plus, I hate to expose the lifter "valley" with water in the block. I guess I can drain the block into the bilge, but still.

you can probably put a heli coil in it. Simple and easy

Ditto on the HeliCoil. They are available in every thread size, SAE and metric. Look for a kit in that size at your better hardware store or machine shop suppiers.
Jim

A heli coil would be my choice also. short of getting it tigged and retaped.

I had to helicoil a stripped spark plug hole on an aluminum head. Worked great.

Thanks guys.

I was aware of heli coils, but hadn't used one, and for some reason I was thinking that the aluminum would be an issue. I guess the softer aluminum must lend itself to the process, rather than hurt.

I used too hard of a bolt because it was the right size. Then I fell victim to "just a little tighter" (which I know better, and have a torque wrench).

I found a local friend with a helicoil kit. He might be able to stop out today.

Thanks again you guys.
And for jumping in so quick. It was bothering me, now I can move on.

Heli-coil is a great upgrade anywhere you do a lot of installing and removing of bolts in aluminum. Do yourself a favor and do them BOTH now. --- jp

IMO,

Edelbrock has changed their material spec recently on some things i think... i've owned countless edelbrock intakes that span many years of production and the last couple of new ones i've seen might as well be pot metal... brand new rpm airgap and tightening the carb down i pulled 2 studs right out... and yes i am well versed in tightening fasteners in aluminum... i've seen this occur on a couple of other newer intakes also... this stuff is SOFT...

i just removed the intake from the motor and jigged it up in the drill press and opened the holes and retapped to take a thread insert... i prefer them over helicoils... no special taps or tools required... they are soild with a standard external thread which you drill and tap the hole for. come with a dry loctite but i add a drop of 262 anyway... screw in with a screwdriver and let the loctite cure and away you go... anymore with any machinery i design as well as most of my aluminum engine parts i just do thread inserts on anything that will be repeatably disassembled... you can get them easily from mcmaster-carr and msc.

jaroot--Interesting observations. No experience here with Edelbrock. Most of the aluminum stuff from GM is 356 alloy with a T6 heat treat. Usually holds up pretty well---for aluminum!--Lou

Hi Lou. It's been a while. Just figured out who Lmarth was. How's the monster running? And yes, there are better thread inserts than Heli-coil but they are still the easiest "quick fix" if you don't want to take it all apart and set it up in your home machine shop. (assuming you have one) 356 - T-6 heat treated is great but not all aftermarket Au. is cast equal. --- jp