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MG MGF Technical - Oil filler bolt - thread stripped?

Hello all,

Deep and soggy sympathy to all those with wet interiors...still trying to rectify my leaks, but in the meantime to other subjects.

I noticed the other day when topping up the oil that the bolt holding the filler to the engine body wouldn't do up. I suspect that the thread has been stripped by over-enthusiatic tightening over the 11 years the car has been alive. I've improvised for the moment with a running cable-tie arrangement, but would like to restore notmal service if possible.

Has anyone dealt with this successfully before?

Thanks

Chaz
C Golvala

Into the block?

The natural fix would be to use a stainless bolt and some lumniweld, but this would require access you don't have in the car, failing that you could glue a stud in the engine and use a nut or tap a larger hole for a new bolt
Will Munns

or the hollow bolt housing to filter?
David Peters

Thanks Will, David.

I can't say that I know what the correct term is for the part of the engine to which the oil filler bracket attaches, but it sure looks like the block to me. This link to Dieter's site

www.mgfcar.de/epc/2477.htm

shows the exploded diagram and I think that the bolt that has failed is the upper left one (as you would feel it if standing with the boot open feeling around the filler.

B&G have recommended something called JB Weld on the basis that access is a pig and I'd be better off basically gluing the bolt back in. Any one used this stuff or similar and could give hints for the mechanically challenged?

Thanks

Chaz
C Golvala

I think that bolt goes into the head

___WARNING___

Lumniweld is not welding, it is soldering. Lumiweld is a metal alloy that adheres to alu but not to stainless, so if you use it you end up with a new thread you can bolt to. Unfortunately lumniweld is used like high temp solder, and really needs a blowtorch and plenty of access (or the head off)

JBWeld is not welding either, JBWeld is GLUE, with a bloody high contact strength and fillin properties (ie the glue can be used to fill cavities unlike say superglue which only works on very close surfaces). If you JBWeld in the bolt you will end up with not being able to separate the oil filler and the head. This means that you wont be able to remove the head from the engine bay if you get a HGF.

If you choose to use JBWeld then take my advice and glue in a stud which you can then use a nut for attaching to.

JBweld is available from Halfords, remove the other bolts holding the top-up canister in and lift it off the filler pipe to get better access to the hole.
Will Munns

I had this happening to my TF 160 recently and here is how I fixed it:

The bolt is attached to the intake plenum. Get a replacement much narrower bolt (5mm) which must also be longer than the original (I think mine was about 4cm long). Get a corresponding nut with one of these rubber or nylon inserts to keep them from coming loose. Also get suitable washers, i.e corresponding 5mm hole but quite wide, like 1 or 1.5 cm.

The difficult bit is then to get the bolt (with one of the washers on) through the hole from behind (i.e. from the front of the car towards the back). If you bought a bolt wich is too long, you won't be able to get it through the hole because the head of the bolt hits the plenum when you try to align it with the hole. I was just lucky that the bolt I had at home was the right length. If you are bying the bolt, maybe get three of three different lengths (like 3cm, 3.5cm and 4cm).

When - after a lot of swearing and bruised knuckles - you get the bolt through, just align the hole of the filler, fit the washer and nut and tighten. You will (JUST) be able to get an open spanner onto the head of the bolt from underneath.

Good luck!

Per

P.S: These instructions apply to cars with the aloy plenum, but I assume a plastic plenum car could be dealt with in much the same way.
Per

This thread was discussed between 12/12/2006 and 15/12/2006

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