You guys were right about the ease of the install of the 160 stat, assuming I put it in correctly (I don't have to tighten the actual stat back in right?). Putting it back in was going well too until I had to put the 2nd bolt in. The 1st one went in fine but the 2nd one was giving me resistance. I have very few tools and was using a small POS Black and Decker 1/2 screwdriver, 1/2 socket wrench type of thing. The bolt was going in fine too as mentioned, just a little difficult. All of a sudden pop, and that was that. Here are the pictures of my problem. I basically want to know either how do I get it out? Or, is the bolt in far enough for it to be safe? I had this kind of thing happen to a computer screw once and I bought a little kit that I drilled a hole through the center of the screw and it came out. Me, a drill, anywhere near the engine is not a good idea . Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pic 1:

Pic 2:

Pic 3:

Pic 4:

Pic 5:


EDIT: Great now the image coding isn't working either . Just click them please.

 

take the other one back out and get some vise grips and clamp down good on them and try backing it out if not you will have to drill and tap it.

 

That definately needs to be fixed. The simplest way would be to take the first bolt out and get that water neck back off. Then use pliers or vice grips or something to grab that broken bolt and see if you can get a grip on that bolt and unthread it. Hopefully its not too tight and you can unscrew it with pliers. Otherwise, you could drill it out like you were saying. Hopefully it will release the pressure and you can get it out, but you might have to drill into the threads of the hole. In which case you'd have to re-tap the hole. Otherwise, you could try cutting/grinding the top of the bolt into a square so you could get a grip on it. If you do any cutting/grinding/drilling, be sure to cover your throttle body and t-stat and everything else with a rag. HTH, maybe someone will have some better ideas.

ps. those are some nice pics, must be a really good camera

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm going to give it a whirl. Feel free to post any other ideas. Thanks about the comment about the camera, I'm a computer nerd....building computers is my thing, not cars it's an Olympus C-4000. If I F#@! this up, and drilling is involved beer and lunch is on me for whoever feels they can take this out

 

Bypass your TB while your in there TB Bypass and dont thank me thank Shoebox for putting all the info together

 

A internet car buddy of mine just had an idea. Do you guys know if the bolts are the same length? My dumbass didn't even bother looking. His thinking is that maybe I put the wrong bolts in the wrong holes...any input?

 

They are the same

 

I tried getting it off with vice grips and pliers, the thing isn't moving. Also there were a little bit of metal fragments that were on the base of the stat. It could be either from me wripping the thread putting the bolt in or from me taking the cover of the stat out just now. Either way, the bolt isn't moving. I would get a grip with the vice grips and from what I could tell all I was doing was making them spin. What now?

 

clamp it harder untill it wont spin I mean tight ...

 

What I would (and Have) done is to weld a nut to the top of the broken bolt and then unscrew it!! if you are good, Or know someone who is have them mig a nut through the hole to the top of the bolt and then take it out!

Also Make sure you take the neak off first!! and the bolt looks like it's not in very far,m you may be able to save the threads by retapping it

 

get some PB blaster and soak the broken bolt for a few minutes and try the vice grips again.

 

I was asked to take some pics of teh bolt with the vice grips. Here they are if this is of any help:

Pic 1:
http://www.dakology.com/images/vice%20grip%201.JPG

Pic 2:
http://www.dakology.com/images/vice%20grip%202.JPG

Pic 3:
http://www.dakology.com/images/vice%20grip%203.JPG

 

you need to get it horzontal . it will just twist the vise grips off like that. take out the thermo too to make for more turning room

 

DUDE!!!don't f*ck up those threads with vice grips!!! just take two nuts thread one on and then another tighten them together and then wrench the bootom nu off and bolt should come out!!!!!

 

Oh yeah, what he said. Good idea. I should have thought of that. Do that for sure if you can!