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Does anyone have any advice on how to remove this stripped aluminum bolt?
I can't find a socket that will fit, an E8 torx is the correct socket for this bolt but that is too big now. Have tried various smaller torx and hex sockets, nothing fits once torque is applied to the wrench, the socket easily slips off.
It's fastening the ignition coil for cylinder #8 on my M157, right at the very back close to the firewall, so I can't really 'push' against the socket to get any purchase.
I don't care about damaging the bolt or coil, they'll be replaced.
The bolt extractor is your best bet. They're designed to bite/grip increasingly with increasing ccw torque. Pliers or visegrips can sometimes work, but usually damage the bolt and lessen the efficacy of a bolt extractor.
Yup, bolt extractor looks like the only way to go here as too much metal is missing. The sharp teeth will dig in, create their own connection and give you a good grip. Might be a good idea to review the tool that did this to determine if it is worn out and should be discarded (or at least put in a dark space in the tool box for those "special" uses where you don't care about whether it survives).
Just an afterthought, have you considered using those sacrificial pigtails on your coils' wiring harnesses that help stop oil wicking into your ignition wiring harness and destroying other $tuff? A cheap method of protection in case there's an oil leak or seepage.
Yup, bolt extractor looks like the only way to go here as too much metal is missing. The sharp teeth will dig in, create their own connection and give you a good grip. Might be a good idea to review the tool that did this to determine if it is worn out and should be discarded (or at least put in a dark space in the tool box for those "special" uses where you don't care about whether it survives).
Just an afterthought, have you considered using those sacrificial pigtails on your coils' wiring harnesses that help stop oil wicking into your ignition wiring harness and destroying other $tuff? A cheap method of protection in case there's an oil leak or seepage.
Thanks, good idea about the pigtails, I have them on my cam magnets. Not sure pigtails would fit nicely under the foam insulation that sits on top of the injectors/coils though. There was no sign of oil contamination in the coil connectors I checked.
So, about the bolt extractors, the set I bought only went as low as 8mm, that's too big for an E8 bolt. Think a 6mm bolt extractor will work. Will report back.
06-18-2024, 04:03 AM
