Broken Bolt on thermostat housing..Please Help

[4bangin318is]

I picked up my gasket and thermostat today and went to put everything on

I had everything on and tight...Bled my system and started the car..This is when things went bad.

I noticed a leak comming from the bottom left bolt of the thermostat housing, so I went to tighten it just a smidge more and SNAP. Everyone knows that feeling right after you break a bolt and you are too scared to pull the socket wrench off.

My question is if I already had the bolt that tight why would it have been leaking coolant from it. I have the O-ring on the back of the thermostat, new gasket, clean surface on housing and head.

Any input and suggestions on the easist way to get it out and why it was leaking would be appreciated. I have a 95 318is with an m44..

Thanks

[sunbrn]

Maybe the gasket shifted and caused the leak.
Were both bolts the same size? Maybe they got swapped and one bottomed out.
Maybe the o-ring got pinched.

[328icod]

Something went wrong with your installation. Remove the other bolts, and...

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...f87efc6f926f13

[4bangin318is]

all bolts are the same size..I just pulled it off and the gasket did tear but on the opposite top side..would that cause it?

[WindyDays]

did you use a torque wrench?

[4bangin318is]

No I didnt use a torque..I know I should have..But I cant do anything about that now..I will when I put it back on..

I looked at the extracter kit and my only problem is fitting a drill in the area..Anyone know how to over come that issue?

[slocar]

Take the fan and shroud off? You should have plenty of room to fit whatever tool in there.

btw, Your leak wasn't due to the bolt not being tight enough ... it rarely is. The most common cause of leaks is the mating surfaces not being clean enough and having bits of old gasket on there preventing a good seal.

[sunbrn]

I looked at the extracter kit and my only problem is fitting a drill in the area..Anyone know how to over come that issue?

90 deg type drill possibly.

[bmwtuner325is]

do you know its broken off flush with the head? if you just put it in it shouldnt be siezed up....if theres a shaft left after you take the housing off just grab it with a vise grips and turn it out

[4bangin318is]

Sweet thanx I didnt want to take the fan and shroud off but I would rather get it done right than have to fight with it.

@sunbrn I have heard of the 90 degree but I have personally never even seen one. I worked construction for a couple years and heard of it...just never seen one.

do you know its broken off flush with the head? if you just put it in it shouldnt be siezed up....if theres a shaft left after you take the housing off just grab it with a vise grips and turn it out

Yea it broke flush with the head..but visegrips would of been my first try if it didnt..thanx though

[NCbimmerman]

Listen to BMWtuner--remove all the bolts and take the housing off. You may have enough of the bolt left to grab with vise grips to screw it out.

[sunbrn]

@sunbrn I have heard of the 90 degree but I have personally never even seen one. I worked construction for a couple years and heard of it...just never seen one.

Most places sell them now. Little more than regular drills though.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10...rd=angle+drill

[4bangin318is]

Most places sell them now. Little more than regular drills though.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10...rd=angle+drill

nice heads up turns out im going to sears tomorrow.

My last thought about the leak...Is it possible to over torque the bolt so much that it cracked the head where the bolt was?

[BradR127]

Something went wrong with your installation. Remove the other bolts, and...

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...f87efc6f926f13

and then...

[ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=torque+wrench"]http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=torque+wrench[/ame]

[slocar]

nice heads up turns out im going to sears tomorrow.

My last thought about the leak...Is it possible to over torque the bolt so much that it cracked the head where the bolt was?

As small as those bolts are, and the fact the bolt itself snapped, I'd say the head is fine ... I mean head bolts that secure the head to the block are torqued significantly more and they don't crack that same head.

[paniolo]

nice heads up turns out im going to sears tomorrow.

My last thought about the leak...Is it possible to over torque the bolt so much that it cracked the head where the bolt was?

No way that did any damage to the head. As said, 90% of the time when you pull the part off there will be enough of a stub that you can grab and turn out easily. If it's no part of the gasket surface you can also use a dremel/ die grinder with a cut off wheel to put a little groove in the end of the stub. Even if flush to head you can do it and a little marring of the head surface is nothing, it will be hidden when everything is bolted back on anyways. Then just use a screwdriver to get it out.

[richardodn]

The leak may also have been due to a the bolt already having failed. When you went to tighten it a bit more you just finished the job.

[BSloss13]

Did you install the thermostat backwards? When I was a bit more of a noob I did this and broke the same exact bolt, I got the bolt out but the threading in the head was stripped.... I was shit out of luck on that one

[EuroSportChi69]

Listen to BMWtuner--remove all the bolts and take the housing off. You may have enough of the bolt left to grab with vise grips to screw it out.

This is the best way


Also as someone mentioned it earlier; Make sure the surface is clean enough, that is probably what caused the leak or it was improperly put on.