vs_wagon
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2006
- Messages
- 65
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 42
- Members Ride
- VS Acclaim V6 Wagon and VT Exec V6 Wagon
I thought I'd share this little experience I had not long ago when attempting to replace the thermostat in my VS V6.
One of the bolts (size M8) snapped off when trying to undo it. After a few hours of trying to extract the half that remained (unsuccessfully... I even managed to 'weld' a drill bit into the bolt) I decided to change my plan of attack…
The result:
I drilled and tapped the new M5 holes either side of the original, which I ground down to be flush with the surface. I filled in the hole in the thermostat housing with metal putty (looks like a stick of liquorice) and have used fibre washers with the M5s to help seal the holes. This has been performing perfectly fine for 18 months now.
Lesson 1 – make sure the bolts are cold when you try to remove them, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to spray some WD40 on it the night before.
Lesson 2 – replace your original bolts next time you change the thermostat, they are M8 x 25mm.
One of the bolts (size M8) snapped off when trying to undo it. After a few hours of trying to extract the half that remained (unsuccessfully... I even managed to 'weld' a drill bit into the bolt) I decided to change my plan of attack…
The result:
I drilled and tapped the new M5 holes either side of the original, which I ground down to be flush with the surface. I filled in the hole in the thermostat housing with metal putty (looks like a stick of liquorice) and have used fibre washers with the M5s to help seal the holes. This has been performing perfectly fine for 18 months now.
Lesson 1 – make sure the bolts are cold when you try to remove them, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to spray some WD40 on it the night before.
Lesson 2 – replace your original bolts next time you change the thermostat, they are M8 x 25mm.
Last edited: