ToolmanJohn
New member
So I replaced the serpentine accessory belt and the #1 lower idler pulley last weekend (EASY JOB with one person beneath the car and another above.)
But in order to gain access from underneath the front skid plate must be removed . First 8mm bolt, SNAP, breaks off under the head. Rusted in place apparently. The other three were stubborn. So I replaced all 4 bolts with new ones (used anti-seize when installing) , chased the threaded holes with a 8mm x 1.25 tap.
For the broken bolt, I drilled it out using a ReCoil 8mm kit, and installed a ReCoil insert . What a huge time saver. The kit was $26, and comes with a half dozen inserts. Only annoyance was having to jack the front end up high enough to use my cordless drill under the front end.
It's amazing how a 30 minute job turns into a 2 hour job sometimes...sigh....
But in order to gain access from underneath the front skid plate must be removed . First 8mm bolt, SNAP, breaks off under the head. Rusted in place apparently. The other three were stubborn. So I replaced all 4 bolts with new ones (used anti-seize when installing) , chased the threaded holes with a 8mm x 1.25 tap.
For the broken bolt, I drilled it out using a ReCoil 8mm kit, and installed a ReCoil insert . What a huge time saver. The kit was $26, and comes with a half dozen inserts. Only annoyance was having to jack the front end up high enough to use my cordless drill under the front end.
It's amazing how a 30 minute job turns into a 2 hour job sometimes...sigh....
