First disaster - snapped hood bolt

[Anthony 05 GT]

Easy? That's my line, I get your point though. Maybe he should get a half decent tech to come over and do it for him. It should be worth it for about $100 and I know it will work if done correctly.

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[control4userguy]

^Again, I don't think it's in the cards. Trying to be nice here...

 

[Anthony 05 GT]

Maybe not. If he lived near my shop I'd hook him up for a good bottle of bourbon.

 

[michail71]

Maybe not. If he lived near my shop I'd hook him up for a good bottle of bourbon.

Hmm, a drive up to Maryland!

I wound up going to about 6 shops total. I just said drill it out and JBWeld in a new stud. I'm even winning to pay and not complain it it fails. Even if that failed it wouldn't be any worse off.

If I didn't need to take the hood off I'd try myself but I don't have a good place to do that.

I've gotten PMs on here from people that have said the above fix did it for them.

I could probably go down to Hialeah and find a Cuban shop.

 

[Anthony 05 GT]

Just keep talking to people. You'll find a decent mechanic to take this on.

 

[michail71]

I know I won't fail in Hialeah. Anyone in South Florida would know, lol.

I have a few neighbors too that could help but we don't have a good workspace around here.

 

[carguy231]

I see more people strip bolts with torque wrenches than just using hand tools.

That isn't critical like head bolts or similar. Just snug it down with some blue loc-tite and your good.

I didn't even bother with locktite. I'll check them every so often, but have never had a problem with the supports on my 05, and they've been on practically since new.

 

[drewzh]

I wish I spotted this thread earlier. Exactly the same kit, exactly the same torque set on my (brand new wrench).... exactly the same outcome. Stud has snapped on the top right (UK RHD passenger side). Really really pissed off :( I literally just picked the car up a few days ago :(

Just to clarify... the fix is to remove the sheared stud and then cold-weld a new stud in? The stud, for me, sheared just under the bolt.

What a crappy design!

 

[Cobra Jet]

I’m going to say it again, torquing that stud nut to “ft lbs” seems excessive...

 

[Norm Peterson]

It's a good enough design for the job Ford intended them to do. Just maybe there wasn't enough margin built into it for the average DIY'er to work with at a later date. It's possible that these small bolts are inadvertently being placed in bending as well as torsion during both the loosening/removal and installing/tightening phases of this task.


Norm

 

[drewzh]

I just spoke with a friend of mine who owns a welding/metal working business and he believes the best fix is to drill the stud out and insert a press fit threaded insert like the following...

Would you guys potentially recommend away from this approach? Is cold weld a better solution? He didn't seem to like that idea and said it wouldn't be very durable.

He hasn't actually seen the issue yet, I've just described it to him. I'm taking it down tomorrow for him to take a look.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I’m going to say it again, torquing that stud nut to “ft lbs” seems excessive...

It's pretty little ft*lbs, though.

Me, I'd be getting out the 250 in*lb torque wrench.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

If it was my car I'd botched up then I would drill a little 3mm hole in the existing bolt, tap it, and fit a nice 3mm but long hardened bolt with some locktite. Then trim the bolt head off with a bolt cutter (one that keeps the thread intact, attach before screwing in). A big washer, a little washer, a 3mm nut and the job is done. It might even be stronger than the feeble bolts Ford use.

3mm is about the same size as the tiny little screws for things like rifle scopes, and they only get inch*lb torque (and not very many, either).

The tap drill size for 3mm x 0.5 thread is 2.50mm. Tap sizes that small are awfully easy to break, which would leave you even worse off because then you'd have a chunk of metal stuck in the hole that's harder than a drill bit.


Norm

 

[michail71]

I wish I spotted this thread earlier. Exactly the same kit, exactly the same torque set on my (brand new wrench).... exactly the same outcome. Stud has snapped on the top right (UK RHD passenger side). Really really pissed off :( I literally just picked the car up a few days ago :(

Just to clarify... the fix is to remove the sheared stud and then cold-weld a new stud in? The stud, for me, sheared just under the bolt.

What a crappy design!

Aw man, sorry about that! It sucks. I've found the hood to still be stable. I just can't put the strut kit on which is what is bothering me the most.

Are you going to try the fix yourself or find someone to do it?

 

[drewzh]

Aw man, sorry about that! It sucks. I've found the hood to still be stable. I just can't put the strut kit on which is what is bothering me the most.

Are you going to try the fix yourself or find someone to do it?

I spoke to a friend who has a welding shop and he's going to take a look at it tomorrow. I think he's thinking of press fitting a pre tapped steel sleeve, after removing the existing stud. He said metal epoxy wouldn't be a great solution. He may change his mind after he insepects it, who knows. He said he'll charge me £30 give or take.

I wonder how the carbon fibre hoods come prepared... Like, do they have pre-attached threaded studs generally? Though I think it's a little too early to think about replacing the hood, it could be an option in future.

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