**White Flag Time?** 4.8 Oil Thermostat E-Torx Mistake

[zinnoE28]

I made a mistake, and I think my story w the X5 is about to end just as it was getting interesting.

I'm stuck in the middle of a valve cover/timing cover/coolant thermostat gasket job. If you can help me, then you know what I'm about to say. It's the lower, inner bolt. It's stripped. I didn't ignore the warnings in the forum posts I printed out to guide me....but I suppose the ease in which I got those first two bolts out gave me false confidence. Anyway, it's stripped right and good. I've attempted some bolt extractors coming in from the wheel well and I just can't get anything to grip it. One post somewhere mentioned the importance of using a 1/4' E10 and not trying w a 3/8. I wish I'd listened to that. Oh well.

I'd love any thoughts. I put a torch on it for a few minutes, but it hardly got hot at all. I'm guessing the material the block is constructed with just 'ate' the heat. I've hit the bolt w a hammer (via extensions through the wheel well) and I've used more PB blaster than ever before. I cannot get my Dremel to use as a cutting wheel. I'm about to truly wave the white flag and begin parting it out....or more likely just calling Pull a Part to tow it. I have $2k into this car all-in-all and while I love it way more than I thought I would - and it has a fun story - I've got other projects, and this has been in the garage too long.

Any thoughts? The only thing I can even think of is trying to use a drill-bit bolt-extractor...but I'lll have to get creative w how I do that. I don't believe there's enough room accessing above the head for a 90-degree drill adaptor...but perhaps I try anyway? I also haven't pulled off the power steering pump. Maybe if I did I could get a better angle with some pliers? I think that's probably not the case....but again, am open to interesting ideas. One thing I'm not in a position to do is yank out the entire motor. At least....I don't think I am. That's beyond anything I've done before.

I'm open to anything at this point. While I'm not against trying to finish the valve/timing cover job, putting the two E-Torx bolts back on and taking it to a shop....I found no shop wanting to work on it BEFORE I stripped the bolt. Also, I'm unsure it's worth putting money into. Beyond the oil leaks, it also needs the battery issue figured out, the transmission needs the solenoids/fluid job done and even then it may have other issues. When I bought it, as much as anything I wanted to know if I liked the idea of an X5 - and the answer is yes. I'll be looking for another E70 almost right away. This one is fully loaded so I may just strip the interior (it has the best seats and the dark headliner) and look for a 35d. But I'd like to know I tried everything I could on this one before moving on.

So that's that. Would love any thoughts, advice or whatever. Also ready for anyone to poke fun at me. I mean....I can't believe I did this. Unbelievably I have two BMW V8's right now (a 540iT E39 manual swap as well) and I've decided I need to stick to the classic straights or snag that diesel when I have the itch for something different.

Anyway, I hate that this is my first post. I hope it's not my last, lolz.

[andrewwynn]

A stripped Etorx can usually be resolved with a slightly smaller spline socket. Or a rounded bolt removing socket.

I have both and some non stripped e10 I can get an idea of the exact size you need.

Hammering the too small socket on it helps break it free.

[ard]

Im not familiar with that motor, so..grain of salt here




Can you get a wirefeed welder in and weld a torx but right onto the head?


sand/grind to get fresh metal, weld the sucker on.


Keep the ground clamp close to avoid currents into the motor electronics.


A last resort, IMO

[zinnoE28]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

A stripped Etorx can usually be resolved with a slightly smaller spline socket. Or a rounded bolt removing socket.

I have both and some non stripped e10 I can get an idea of the exact size you need.

Hammering the too small socket on it helps break it free.

Good Morning andrewwynn - interesting suggestion on the spline sockets. I don't have any - and thus haven't tried this idea yet.

I've been using this set: https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-M...ACT5/300703144

Due to the access issues; it's been difficult to hammer the socket onto the bolt head. There's no real visibility either, so I cannot tell if I'm at a bad angle, or what is keeping the socket from getting fully engaged. If you're familiar with the engine, I'm attacking the bolt from the wheel-well using a combination of socket extensions (the wheel and liner have been removed).

Originally Posted by ard

Im not familiar with that motor, so..grain of salt here


Can you get a wirefeed welder in and weld a torx but right onto the head?

sand/grind to get fresh metal, weld the sucker on.

Keep the ground clamp close to avoid currents into the motor electronics.

A last resort, IMO

Good Morning ard - Great suggestion, but I don't believe there's enough access to be able to do this safely. That said....I have a friend who is a more experienced 'novice' welder than I am and I may engage him to see if he's feeling brave enough to give it a shot.

==

I'll look for some spline socket today and may also look to find something more solid than my socket extensions to try and hammer that extraction socket onto what remains of that bolt.

[andrewwynn]

Photo of the situation could be helpful. I have the same motor but I'm betting I can't see the bolt to compare without taking things apart.

The go-to method to extract a smaller bolt like this when you can't get a bolt extraction socket on it is to cut a slot and use Impact but of course caution is in order because you will weaken the head.

That said if you cut or break the head off you can remove bthe part and have lot of fresh bolt to attack with penetrant and vice grips.

[andrewwynn]

I recently stripped an E12 and was able to hammer an E10 onto the head. Ended up twisting the head off and drilling out the bolt but clearly the head was grabbed well enough.

Do you have side access where you can cold chisel an edge to try to turn the bolt? Not a very big bolt if it's not fused the torque should be under 40 ft·lb may likely be able to chisel turn it out

[zinnoE28]

After a break for the holiday; I gave it a few more attempts today. Was able to get a socket hammered on better than before....but ended up only mutilating things more. Got my endoscope in there to snag a few pics. The damage is impressive, lolz.







At this point I'm going to grab a cold chisel and try to spin it per your suggestion Andrew. Can't hurt to try! If I can't spin it, then I'll try and shear it off and hope I can get some pliers in there to spin the screw shaft more easily than my attempts to do the same with what remains of this bolt.

It's not donation material yet, but it's edging closer and closer....

[Zulu95]

Do you think these might help?

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/C...5&ref_=ast_bln

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by zinnoE28

After a break for the holiday; I gave it a few more attempts today. Was able to get a socket hammered on better than before....but ended up only mutilating things more. Got my endoscope in there to snag a few pics. The damage is impressive, lolz.







At this point I'm going to grab a cold chisel and try to spin it per your suggestion Andrew. Can't hurt to try! If I can't spin it, then I'll try and shear it off and hope I can get some pliers in there to spin the screw shaft more easily than my attempts to do the same with what remains of this bolt.

It's not donation material yet, but it's edging closer and closer....

It will take a while but not high effort. If you can't get it to turn you can simply spend 20 minutes slowly chiseling the head completely off.

I suspect you have some galvanic corrosion that's welded the bolt in and you can't get any useful penetrant in there.

If you have a straight shot to the bolt and can use a big extension (1/2" a must) you can use a hammer impact screwdriver with your rounded bolt sockets.

If the socket won't bite with hammer Impact, then next thing I'd try (before chisel the head off) is to make a slot in the head and turn into a flat blade screw.

You can use a chisel or a Sawzall blade (manually with tape wrapped around to make a handle)

You said Dremel won't fit but what about with a right angle adapter?

The fact that the bolt head shows so much wear means the war is already won. You can absolutely cut the head off one way or another so it's only won battles you will surely win the war.

I'm thinking once the part is off you will have a lot more space to work.

Use a file to cut six faces on the bolt shoulder and turn it into a smaller head you can pound a normal 1/4" drive socket. Then with penetrant you turn in first to help work in the penetrant. And like a stuck tap you work left and right more and more until it's free.