Broke tensioner bolt off in block

[kev]

Well, I suppose it was better to have broke it while wrenching than to have broken it while driving....but still annoying...

Anybody have a good way to get this out? Also, where can I get a new bolt like this?

Thanks

[narfire]

I'm a fan of the welded nut trick. However not sure about the tight confines you have there.

[majicwrench]

Was it crossthreaded or just overtightened?? If just overtightened, get a dremel with a little cutoff wheel and cut a groove in bolt, then unscrew it. Or if it has a raised area, see if you can put a screwdriver/punch against it and get it to turn, might have to tap screwdriver w hammer.

[kev]

Over tightened, but i think the bolt was flawed or something. I was replacing the timing belt and had the torque wrench on it set to 31 lbs and it hadn't hit 31 when it broke.
I will try the dremel tomorrow.

[majicwrench]

It will likely come right out then. Let us know.

[SoFlaFiat]

Good luck Kev!
And just in case... double check that your torque wrench is good.

[aj81spider]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you check that your torque wrench is calibrated (short of finding a calibration shop who will do a single wrench for a reasonable price)?

[kev]

Not sure how to check if its torquing correctly. Mine is pretty new and I just used it on my subaru and it seemed to work when I had it set to 37lbs for that.

[garion]

I'm having flashbacks! I broke that same bolt.. Here's my original thread for reference....

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20677

[vandor]

> I was replacing the timing belt and had the torque wrench on it set to 31 lbs and it hadn't hit 31 when it broke.

That's a 8mm bolt, those usually get tightened to 14-16 ft-lb. I think you know why it broke...

No idea why people want to use a torque wrench on bolts that small. A hand and common sense would work just as well.
Use a torque wrench on large bolts, where one does not get a very good sense of how 'very tight' it has to be, or on critical bolts like head bolts, main bearing caps and rod nuts.

[kev]

It was a 13 mm bolt and I was just following the directions in my Clymers fiat shop manual. It specifically says "tighten the tensioner bracket bolt...to 31 Lbs"

[SoFlaFiat]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you check that your torque wrench is calibrated (short of finding a calibration shop who will do a single wrench for a reasonable price)?

There are ways to check at home, without the expense of sending it out.
Master mechanics recommend verifying once a year. If you drop your torque wrench, definitely check it.
That said, if you have two, check them against each other regularly...

http://youtu.be/wIkg94hDswY

[lanciahf]

It was a 13 mm bolt and I was just following the directions in my Clymers fiat shop manual. It specifically says "tighten the tensioner bracket bolt...to 31 Lbs"

That is the 17mm nut holding on the bearing not the 13mm bolt.

[fiatfactory]

.

[kev]

No, its not the nut holding on the bearing, and that is an 18 mm nut btw.

Here is the picture of my manual showing exactly what I did and the bolt I was tightening and the bolt is circled in figure #48............just to clarify things.