Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Jan Suhr on 23 September 2019, 19:19:45

Title: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Jan Suhr on 23 September 2019, 19:19:45
I was going to change the thermostat and found out that my cam belt was worn, see other thread here. http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=145621.0

It was a real hassle to get that "Bastard bolt" out and then the transfer pipe. But eventually I got everything apart.

But today it was reversing everything and put it back together.

I skipped the engine lift mount to make it easier to put it back, I made a 4mm spacer to fill the gap of the lift mount. I thought that would make it easier, but hell no. The oil stick wouldn't cooperate and was off no matter what I did. And it also seemed that the hole in the transfer pipe was off too. Maybe something with the new thermostat that made it align wrong. So I had to enlarge the hole and cut the oilstick bracket for more room for the bolt. That made it hook up in the right place and the "Bastard bolt" could finally go back in its hole and tighten up properly. Damn it took almost two hours!!
Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 23 September 2019, 19:26:10
That suggests the transfer pipe wasn't quite square.

Easiest to get all the bolts loosely located before sequentially tightening everything a bit at a time :y

Quite easy to crack the aluminium parts if you try and force them...
Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Jan Suhr on 23 September 2019, 20:02:44
Yeah, I did tighten up the thermostat housing. Never thought about loosening it, would probably made things easier... But that dipstick pipe bracket was off as well.

Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 23 September 2019, 20:07:34
It's one of those jobs where a bit of wiggle room really makes it easier ;)
Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: amba on 23 September 2019, 22:18:31
I found the easiest way was to run a 12mm hss drill bit through the lifting bracket hole,that allows much more wiggle room but still retains the correct thickness of parts when tightening it all up.The likelihood of ever using the lifting bracket on a 16 year old 200k car is not going to happen so abit of movement wont hurt.

With the extra hoe clearance it tends to align and go back together much easier  :y
Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Nick W on 24 September 2019, 11:53:44
Turning the first couple of threads on the bolt down to the minor diameter makes fitting it a lot easier. Takes seconds in the lathe, a bit longer with a file.
Title: Re: Changing V6 thermostat and that damn bastard bolt
Post by: Andy B on 24 September 2019, 14:11:08
Turning the first couple of threads on the bolt down to the minor diameter makes fitting it a lot easier. Takes seconds in the lathe, a bit longer with a file.

core dia  ;)

A lot of screws on my Cortina years ago were like that.  :)