Posted by Hillary Smith 10 months ago In:

, ,

Hillary Smith
Hillary Smith Asked:

How to Fix a Stripped Aluminum Bolt Hole?

Bolts are used as fasteners on aluminum machinery in places you will need to access for repairs. Installing a bolt means putting just enough torque on the fastener so that it will hold without leaking or coming loose, but not so much that it strips. aluminium machineryaluminium machineryAluminum is used in machinery because of its light weight and low cost. Unfortunately, aluminum bolt holes are notoriously soft and easy to strip. You can fix a stripped aluminum bolt hole with a double-threaded insert that will allow you to reuse the original bolt.

Liked this question? Tell your friends about it

Answers

Engineer
Engineer Answered:

You have just described the age old solution for heavy handed mechanics: the Heli-coil. 

1.  Drill out the stripped hole being sure to use plenty of tack-3 grease.  Tack-3 has the property that it will catch all the filings caused in the drill-out process.

2.  Tap the hole using the tap called out in the helicoil manufacturer's data, again lubing the hole with tack-3.  It will be the same pitch as the original hole but will be incrementally larger.

3.  Clean the hole again using tack-3 grease and then remove the tack-3 with the provided solvent.  If you run out ordinary kerosene will work.  Vacuum extract all the solvent and filings.

4.  Using a thin layer of aluminum base cement, thread in the helicoil, and allow to set.  Remove the setting tool, snap off the tab on the bottm of the helicoil, and heat to harden the adhesive.  It will form a stiff weld between the helicoil and the base metal.

Trim and return the item to use.

What you thought of yesterday, and did today, will be around tomorrow.
Comments (1) Report

Related Questions

Other people asked questions on similar topics, check out the answers they received:

Destiny123

Asked: Aluminum Wheel Polishing Machines

Whether you are a car enthusiast that just wants to keep your own car or truck looking good or a professional that requires the use of industry-standard aluminum-cleaning tools, making a proper choice ...
MissKaedy

Asked: I need help with these Physics Questions

If you increase the distance between two identical point charges so that the new distance is five times the original distance, what happens to the force between them? It is multiplied by 25 or it is ...
  • Posted 19 days ago
Gene Smolin

Asked: More ado about Light Sabers!

Light Sabers? I must have dumped the usual 150 inane questions from my email that I usually get, and this time, 61 of those questions came from the same person on AOL Answers asking about light ...

More Questions

How to Paint Aluminum Extrusions？

Actually, aluminum that is to be permenently colored and protected rom the elements is usually anodized. Aluminum can also be powder coated, polished, and plated. Auminum can also be Parkerized if you want a flat black finish.

Tips on Aluminum Cutting

Several comments: 1. Not all Aluminum alloys are alike !. 2. Some are easier to machine some are not that easy. 3. But in any case machining Aluminum should not be a problem ! (when doing it properly). 4. It is much harder to machine Titanium alloys...... 5. The secret is: Using ...

My landlord had fixed our floors and now they are ...

If the place is not safe, you can move. Failure to maintain a safe residence is grounds for breaking a lease, but you may need pictures to prove it. It may be allowable to withhold rent until it is fixed, but you need legal advice. In some places you may pay to fix it yourself, and subtract the ...

How to patch a hole in a table cloth

You would most likely turn the tablecloth to the wrong side. Fold it in the center of the hole so that it becomes a small half circle.Start stitching about an inch away from the hole starting from very little fabric across the hole area and past it narrowing the area as you go along... I'm assuming ...

Science & Mathematics

More