Over-torqued the oil pressure switch trying to fix a slight oil leak… I know… real smart mistake. How was I to know to only put 10lbs on a 24mm socket? I even used a 1/2-in drive to f*ck the little weak thread boss real good
:argh:
Is this block f*cked? From the research I’ve done, sounds like ppl have had this happen before. The engine is now out of the car so my plan is to either:
[LIST=1]
heeellp
I’m not sure if #1 will work. Is there enough material to cut off the threads that are there and then tap new ones deeper?
Welding is a possibility and what I’d look at first. But often times people won’t want to mess with welding a block since it’s typically quite low quality aluminum and can be tough to weld. So you’ll need to find someone who knows what they’re doing and who are willing to do it for a decent price. I did a quick search and saw that others had fixed theirs this way.
[QUOTE=Colin;2334332]I’m not sure if #1 will work. Is there enough material to cut off the threads that are there and then tap new ones deeper?
Welding is a possibility and what I’d look at first. But often times people won’t want to mess with welding a block since it’s typically quite low quality aluminum and can be tough to weld. So you’ll need to find someone who knows what they’re doing and who are willing to do it for a decent price. I did a quick search and saw that others had fixed theirs this way.[/QUOTE]
It’s hard to tell how far back that channel goes back into the block, and how much room I have to work with. I will take an awl or pick and probe around to check. If I did #1 my plan would be to make a horizontal cut (at the red line in photo), and a vertical cut down where the yellow line is. Then after drilling and retapping, I could put in a straight (not tapered) bolt with a head on it, maybe even a crush washer to try to make a seal.
Or maybe I could skip all that and just use a hex socket drive set screw and make the seal at the threads only. That way no need to make room for a bolt head. Then I would just have to drill the hole tiny bit bigger and retap straight threads. That idea gives me less heebie-jeebies than the thought of taking a cutoff wheel to my block.
Actually even if I do use a bolt with a head on it, I could still just counter-bore a bigger (but shallower) hole for the head, using the existing hole as a pilot. Screw the cutoff wheel (pun intended).
I’ll be looking for welders next couple days… maybe I’ll run into a machinist or two and hopefully they may have more ideas.
Colin, where did you find posts where people had fixed this, here on g2ic?
I’ve welded up one of those before. They are definitely a bitch! The one I attempted to fix had JB weld in already filled in there and we never got it to stop leaking even after a significant amount of weld deposited.
If I were to do another though (I’d charge a pretty good), and there’d be some things I’d do differently. First, would be to cut the threads off, up at that first break. Second, get a propane torch and very carefully heat the nub to pull the oil out of the aluminum to the surface. Next, drill a hole at the start of the crack. This will relieve the stress from the crack. After that grind most of the outside/face of that nub and length of the crack down with a carbide bit. Make sure to use a carbide bit as anything else will not get it clean enough, and the safest way. Then, wipe the nub down inside and out till there is no dirt left on the rag. Let it dry. Finally, before welding, turn the cleaning action most of the way on your welder and run the TIG torch over the surface a couple of times to pull anymore oil out. If there is some that comes up, grind that down with the carbide again to clean metal/wipe. Then you’re ready to lay the welds down!
Repairing something like this is time consuming, but can be done correctly if due diligence is taken. I wouldn’t touch that while it’s mounted inside a chassis either. No room to work at all. Also, the problem with welding cast aluminum blocks/heads/valve covers is that the aluminum is very porous. So when you have hot oil running through the parts, they get impregnated with oil very easily. So that’s why all the steps for cleaning/grinding are necessary. Aluminum does not like to be dirty when welding. Warping of the block won’t be a huge concern either since you have a big aluminum heat sink.
There’s more than one way skin this cat, but that’s my two cents worth
I just did a google search, most of the results were from Honda-tech: http://bfy.tw/6ADx
Thanks for chiming in mrpenny! That’s some great info.
It’s fairly common and most repairs I have seen are done with jb weld and leak. Welding is the proper fix but in a pinch I would try devcon.
Quick update: Used a dremel and grinding bit to start cleaning-up the damaged area, and the chunk on the bottom-left corner before the crack (in the photo) broke off. Maybe I should’ve listened to mrpenny about using a carbide bit? I don’t whether the chunk was already structurally-compromised and ready to break off, but it kinda spooked me. Stopped grinding for now. Started out drilling the hole to 23/64" (I have a plan for keeping shavings out of the block, but more about that later). I was considering drilling and tapping to 1/2"-20 (hell-no), then maybe M12-1.25 (probably not), but am wondering if these would be too big, so am looking to drill/tap as small as possible. I think the old threads for the sensor and area around there is too compromised to hold the new threads in, so my plan is to tap about 1.5cm of new threads. I probed the hole in the block and it seems to go back about 62mm (then hits the cylinder sleeve?)
[QUOTE=mrpenny;2334338]I’ve welded up one of those before. They are definitely a bitch! The one I attempted to fix had JB weld in already filled in there and we never got it to stop leaking even after a significant amount of weld deposited.
If I were to do another though (I’d charge a pretty good), and there’d be some things I’d do differently. First, would be to cut the threads off, up at that first break. Second, get a propane torch and very carefully heat the nub to pull the oil out of the aluminum to the surface. Next, drill a hole at the start of the crack. This will relieve the stress from the crack. After that grind most of the outside/face of that nub and length of the crack down with a carbide bit. Make sure to use a carbide bit as anything else will not get it clean enough, and the safest way. Then, wipe the nub down inside and out till there is no dirt left on the rag. Let it dry. Finally, before welding, turn the cleaning action most of the way on your welder and run the TIG torch over the surface a couple of times to pull anymore oil out. If there is some that comes up, grind that down with the carbide again to clean metal/wipe. Then you’re ready to lay the welds down!
Repairing something like this is time consuming, but can be done correctly if due diligence is taken. I wouldn’t touch that while it’s mounted inside a chassis either. No room to work at all. Also, the problem with welding cast aluminum blocks/heads/valve covers is that the aluminum is very porous. So when you have hot oil running through the parts, they get impregnated with oil very easily. So that’s why all the steps for cleaning/grinding are necessary. Aluminum does not like to be dirty when welding. Warping of the block won’t be a huge concern either since you have a big aluminum heat sink.
There’s more than one way skin this cat, but that’s my two cents worth[/QUOTE]
Thanks mrpenny for all this advice, sounds like I have gotten some input from one TIG welder already :rockon:
The engine is out of the car, my only concern is - would your average welder work on the block while it’s still bolted-up to the head, etc,… and oil in the pan?
[QUOTE=Colin;2334343]I just did a google search, most of the results were from Honda-tech: http://bfy.tw/694j
Thanks for chiming in mrpenny! That’s some great info.[/QUOTE]
Colin, your URL led me to Pepperwood Ave, LB, CA 
But I did end up finding more info on HT, thank you.
Yes, I thought about JB Weld since I still had the top part of the thread-boss that chipped-off but seems like this damage is beyond a JB-Weld-only fix with the cracks splitting away from the threads. Thanks for the devcon tip… I may use it to lock/seal the threads in the plug if I pull-off route #1. Which devcon have you used - their 10 Minute Epoxy? I’ve also read good things about 3M epoxies.
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2334366]Quick update: Used a dremel and grinding bit to start cleaning-up the damaged area, and the chunk on the bottom-left corner before the crack (in the photo) broke off. Maybe I should’ve listened to mrpenny about using a carbide bit? I don’t whether the chunk was already structurally-compromised and ready to break off, but it kinda spooked me. Stopped grinding for now. Started out drilling the hole to 23/64" (I have a plan for keeping shavings out of the block, but more about that later). I was considering drilling and tapping to 1/2"-20 (hell-no), then maybe M12-1.25 (probably not), but am wondering if these would be too big, so am looking to drill/tap as small as possible. I think the old threads for the sensor and area around there is too compromised to hold the new threads in, so my plan is to tap about 1.5cm of new threads. I probed the hole in the block and it seems to go back about 62mm (then hits the cylinder sleeve?)
[/quote]
I’m not surprised that that piece fell off, in your pic there’s a pretty visible crack and likely there was more to that crack than you could see originally. But get the right tool, a good carbide bit will work much better than any of the cheaper dremel stuff.
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2334366]
Colin, your URL led me to Pepperwood Ave, LB, CA [/quote]
Ha! Apparently I was doing too much at one time, that’s the address to my polling place! Here’s what I was trying to share: http://bfy.tw/6ADx
But I did end up finding more info on HT, thank you.
I used jb weld to fix a busted trans case years ago and it worked REALLY well, but for something like this I doubt it’s a good idea. I’d be worried about oil seepage and the fact that a larger failure could lead to a serious oil leak. Not worth the risk IMO.
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2334366]Quick update: Used a dremel and grinding bit to start cleaning-up the damaged area, and the chunk on the bottom-left corner before the crack (in the photo) broke off. Maybe I should’ve listened to mrpenny about using a carbide bit? I don’t whether the chunk was already structurally-compromised and ready to break off, but it kinda spooked me. Stopped grinding for now. Started out drilling the hole to 23/64" (I have a plan for keeping shavings out of the block, but more about that later). I was considering drilling and tapping to 1/2"-20 (hell-no), then maybe M12-1.25 (probably not), but am wondering if these would be too big, so am looking to drill/tap as small as possible. I think the old threads for the sensor and area around there is too compromised to hold the new threads in, so my plan is to tap about 1.5cm of new threads. I probed the hole in the block and it seems to go back about 62mm (then hits the cylinder sleeve?)
Thanks mrpenny for all this advice, sounds like I have gotten some input from one TIG welder already :rockon:
The engine is out of the car, my only concern is - would your average welder work on the block while it’s still bolted-up to the head, etc,… and oil in the pan?
Colin, your URL led me to Pepperwood Ave, LB, CA 
But I did end up finding more info on HT, thank you.
Yes, I thought about JB Weld since I still had the top part of the thread-boss that chipped-off but seems like this damage is beyond a JB-Weld-only fix with the cracks splitting away from the threads. Thanks for the devcon tip… I may use it to lock/seal the threads in the plug if I pull-off route #1. Which devcon have you used - their 10 Minute Epoxy? I’ve also read good things about 3M epoxies.[/QUOTE]
For that I would try the devcon aluminum putty
drilled the hole to the oil galley to 25/64" and tapped to 7/16-20. Looks like the oil pressure sensor galley T’s into the main oil galley (from the oil pump?) so I couldn’t tap tooo far, but I got about a half-dozen threads in there.
Located a 7/16-20 set screw at my auspicious local HW store:
Next steps for my ghetto block repair:
[LIST=1]
I am thinking aluminum fastener and sealant would be better to mimic the expansion rate of the block but these may be hard to find. Read some very good things about the Devcon Aluminum Putty but it costs at least $50 for the smallest size and I will have to wait until Monday to order it…
:wahmb:
So you are just sealing the hole and relocating the sensor?
This is common because I have heard of this before it happened to me as well I dropped my block off get worked on they broke it and added and extension not sure what happened to it but my block on my pmr which is in my da now is cracked not as bad as yours in the top picture I can try and possibly take a pic…
Yes. The way I saw people on other forums (HT, etc,…) doing it was to weld or plug the hole shut and sandwich off the oil filter for whichever sensors or oil taps you want to run. I probably won’t do the sandwich adapter for a little while and just live with the CEL I’ll get with the oil switch unplugged. I already keep a close eye on my oil levels so shouldn’t be too risky for a little while.
Yea seems fairly common, wish I could’ve know about this before I went about replacing the switch thought it would be harmless, maybe strip the threads at the worse. I don’t know if using a tapered fitting in a cast aluminum block could be considered a “defect” but I could totally see a mechanic in a hurry who doesn’t have a heads-up on how delicate the fitting is breaking it too. Then again I’m no professional lol. I came to the conclusion that anytime I’m working on something that could have catastrophic consequences if something goes wrong (like an oil fitting in the block), I better read up on it, at least the proper procedure and torque numbers in the shop manual. Yea please post a photo if you can get one.
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2334479]Yes. The way I saw people on other forums (HT, etc,…) doing it was to weld or plug the hole shut and sandwich off the oil filter for whichever sensors or oil taps you want to run. I probably won’t do the sandwich adapter for a little while and just live with the CEL I’ll get with the oil switch unplugged. I already keep a close eye on my oil levels so shouldn’t be too risky for a little while.
[/QUOTE]
Makes sense. I use that hole as a feed to my turbo with a T for the oem pressure sensor and then run a sandwich to feed the supply line to my vtec head with a T for the oil pressure gauge
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2334479]Yes. The way I saw people on other forums (HT, etc,…) doing it was to weld or plug the hole shut and sandwich off the oil filter for whichever sensors or oil taps you want to run. I probably won’t do the sandwich adapter for a little while and just live with the CEL I’ll get with the oil switch unplugged. I already keep a close eye on my oil levels so shouldn’t be too risky for a little while.
[/QUOTE]
Removing this switch (it’s not a sensor as some keep mentioning) won’t give you a CEL. This switch is for your low oil pressure warning light. So everything will work just fine as it did before. The switch doesn’t send a signal to your ECU so your ECU won’t know the difference. The switch only connects to the gauge cluster & ICU to illuminate the warning light.
my new buddy:
Surprised to see no oil pressure light, since the switch is not there anymore.
Looking forward to doing my first engine rebuild. Maybe I can bore/sleeve while I’m at it? Otherwise it’s new long-block City
[QUOTE=sloppysleeper;2335031]my new buddy:
Surprised to see no oil pressure light, since the switch is not there anymore.
[/QUOTE]
You shouldn’t be. The switch activates a light, without the switch being connected the light can’t go on. The system is setup for the light to normally be OFF. It only goes on when the low oil pressure switch tells it to go on. No switch means it can’t tell the light to go on.
