Re: Please help!!!
Well in Austin you shouldn't need to encounter much corrosion. So once you get the bolt out then you have a decision: helicoil will work and is best if the tighening torque is over about 35 lb-ft and you have enough meat around the hole to drill out.
OTOH if 10-15 lb-ft or you can tap and not much material comes out then I'd probably try torquing down on just a spacer or stack of washers and see what it feels like (and this is a judgement call) If feels solid then I'd probably just go with one of the stainless bolts so they match. If not then choice time: drill and tap to next available size or go with the helicoil route.
I have seen manifolds with a missing bolt and a lot of permatex before and so long as not next to a water or oil passage can work. Personally am more of the "fix properly and use only grease on gaskets" school but then have used a ball pein hammer to make gaskets before.
But the hard part is removing the bolt in the first place and how good the machinest who does is. If it can be removed without drilling through the threads then that is the fist step.
Personally, I still like the "weld a nut" method better since no drilling is required but needs someone who knows what they are doing.
Now if you want a royal pain then try rebuilding a GM Quad-4.
Last edited by Padgett; Aug 13, 2014 at 09:08 AM.