Joe77
Active Member
Long story short, I cheaped out on a torque wrench and stripped out a bolt hole on my 2013 LR4. I actually did this water pump replacement in Sept 2021 and when torquing one of the bolts it would get some resistance but it wouldn't snug up. Pulled out the bolt and there were a small amount of shavings on it. At this time I knew I was most likely going to have to do a thread repair but for whatever reason I reinstalled it and was able to get a little bit of tension on it so I figured I'd give it a try. I know that was dumb considering the potential to over heat and destroy the engine, but I put it all back together and pressurized the system and no leaks. Monitored the coolant bottle daily and after a few days the level stabilized and stayed that way until just recently. Wife pulled the LR4 into the garage and immediately I smelled the smell I have been dreading since the water pump repair. Checked the coolant bottle and the level had dropped about a half liter. I can see the evidence of the leak by the stripped bolt so I know 100% that is the source of the leak. So it's time to do the thread repair. I would like to have the proper Helicoil kit on hand when I take everything apart but I cannot find the thread pitch info on this bolt. Tried calling the dealer and searching online and the only thing I can find is that it's an M6 x 40mm bolt, and nothing about the threads. From what I recall it seemed like a course thread but I really don't want to guess. I will be watching as many youtube videos as I can find before attempting this repair because i have never done a thread repair before. Any tips are much appreciated. I've also invested in a good torque wrench so that will not be an issue again!
