4.6 L starter top bolt - source?

[Petesexpy]

Hi, All!
So my 8-year old starter just went (at the Marina on Sunday during the Memorial Day weekend...). I replaced it already, but during the replacement process I realized that the mechanic who installed the old one 8 years ago broke off the top bolt and did not bother replacing it. There is enough space left to thread in a new bolt, but I cannot fins a new set of bolts (or just the top one) ANYWHERE. I've been up and down interned, and nothing. Even NAPA doesn't have it.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Hamfisted]

So it's broken off into the bellhousing ? Any chance you will pull the starter and remove the busted remains from the bellhousing?

Should be a M8 x 1.25 bolt though. So Lowes or any fastener shop would have it. I don't recommend just jamming another bolt in there without cleaning the old one out of the hole though. It rarely ever works out. Do you have access to some left hand drill bits and a 90 degree drill ?


You might have better luck installing a M8x1.25 stud by hand in that spot and using a nut. I don't think you're going to be able to put much torque on a bolt without stripping out the aluminum if you don't get the old bolt remains out. I'm sure the old shop new this and that's why they just left it. They probably tried to put the long bolt in there, where it don't belong. If they broke the bolt off, it's gonna be jammed in there pretty good. It'll take left hand bits and an extractor set to get it out. Do you have a shop in your area you trust ?



.

 

[Petesexpy]

So it's broken off into the bellhousing ? Any chance you will pull the starter and remove the busted remains from the bellhousing?

Should be a M8 x 1.25 bolt though. So Lowes or any fastener shop would have it. I don't recommend just jamming another bolt in there without cleaning the old one out of the hole though. It rarely ever works out. Do you have access to some left hand drill bits and a 90 degree drill ?


You might have better luck installing a M8x1.25 stud by hand in that spot and using a nut. I don't think you're going to be able to put much torque on a bolt without stripping out the aluminum if you don't get the old bolt remains out. I'm sure the old shop new this and that's why they just left it. They probably tried to put the long bolt in there, where it don't belong. If they broke the bolt off, it's gonna be jammed in there pretty good. It'll take left hand bits and an extractor set to get it out. Do you have a shop in your area you trust ?



.

Thanks. They left it in there and left the starter hanging on 2 bolts (it worked for 8 years), but there are at least 5-6 threads left. I just want to have a third point of contact rather then relying on 2.... So if I can have 5 turns, I'll take it.