Darn it! Lost one EGR valve bolt

One fell into the "abyss" of the engine bay. it's a 1/2 inch bolt. Do you guys know if this is a standard bolt? Can I just go to a hardware/autoparts store and get another?

Gracias amigos!

is this one of the bolts that hold the egr down, or bolts the tubes to the manifold/LIM? Should be able to get one of these either at autozone or ACE (if you have those up there). just take one of the other ones with you to find the right thread size

it holds down the egr valve....sorry...

yeah, looks like a standard 1/2 bolt...

i'm just wondering if home thead size = auto thread size....

Natesriv wrote:

it holds down the egr valve....sorry...

yeah, looks like a standard 1/2 bolt...

i'm just wondering if home thead size = auto thread size....

Maybe, maybe not. It is not so much that home = auto thread or not, as it is that there are coarse and fine pitches for machine screws (that would be this type of bolt) and the easiest way to reckon it is to take the bolt's mate to a hardware store or auto part store and match it up. Might have better luck matching it up at a larger NAPA store that sells to used car dealers and mechanics.

Where I live there are two hardware stores - VALU Hardware and The Building Company - that have a very full line of odd parts hardware - lynch pins, woodruff keys, et cetera. They often have bolts that fit but maybe are not the right grade. I used them to replace a brake caliper bolt one time (it worked loose somehow) until I could get the right grade (from the GM dealer).

Good luck, it should not be that bad to find one that will work. Consider using a set of the black or chromplated hex or TORX-head cap screws if you can't find a bolt you like.

Albertj

Problem Solved...O'Reilly Automotive had them...they actually have a board with several bolts you can test the nut against...

Easy!

thanks gang!

I'm surprised it isn't a metric bolt...

How do we know it isn't metric?

AA wrote:

How do we know it isn't metric?

Natesriv wrote:

One fell into the "abyss" of the engine bay. it's a 1/2 inch bolt...

And he never said it turned out to be any other size.

I suppose my comment was also interrogative... If it did end up being metric, surely he'll tell us now.
.

A couple posts after, he said: "yeah, looks like a standard 1/2 bolt..."

That tells me really wasn't sure.

It's definitely a metric bolt. There are no standard bolts on the Series II 3800.

deekster_caddy wrote:

It's definitely a metric bolt. There are no standard bolts on the Series II 3800.

That's what I thought, and why I was surprised that Nate didn't tell us the final result...

When he mentioned "Standard 1/2" Bolt"
I knew he was a bit confused, as he was measuring the size wrench that fit on the head of the bolt and not the actual thread diameter and pitch.
But I assumed he would figure it out when he brought the other bolt to the parts store for "show and tell".
It certainly couldn't be a 1/2" diameter bolt in that application and the closest metric wrench is about a 15mm.

Rickw wrote:

When he mentioned "Standard 1/2" Bolt"
I knew he was a bit confused, as he was measuring the size wrench that fit on the head of the bolt and not the actual thread diameter and pitch...

You're kidding me, they make metric bolts with standard heads?

Eldo wrote:

Rickw wrote:

When he mentioned "Standard 1/2" Bolt"
I knew he was a bit confused, as he was measuring the size wrench that fit on the head of the bolt and not the actual thread diameter and pitch...

You're kidding me, they make metric bolts with standard heads?

HaHaHaHa.....

Rickw wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Rickw wrote:

When he mentioned "Standard 1/2" Bolt"
I knew he was a bit confused, as he was measuring the size wrench that fit on the head of the bolt and not the actual thread diameter and pitch...

You're kidding me, they make metric bolts with standard heads?

HaHaHaHa.....

Oh, terrific...

13 mm will fit a 1/2" bolt head.

AA wrote:

13 mm will fit a 1/2" bolt head.

You are correct Sir.
I guess I was thinking of what was on the other end of your typical combination wrench (15mm)
Believe it or not I'm just now getting up to speed on being able to identify metric bolts and nuts by sight.
I grew up and continued to use nothing but American Thread on everything I worked on.
Aircraft and Harleys are all American. People are surprised sometimes to hear that no matter where in the world an Aircraft is made they must be made to American Standards as far as fasteners go.
So I never had a use for Metric tools until I started working on some American cars in the past decade, and even then half of what I encountered was American and half Metric.
So, now I find myself buying Metric tools that I never had a need for.
Some of the guys I met at the GM dealership that were younger than me, did not own any American wrenches or sockets, because even if they encounter the occasional American fastener there is always a metric tool close enough to do the job. And I have found that to be true by experimenting on my Harley, I can properly fit an Metric tool on almost every fastener I encounter.

Yes, most of my tools are metric now, and they will fit standard bolts slightly better than vice-versa. I like them because the gaps between sizes are smaller (more wrenches in a metric set). This lets you cheat sometimes when fitting some unidentified bolts. But for my '70 Olds, I have a set of standard tools that I use, so hardly ever run into problems.

I have three roll away boxes, one very large one with a side cabinet for all my American stuff and some special tools that i have either bought or made for use on Harleys.
And have one large Top box that I separated and have put it on another bench on the other side of the shop with Metric's that I'm accumulating.
I know I probably have enough to do everything I'm going to do, but i know me I'll continue to buy more tools as I can and now that Snap-On allows you to buy their stuff on line, it is too tempting.
I've always been a tool hound, if I can't make it I'll buy it, but only get what's guaranteed.
I love going to swap meets where there are used tool vendor's selling old tools.

wow...19 replies?

The socket I used was 1/2",....

Natesriv wrote:

wow...19 replies?

The socket I used was 1/2",....

But Nate, what actual size did the O'Reilly's board tell you the threads were?