Bought an over zealous torque wrench.

I didn't know that if it goes to 120 ft lbs, you really can't hear it click at 18 ft lbs.

Needless to say I stripped an 7mm bolt hole in an aluminum timing cover switching out a water pump in Chevy Colorado.

I have seen two options.

Tap and die the hole to 8mm. Little labor intensive by hand in a small space and may have to bore the water pump eye.

or

Lag bolt into the block with an 8mm fine thread bolt. Would this be removable if the pump went out, again?

Drill out and helicoil

About how much torque did you put on it? 18 ft/lbs is nothing lol

I'd tap and die, take out some parts in front of engine if need be

I'd try to tap and die as well.

or put in a smaller bolt, a crap load of JB Weld and sell it before the pump goes out again.

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Drill out and helicoil

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rhe only correct answer

You can always try tannerite

Or hell LS swap

Actually Slimsert instead of Helicoil.

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Drill out and helicoil

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rhe only correct answer

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Do it right, the first time, and you'll never be sorry. Or create some bad karma for the next owner...

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Actually Slimsert instead of Helicoil.

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Sex in one blow job in the other.

Do you correct people when they say kleenex instead of facial tissue?

And prefer keenserts over slimserts.

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Do you correct people when they say kleenex instead of facial tissue?

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No. I am actually asking for the Kleenex brand. Not sure what you are doing but I only need to blow my nose.

Go with the thread insert. It's the right way to fix it.

Helicoil and other formed wire inserts have fall less pull out strength than solid threaded inserts like slimsert, keensert and acme. Spent some years repairing aircraft engines and used many a slimsert without issue. Helicoil's were not even allowed in the shop. Put them in and stake them and never had a pull or thread out.
BTW Kleenex suck, puffs is where it at.

If the op manages to pull out a PROPERLY installed helicoil, he needs a new torque wrench, better idea of 18 vs 120 lb feet of torque, or there are some serious issues elsewhere.

Op, don't sweat it. It's s good learning experience and your engine is no less sound than it was before if you do it halfway right.

Ya issue with helicoil pull out is not when you install they bolt but when someone removes it later to do another repair and does not know its there. Many times it will come out with the bolt and gets lost in the mess or it stays in and the new guy does not know to give it proper care and tightens it with a pneumatic device.

Red loctite?