Anybody fixed the 7mm stripped bolts on ignition coils on 4.6 v8 ?

[Explorer_PL]

I noticed that few of my coils are loose. When I took my 7 mm nut driver to tighten them, I found that the threads in the heads ares stripped. Has anybody fixed that with a larger bolt or something ? They look like 4mm bolts, but that's just my guess.

 

[07EddyB]

Wow PL - this isn't your week is it.
I would try some lock tite first - not the permanent kind but something that will hold until you put a wrench on it. Only if that failed would I go down any other road.
So how did these get stripped - I'm pretty sure this is your 'new' engine and I'll bet you've had the plugs out before right????


Just razzing you man - it happens

 

[Explorer_PL]

Thanks Eddy
I knew I could count on you LOL

I am planning to take one of the bolts to a hardware store and check the size of them. Then pick the next size up whether metric or SAE and tap the holes that are stripped.
I think it's beyond loctite solution.

I think I did it myself - stripped the holes....
I used a small Rigid impact driver to run the bolts down when installing new COPs, now they just spin inside.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I wouldn’t add SAE hardware to a metric vehicle.

 

[boominXplorer]

Most of the time on the 3v the valve cover is cracked making the hole too wide for original bolt. You go one size up it will bust the ear off.

A new cover is almost the only solution. If they just wiggle and don't go up and down that is tight enough, just leave them.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Thanks, let me check the valve cover itself, never looked close enough.
3 of them are completely loose. I can pull them out with my fingers. I have a new set of motorcraft coils and plugs installed just last year and I am getting occasional kick or jerk while driving at low rpm. The loose coils may be the reason.