How To: Ugrade Your BPV Bolts

[ms3blackmica]

Okay lets face it.

You own a mazdaspeed. You quickly find out how fast the factory bolts that fasten many random things in your engine bay break extremely easy (your BPV being one of them). Heck, mine broke in the 2nd week of owning the car. This becomes really easy to do when you upgrade to a metal BPV. They are heavier and you need to wrench them down a little bit harder and your stock bolts snap. And the stock cold pipe is a cast aluminium peice and the threads that are already tapped in the flange will turn to dust in no time. So here is how you can upgrade them. This doesn't happen to everyone, but the in case that it does, and they don't know what to do, i wanted to make a useful thread showing how to permanently fix the issue. Things happen...and having a nice way to fix them is always nice.


Okay first thing...if your BPV bolt has already snapped, check to see if the end of the bolt has made it out to the other side. If it has, then your in luck. You can go ahead, remove your cold pipe (to make it easier to work with), and take some pliers/channel locks and spin the bolt end (lefty loosey) until it comes out. Your golden. If the bolt snapped while still stuck inside, you may need to drill it out. But be careful to not crack a peice of the cast flange off.







This is what you will need. Go to lowes, get to the bolt and fastener section, and pick up a bag of Hillman Hex Cap Screws. The factory thread tap in the flange is M6-1.00. Pick up M6-1.00 X 30. This is in metric. M distinguishes that is is metric. 6 is the thread diameter in mm. 1.00 is the thread pitch in mm. X 30 is the bolt length in mm. Make sure you pick up the accommodating hex nut as well (in the same thread). Although it is not pictured here, i would recommend picking up the hex nuts with the nylon insert in them to ensure your new upgrade stays good & tight. ***The hex nut is not necessary. If your cold pipe threads are still good then you only need the bolt. Also pick up accommodating washers. Please note that the hillman fasteners are grade 8.8 (much stronger than stock). I have been using the same exact bolts for 3 years now and they have not snapped or stripped one bit. Just be careful not to tighten it too much as the factory cold pipe is cast. Good & tight is plenty enough.





If the factory thread isn't damaged in the BPV flange, you can probably get away without using a nut on the end. But i like to because it gives me a good peice of mind and i know my BPV will not leak from the flange. Drilling the hole through and just sliding your bolt through is also an option but thats up to you. Once your done it will look like this.







This same procedure can be done for aftermarket cold pipe flanges on FMIC's and what not. Just make sure you see what length you need to ensure you can still get a nut on the end.

[radbrad]

broken bpv bolts? why you hulk stuff up?

ive only broken dp bolts. well thanks

[ms3blackmica]

Originally Posted by radbrad broken bpv bolts? why you hulk stuff up? ive only broken dp bolts. well thanks

lol i dont. damn things are just so fragile.

[Captain KR]

Originally Posted by ms3blackmica lol i dont. damn things are just so fragile.

You must have the hands of a rapist!

[ms3blackmica]

Originally Posted by Captain KR You must have the hands of a rapist!

LOL

to be completely honest...damn things snapped before i even got to give it the initial snug.

oh well....

i know i'm not the only one who's snapped these SOB's !

[aviator79]

It snapped because the flang on your new BPV is thinner then the OEM and the bolt bottomed out. You have to grind them (at least one of them) down before reusing them.

[ms3blackmica]

Originally Posted by aviator79 It snapped because the flang on your new BPV is thinner then the OEM and the bolt bottomed out. You have to grind them (at least one of them) down before reusing them.

good point.

I still don't like the quality of those factory bolts though. I've been much happier with these higher quality bolts for a long time now.

[aviator79]

Originally Posted by ms3blackmica good point. I still don't like the quality of those factory bolts though. I've been much happier with these higher quality bolts for a long time now.

They are probably made that way to pevent dealers from overtorqing and cracking OEM BPV...not sure mazda engineers could put that much thoght into something, but ya, your probably right that once upgrading to a metal BPV and better bolt is a good idea...thou when I upgraded I still used them.

[radbrad]

ive taken my bpv off over 100 times and never broke anything. lemon nuts for you

edit: *bolts*

[Dash08]

That's fucking ghetto.

I would not run that.

[faeker]

I think this wins first place for "using the most words in a useless post".

tapahatericerfagstalk

[theurgy]

I've actually broken a BPV bolt before as well.
This is a great idea and thank you.

[ms3blackmica]

could be lemon bolts....

but i know way too many people whos have snapped and thia helped them for good.

sorry if the post had a lot of words. im just way too informative. cant help it.

[daztdMS6]

With this car it is especially important to use a torque wrench to avoid breaking bolts or cracking something. But then again, if you are careful you can get by with tightening any bolt or nut with any wrench/socket.

His idea does work though for the bpv.

[Captain KR]

Originally Posted by daztdMS6 With this car it is especially important to use a torque wrench to avoid breaking bolts or cracking something. But then again, if you are careful you can get by with tightening any bolt or nut with any wrench/socket. His idea does work though for the bpv.

Ok how strong are you guy's..... like really I work on tons of speeds and never use a TQ wrench unless its engine/trans related..... I must be a weakling

[tddvrrn]

Originally Posted by Captain KR Ok how strong are you guy's..... like really I work on tons of speeds and never use a TQ wrench unless its engine/trans related..... I must be a weakling

shit, i broke 3 bolts on the crappy subwoofer and a bolt to a frame brace. it's easy to do...

[Haltech]

You guys are hacks then...

It takes less then 10ft lbs to secure a bpv into an alumn cold pipe... A little common sense goes a long ways.

[3Gee Tee]

Freaking gorillas here.


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[Captain KR]

Im never living near any of you rapist's......

[tddvrrn]

Originally Posted by Captain KR Im never living near any of you rapist's......

don't worry, we'll come to you.

and i've never had a car with such weak nonessential bolts. i mean, i just like to make sure shit is tight, but some of the shit on this car isn't having it. i've learned my lesson as well, and haven't stripped or snapped in a good long while.

[Haltech]

Do you guys not feel your tools? Bolts and nuts talk back to you through the handle. You can tell a bolt that's starting to bind... sometimes a little lubricant is needed... no need to take alittle bitty 8-10mm bolt and grab the ratchet like a monster.

[ms3blackmica]

Originally Posted by daztdMS6 With this car it is especially important to use a torque wrench to avoid breaking bolts or cracking something. But then again, if you are careful you can get by with tightening any bolt or nut with any wrench/socket. His idea does work though for the bpv.

a tq wrench really isn't necessary for small bolts like this. All it needs to be is snug.

Originally Posted by Haltech Do you guys not feel your tools? Bolts and nuts talk back to you through the handle. You can tell a bolt that's starting to bind... sometimes a little lubricant is needed... no need to take alittle bitty 8-10mm bolt and grab the ratchet like a monster.

Well i haven't snapped any bolts on this car in years. I'm very deliciate with those smaller bolts. I even use a 1/4" ratchet. It was only the BPV bolts that i had a problem with. I could literally break them with my fingers easily. My bolts actually snapped on the stock BPV before i even got the hex head fully fastened down. The moment it made contact with the BPV flange the head just snaps off on me. I must have had shitty luck but i've helped many people with those louzy BPV bolts and getting the snapped ones out so i assumed their low quality was present on many speeds. It's happened to even some very knowledgable guys i know. You just never know...it could happen. My biggest problem wasn't the BPV bolts themselves. That was no problem to remove. My biggest issue was the thread tap in the cold pipe flange turned to dust and became smooth. No longer any threads present. So thats why i use the longer bolt with a a nut on the end.

All in all, i just thought i'd share a pretty good fix for this situation "IF" it does happen to anyone (whether it was an accident or not)

[Haltech]

Originally Posted by ms3blackmica a tq wrench really isn't necessary for small bolts like this. All it needs to be is snug. Well i haven't snapped any bolts on this car in years. It was only the BPV that i had a problem with. My bolts actually snapped on the stock BPV before i even got the hex head fully fastened down. The moment it made contact with the BPV flange the head just snaps off on me. I must have had shitty luck but i've helped many people with those louzy BPV bolts and getting the snapped ones out. It's happened to even some very knowledgable guys. You just never know...it could happen. My biggest problem wasn't the BPV bolts themselves. My issue was the thread tap in the cold pipe flange turned to dust and became smooth. So thats why i use the longer bolt with a a nut on the end. All in all, i just thought i'd share a pretty good fix for this situation "IF" it does happen to anyone (whether it was an accident or not)

I understand where you are coming from Dr Hacks, but you still deserved some shit for it

[ms3blackmica]

Originally Posted by Haltech I understand where you are coming from Dr Hacks, but you still deserved some shit for it

no worries !

its accepted

[uncorked11]

Originally Posted by Captain KR OK how strong are you guy's..... like really I work on tons of speeds and never use a TQ wrench unless its engine/trans related..... I must be a weakling

You are easily overpowered due to your weakness, I just recently broke mine, in the soft cpe metal bpv flange. I am generally careful do to the constant reading of this forum and hearing the horror stories.

[whos_MS3]

ah seems like only yesterday when i snapped a bolt...good times. thanks for the trip down memory lane OP