lmike6453

ok...i have a chrome valve cover that i really do not want to mess up. i accidentially over torqued the valve cover bolts on the studs and stripped all of them!

they twist when i try to loosen them but do not come off. did i strip the inside of the bolt or the stud itself?

what should i do to get them off? i need to do timing belt and water pump change and just ordered the parts today..
please help me! thanks in advance

Dogginator

Keep unscrewing. The studs for the valve cover should loosen and allow for the cover to be removed.

lmike6453

i tried on 1 bolt for 10 mins straight lol...

will try again...is this something that's going to be a pain in the neck?

Dogginator

Here is a diagram of what you are working with:



The studs are parts 18 and 19. The worst case scenario is that you cur off the nuts with a Dremel and replace the studs.

lmike6453

yea but one nut is in a tight space where the cam gears are and if i were to try to cut it with a dremel my chrome valve cover will be screwed

lmike6453

and the weird thing is it's not even in that diagram...it's in the slit right below the blue number 4

Dogginator

Can you hold the nut and drill the center?

lmike6453

don't know because i didnt try but im sure it's possible...only problem is one slip and bye bye new chrome valve cover perfection...im going outside to try now....will post back

95 integra

iTrader: (2)

If you unscrew ALL the bolts/nuts you will be able to remove the valve cover....generally the stud has come out of the head and will come out with the valve cover (then grab it with a pair of pliers and hold it while you loosen the nut). If that is not the case, then pulling up slightly on the valve cover will supply enough upward force that if it is "stripped" it will move upward (and off) while you try to loosen it. Basically try the first thing, then try to pry upward while loosening the nut if that does not work.

lmike6453

ok sry i didn't post yet...i was out there for an hour and at least 30 mins straight of the time i was loosening one nut particulary and all it did was spin and never came up a bit....and i did not see the stud in between the valve cover and the head-i did notice a hole underneath the head though where the nut is and tried pushing upward with an ice pick-no luck

so i tried pulling it upward with vice grips while unscrewing...no luck
then i took a hammer and a flathead and wedged it underneath the nut by chipping the washer and pryed upward while unscrewing...no luck
right now i see myself buying a dremel tomorrow to do this but i will try your advise first^^ ty

any other ideas or experience with this kind of problem?

95 integra

iTrader: (2)

Yea, try removing all nuts and the valve cover should come off w/ the stud attached...then just hold the stud and loosen the nut.

lmike6453

well every one of the nuts/bolts; whatever you call them, all 7 are stripped to hell...

update will be posted soon

denraweb

You need to pull up on the valve cover as you loosen the stripped bolts...it should come out perfectly fine after that. Easiest way is to put a flat head screw driver, or something like that in between the head and the valve cover and as you loosen the bolt, push down or pull up on the screw driver handle and they should come out. Good luck!

B204door

i jus did that 2 one of mine and im trying everything to. if i have any luck il let u no

lmike6453

bump for any other ideas?

all-mtr-teg

You wont get it off working on 1 nut alone, if that nut is just spinning its already out, now you gotta remove the other nuts. You're making it way harder than it is, and if you're so worried about damaging your crome valve cover then over the area around the nut with some other sheet metal or wood while you're grinding.

lmike6453

all of them just spin when i loosen...please elaborate...

are you saying to loosen all of them for 15 mins on each one and pry up on the valve cover?

if so, what is good to pry with that won't cause damage to the valve cover nor the valve cover gasket, in case it doesn't budge?

Rikter

Put a rag or something around the hole where the bolt/nut is and then use your dremel?
-Rik

lmike6453

ok i just dremeled one off...how do i get out the stud? what tool from what store??

crxstylin

a tapping kit possibly. Dremal all the studs off first get the valve cover off and then try locking onto each bolt with vise grips and pulling

lmike6453

ok i dremeled them all off yesterday and everything went well except one thing...

i replaced the valve cover studs and when torquing them down 2 of them just kept spinning without grabbing the head...they do come out when loosened...is this normal?