SOHC_MShue

it was actually one of the two longer bolts that goes towards the intake manifold in the valve cover. It sticks down into the actual head and not the rocker arms like the other ones. Is there a way I can rethread this hole in case the threads are all messed up?

Ricey McRicerton

Taps are your friend James. You can always retap it.

mycivicstoo(s)low

You shouldn't have to retap. I thought I had ruined the threads when I drilled mine out, but it still worked fine.

wizzards581

i did too... before my motor went in.. ahh!.. but i have some vtec head bolts everywhere so i jus replaced it. but mines was a DOHC VTEC

SOHC_MShue

so how does the retapping thing work? Hopefully I won't have to. Any idea on how to keep the metal shavings from flying into my valvetrain while drilling? I used some papertowels today...seemed to work kinda alright, but I still found some shavings I had to get out. I used a big *** magnet to get some off of the lip of the bolt hole.

The Internet Tough Guy

get a heli coil kit. they work well. you need to get the exact drill bit they specify too.

you drill the hole bigger, tap it out slowly, very carefully, with lots of cutting oil everywhere, and go back 1/4 turn for every 3/4 turn in. then you put an insert in, hold a magnetic probe on the little tang thingy, and hit that out with a punch. make sure you catch the tang or it will fall into your engine. then just keep putting as many inserts in as needed.

hmm kind of a dumb idea but you might be able to unscrew the bolt a little with a powerful magnet.

sorry, i didnt read the whole thread, but is the valve cover still on the head, or is the bolt too far down to take it off?

loco_ese

man just like the rest of you, i too broke off a bolt when tightening down my valve cover. why the hell are these things soo damn weak? i mean honda makes pretty much bullet proof motors yet uses aluminum foil bolts for the valve cover...I was fortunate though to be able to easy out mine. I now have a fail safe way of tightening them down with out leaks and WITHOUT breaking another bolt off. I use a nut driver,(looks like a screwdriver handle with a socket on the other end) works great and have taken the valve cover off at least 10 times or more and never broke another bolt. true dat.

SOHC_MShue

damn that tapping kit sounds like a pain in the *** and i'm sure I'd **** up trying to do it . I also thought about a powerful magnet, but I have no idea where I would get one that would fit in that hole. Also the valve cover is off the head and it is one of those long bolts which threads down into the head towards the intake side. it is threaded to far for me to twist it out with pliers or anything. I have completely demolished the bolt trying to drill it out. Its all chipped off and stuff. I guess i'll just have to keep drilling. I got a similar thing to the ez out, but it won't grab. I even tried hammering it in.

The Internet Tough Guy

sounds like you might want to get some serious carbide drill bits and give that sucker hell.

if the valve cover is off the head, tapping won't be too hard. if you have access to a drill press, you're golden. just go slow and be very careful.

you don't need a heli coil kit really, a drill and tap will do just fine. heli-coils are for bolts which exert a lot of stress on the threads (motor mounts etc).

i've heard of tools called extractors but i have no idea about how they work. check into them.

last resort: **** it, just get drunk and buy a new valve cover.

SOHC_MShue

well its not the valve cover that is the problem. The bolt is actually stuck in the head. I'm about to just say **** it and buy a ported z6 head because i want to replace my y8 with one anyways. Yea i think i'll probably need to get a stronger drill bit. These ones I have blow. They are craftsman and they aint doing ****.

The Internet Tough Guy

wait im confused. where is the valve cover? is the bolt out of the valve cover and just stuck in the head?

if you want to replace your head anyway, now seems like the opportune time.

mycivicstoo(s)low

It's a long bolt with a weird design. There are only threads on the bottom portion of the bolt. That's what broke off. It's not part of the valve cover.

PRcivicHB

Somethinf similar happened to me except i aint broke the bolt... instead i broke the hole where it goes in. It cracked completely in half... and that whole chunk, dont ask me where it went....

SOHC_MShue

so what are you doing now? Just got a big chunk there still?

mycivicstoo(s)low

He said "don't ask".

SOHC_MShue

yea well i guess my situation aint that bad

Ricey McRicerton

Dang Matt you still havent tried the JB Weld thing have you?? Just get a cheapy screwdriver to do it because one you do it, it's gone. I hope you get this out man!!

SOHC_MShue

so how do I do this again? Poor it in with the screw driver and then let it dry...then twist it out? Also I think you forgot my name dude. Its Matt not James

Ricey McRicerton

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_MShue &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so how do I do this again? Poor it in with the screw driver and then let it dry...then twist it out? Also I think you forgot my name dude. Its Matt not James </TD></TR></TABLE>

Dangit...I'm an idiot....Just put as much as you can on the end of the screwdriver so that it DOES NOT touch the inside of the threads (as you all know..JB Weld is STRONG!!) and let it dry. You should then have a screw with a large screwdriver sticking out of it that should be easy to turn out!

SOHC_MShue

the problem with doing the jb weld is i don't trust myself with it. I am notorious for using too much glue when working with stuff that requires it. I'm sure I would end up gluing it in the hole with the stuff. Also I'm not even sure if there is much screw left in there. The thing is just all chewed up from the drill.

KiDSoL

I broke mine before, I just used the same brokene bolts to get the rest of the bolt out, or maybe try a small screw driver and hammer it into the broken part and then dry turning it out, wrked for my friend and i on one, good luck man.

mycivicstoo(s)low

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_MShue &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the problem with doing the jb weld is i don't trust myself with it. I am notorious for using too much glue when working with stuff that requires it. I'm sure I would end up gluing it in the hole with the stuff. Also I'm not even sure if there is much screw left in there. The thing is just all chewed up from the drill.</TD></TR></TABLE>Well, if you don't trust yourself with the JB Weld, I just had a brainstorm. Just take a straw like from Taco Bell (McD's straws are too big around for the hole) and put that in the hole, then the JB Weld, then the screwdriver. Might work.

redlinecivic

take the valve cover off .. take a hack saw and make on cut down the broken bolt and get a flat head screw driver put it in the line you just made with the hack saw and unscrew the broken bolt from the head,.. thats what i did on my cousins SOHC.. then just go buy a new bolt and dont over tighten it.. it needs to be torqued not tighten till it dont move no more.. once the new bolt is snug one more half of a turn or a three quarter turn is more then enough

mycivicstoo(s)low

If you had read the whole thread, you would know that the bolt is below the surface of the head. If it was sticking out, this would be easy to fix and your suggestion would work. Unfortunately that isn't the case.

redlinecivic

sorry its a long forum to read all the way through .. go the home depot and byuy a dremel with a fine head you should be able to do what i said ..instead of useing the hack saw.. use the dremel and get a smaller flat head.. .. i def wouldnt drill nothing.. just get anything tht can make a small line deep enough for a scrw driver