So I spent ALL weekend working on the car and knocked out a HUGE list of things I've been wanting to do. My very last thing was my Valve Cover Gasket.

It was getting late but I really wanted to just be done everything. Well, as im about to torque down on the bolts, I notice my brand new torque wrench, I've yet to use, is in Ft-lbs as opposed to in-lbs. So I google the conversion of 86 in-lbs to Ft-lbs, and its 7.1 something. I knew it was risky, but I got impatient and just went for it.

And.......that brings us to here and now. I broke my damn valve cover bolt. It's the #1 position (bottom center). When I took the valve cover back off, I could see that a wrench or vice grips would not suffice. It deep inside there.

So im thinking now my only option is to drill it out. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas, cuz im thinking if I screw this up....Ill need a new head and that would all kinds of suck.

 

They have a tool for that. You drill the center of the screw with a 1/16 bit then hammer this tool (looks like a punch with threads) then use a wrench to back the bolt out using the tool. Hope somone can remember the name.... Hope I was of some help...

 

http://www.cdxetextbook.com/toolsEqu...rwextract.html

 

Yea thx man. Seems this is more common and not as big a deal as i originally thought. Since its the center bolt (and not a corner) I was told by a mechanic buddy of mine to just check for leaks....and if it isn't leaking, then to just RTV that center hole and leave it be.

 

Poor advice. I recommend removing the bolt. (Engineers put it there for a reason) and there is no reason to skimp on removing and replacing it.

 

PIC ? don't just throw RTV on it, at least put the gromet on not a hard fix just get a new bolt. at least it's not stripped with the VC still on

 

^^^

I already RTV'd it (with the gasket of course)....sorry no pic...its about 1/8 - 1/4 inch deep inside the hole.



Yes, I agree it definitely isnt ideal to go the RTV route. I would absolutely LOVE to get it out and do it proper. But its alot easier said than done. I risk a lot by trying to drill it out.

First off, this is my daily and only driver. I don't have the time or money for anything worse to go wrong.

Not only do I risk screwing it up further by messing up the threads (and have to go the RTV route anyway....or even worse a new camshaft/head), I also have to worry about tiny and even microscopic metal shavings getting into my oil. Which would further complicate my problem.

So I'll chose to not be so OCD about it. Too much to risk for my one and only car atm. And ive been burned really badly before by not cutting my losses early enough. At this point the worst that could happen is a slight oil leak and an oil pressure problem. Nothing that serious, its just a D16Y7 anyway. If it gets worse, then ill dig in deeper if need be.

 

So take take the cover off and replace the Stud it's not that hard at all just did all of mine after snapping one and noticing 2 others the threads where no good on

 

exactly it's extremly easy. grab a deep socket and remove then replace

 

You can replace the stud?? Hmmmmm......if thats the case, then you're right....its extremely easy. Thx!!

 

if it's d-series you just need to get a bolt if it's a B then you'd need to remove the old stud either way takes all of 2 mins.

 

^ Can someone explain what is meant by this:

I thought the OP said the bolt snapped deep in the head and is not really accessible?

 

that's why i wanted him to post a pic he hasn't said if it's a B or D or if the head broke off or that it's snapped at the base. i assumed that it was a b and in wich case you'd just pull it out from the cam cap as he said at the center of the vc

 

If its a d motor. Ten remove the valve train and drill it out. Then retap for a helicoil. ( get the metal one from autozone not the spring looking crap).

By a new bolt and be done with it.

Also if your skilled you could use a small drill and a extractor and get the broke part out.
Had to do this with my rad bracket. The guy before me broke the bolt in there and then used a coat hanger to hold the rad in place.


Also don't tq down a valve cover. Just tighten till tight.

 

That is what I said. The bolt snapped of about 1/8 inch inside the stud.

If I understood the last reply correctly, they're saying I can replace the stud the bolt screws into, and in my case, the stud the bolt broke off inside of. I've yet to have a chance to mess with it though, the RTV has been working fine since. Ill get to it next time I have some other work to do under the hood and update whether or not it worked.

 

yes it's easy to do grab an open end 12 or 14mm(maybe 10 lol) open end wrench and undo it then get the new one and put it in. there's a 2nd "bolt" so to say at the base

 

X2- hand tight is good +1/4 turn just in case.

 

7.2lbs/ft

 

Lol- that's how he broke it in the first place.

 

Most larger torque wrenches aren't accurate below 10 or even 20 ft-lbs, so buy an in-lbs wrench.

 

Funny this happened to me too. There is a bit at Menards you can get to screw this out. It is called a screw extractor. Get the smallest one you see on the shelf. On the back of the packaging, it tells you which drill bit you should use. Get that one. Next get a small tapping punch.

Open up your valve cover gasket. get a large plastic bag and put a hole in it. Put that bag around where you will drill so no shavings get into your engine. Lining up where you put the hole and where you're going to drill. Tape it up if you can. put the punch in the center of the bolt, use a hammer and tap it. Drill that broken screw.. (Using a high speed drill, start slow of course) drill just enough to tap the screw extractor in. Take the Screw extractor and use a hammer to tap it in. Take a vice and slowly work it counterclockwise.... use a shop vac and suck out anything before putting in a new screw. that's it! Good luck!!