I took my car to get a new valve cover gasket and grommet set done at a local shop. I would normally do this myself but I've been busy label. I picked up the car and on the second day I started smelling burning oil. I looked under the hood and traced an oil leak coming from where the distributor meets the cylinder head. I took and 12 to see if the dizzy was loose and the all the bolts were fine but the bolt closer to the radiator is stripped. I called them asked them if they had removed the dizzy and they said yes to clean the area. I explained to them that they stripped a bolt since I had never removed it. Anyways they don't wanna be fix it and I have to get my car working because its leaking a lot and my commute is kinda long.



Its the lower left bolt facing this picture. The dizzy is on there good. It doesn't move at all and it doesn't leak while idling. It only seems to start leaking once I'm on the road. How can I fix this? I don't have the tools to re-tap it but if I have to ill get it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

that one bolt shouldn't make your car leak there. the other two is enough to keep the o-ring on the dizzy sealed. the o-ring might be damaged/ripped. you should still fix the stripped bolt later but for now, check to see where the leak is actually coming from first.

if i remember correctly the stock bolts are shallow. it does not go all the way through the threaded holes. you can also get a longer bolt and try to put it through. dont over tq that new bolt. this is why i bought longer bolts on my car because i tend to over tq things myself. this may have saved me a couple of times.

 

Thanks for the reply. I pulled the dizzy out to check the ring and it looks good. No tears rips and its not warped. I cleaned off the contact area and put it back on. I cleaned the entire area including the head to double check the leak. The entire top of my tranny is covered in oil and its dripping from where that lower bolt. Ill degrease again and check.

 

theyre easy to strip.

worst one is the top one where you cant get a 6pt socket around it.

i keep spares.

 

check the valve cover gasket, since you just got some work done.

 

I cleaned it all up. Im gonna take it for a long drive and report back.