After removing my valve cover for a 2nd time to correct for the chain rattle in my '93 240SX, I noticed that my centre front valve cover bolt wouldn't tighten up, when I was reinstalling the cover, so I unbolted it and inspected it. It looked OK, so I put it back it, same thing.
Now I'm thinking the centre rubber gasket must have gotten nudged out of position when I slid the cover on, and decided to pulled the cover off to make sure. All the bolts came out except that one and the centre one.
What's alarming is that they turn both ways with minimal force, but they won't wind themselves out of the holes. I've tried and tried, and now one of them have metal shaving coming out from underneath it. I'm at my wit's end.
What do I do? Would tapping a hole on the bolt and using a removal tool work here?
Modified by high flya at 7:18 PM 11/29/2005
Valve cover bolts won't come out! Help!
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s13sr20chris
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Re: Valve cover bolts won't come out! Help! (high flya)
no, that wont work. what you should do is drill the nut/stud combo untill you can work the valve cover off. then you will have to cut the stud off and drill it out. then a helicoil should get you some nice new threads for a new stud and nut.
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Ni2s4s0aSnX
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Re: Valve cover bolts won't come out! Help! (s13sr20chris)
try using a torque wrench to get them off.
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high flya
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s13sr20chris, could you elaborate a bit further about what it is you think I should do?
Do you mean that I should drill a hole vertically on the bolt, then put in a screw to get more leverage on the bolt to pull it out? Anything more you can tell me would be really helpful.
Ni2s4s0aSnX, what does a torque wrench do that a normal ratchet won't here when it comes to gripping the head of the bolt to pull it out?
Do you mean that I should drill a hole vertically on the bolt, then put in a screw to get more leverage on the bolt to pull it out? Anything more you can tell me would be really helpful.
Ni2s4s0aSnX, what does a torque wrench do that a normal ratchet won't here when it comes to gripping the head of the bolt to pull it out?
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zer0c123
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Re: Valve cover bolts won't come out! Help! (high flya)
Did you use a torque wrench when you bolted the cover back up 1st time and did you follow the bolt pattern in the FSM?
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s13sr20chris
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Re: (high flya)
theres your problem. torque specs are usually great if you dont ever have to take the sucker apart. some things you have to under torque to keep some stretch out of the bolt(or stud in this case).
what you want to do is drill the nut and stud with a drill bit that is bigger than the stud. i think the stud is prob a 6mm so a 1/4 inch would be plenty big(i think). do that just enough to where the nut pops off and you are able to get the v/c off.
great, now you have the v/c off and some screwed up stud right? now you need to get a helicoil set in the size of the stud and buy the drill size that the helicoil says you need. use that to drill out the stud all the way. it will remove the threads from the head too. then you just have a plain hole. you use the helicoil set to get good strong threads in the head.
what you want to do is drill the nut and stud with a drill bit that is bigger than the stud. i think the stud is prob a 6mm so a 1/4 inch would be plenty big(i think). do that just enough to where the nut pops off and you are able to get the v/c off.
great, now you have the v/c off and some screwed up stud right? now you need to get a helicoil set in the size of the stud and buy the drill size that the helicoil says you need. use that to drill out the stud all the way. it will remove the threads from the head too. then you just have a plain hole. you use the helicoil set to get good strong threads in the head.
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Ni2s4s0aSnX
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Re: (high flya)
The torque wrench is more powerful than a regular ratchet.
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yellow_jacket
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Re: (Ni2s4s0aSnX)
A torque wrench should not be used for breaking things loose unless you are trying to figure out the torque a particular fastner was installed to.
Torque wrenches are not more powerful than regular ratches, it is actually the opposite. Using torque wrenches above the recommended settings will actually throw them out of calibration.
As far as removing the bolts, it sounds like you stipped them. since they are so easy to spin, try pulling up on them and turning them with a set of pliers/channel locks/vice-grips etc. If this doesn't work, try picking up on the valve cover while loosening the bolt(s).
Torque wrenches are not more powerful than regular ratches, it is actually the opposite. Using torque wrenches above the recommended settings will actually throw them out of calibration.
As far as removing the bolts, it sounds like you stipped them. since they are so easy to spin, try pulling up on them and turning them with a set of pliers/channel locks/vice-grips etc. If this doesn't work, try picking up on the valve cover while loosening the bolt(s).