Valve Cover Bolts

[MansuAccord]

Sup guys, one of my valve cover bolts snapped and almost the whole threaded part that goes into the head is stuck in there and one in the front, the hole is partially stripped, it has some thread where it can tighten but if you turn it like half a turn more it will be loose again, really a bummer for me just got the car (94 Accord EX coupe) couple weeks ago too, anyone know how to remedy these 2 bolt problems, need your guys help and expertise since i dunno much about CDs but know a lot about CBs...thanks


Glenn

[vietkid_2006]

You torqued them too much. Just hand tight on those valve cover bolts is all it needs.

go to the junk yard and pull off the valve covers of the car and i think it's a 12mm or 14mm wrench that you need to remove the threaded part that snapped off.

then just remove and replace on yours.

sorry if this doesn't make sense.

[benjiaccord]

Wow, handtight? Um, those have a torque spec on them for a reason. I had one strip the hole out in the head myself. I VERY CAREFULLY drilled it out, then re-tapped the hole. You have to be super careful because it HAS to be straight.

I took my valve cover bolt into the hardware store, found the next size up with a metric head and similar thread pitch, then bought the bolt, and the tap and dye set to go with it. Since it was a tad thicker, I had to drill out the valve cover bolt washer a little bit to slide on there. You HAVE to use the style that comes for the car because it is shaped like a cylinder almost so it seals into the valve cover.

As for the one that snapped off, where exactly did it snap off? If the part that snapped off is still in the block, you have to use an extraction kit. It drills out the center of the bolt, then uses an extraction bit to back it back out.

Hope this helps.

[TomQuick]

Benji bro, I think I would have drilled, and tapped the hole in the head, and then used a helicoil kit so I could use the original bolt in there.

OP, you're gonna need to remove the valve cover, which means getting a new gasket set, and you're gonna need to replace the bolt, and nut on top of it. You can probably get the bolt at a junk yard, but you'll need to use a new valve cover.

This would be a great opportunity to make things better, clean up the valve cover, and give it a nice coat of primer and paint!

As long as some of that original bolt is still there, you can either put a wrench on it, or use vise grips to grab it and remove it. Look up the torque specs both for the bolt to cylinder head, and for the nut to bolt, and use a torque wrench when you put it back together. If you don't have a torque wrench borrow one, or get one through the loaner tool program at a parts store, so that you don't break anything else, or have the new gasket leak on you.

[MansuAccord]

I wasn't the one who tightened them down came like that didn't know til couple days after when i was replacing my vtec solenoid gaskets...oh yeah its a F22B1 so the valve cover bolts is one piece not like the F22A1 or F22B2 where its a nut cap and a bolt that is in the head, the threaded part is stuck in the head, gonna go and get a bolt extractor kit, and for the other one might do the Heli coil stuff heard that it works wonders so you can re-use the same bolt....thanks for the info and replies guys appreciate it...

[MansuAccord]

Benji bro, I think I would have drilled, and tapped the hole in the head, and then used a helicoil kit so I could use the original bolt in there.

OP, you're gonna need to remove the valve cover, which means getting a new gasket set, and you're gonna need to replace the bolt, and nut on top of it. You can probably get the bolt at a junk yard, but you'll need to use a new valve cover.

This would be a great opportunity to make things better, clean up the valve cover, and give it a nice coat of primer and paint!

As long as some of that original bolt is still there, you can either put a wrench on it, or use vise grips to grab it and remove it. Look up the torque specs both for the bolt to cylinder head, and for the nut to bolt, and use a torque wrench when you put it back together. If you don't have a torque wrench borrow one, or get one through the loaner tool program at a parts store, so that you don't break anything else, or have the new gasket leak on you.

bolt's threaded part is stuck in the head nothing to grasp with a vise grip so i guess and extractor is the best way, only thing is drilling it straight on since the motor is slightly tilted it's the bolt right by where the corner is by the vtec solenoid....wish me luck...

[TomQuick]

An old speaker magnet (or any round magnet with a hole in the middle) placed so that you are drilling through the hole will help to collect the bits of metal that come out of the hole. You want to make absolutely sure that you catch and clean out any metal chips before you seal it up and run it.

[MansuAccord]

Thanks the extractor did the job, only problem now is that one bolt up front no threads looking from the top but someone the bottom, i can actually tighten the bolt so much, if i turn it anymore it'll come loose and have to tighten again, think best way is to drill out and tap a slight bigger bolt, or use HeliCoil, dunno how that works though, a lot of peeps swear buy it...

[TomQuick]

Think of a heli coil as the threads of a bolt, without the actual bolt, so they are hollow. They actually form threads on the outside, and inside both. They are made so that the inside threads are the same thread / pitch as your original fastener. The outside threads are sized larger. You drill out the hole, using the drill bit size specified by the helicoil kit, then thread in the insert. There is a little straight bit on the insert that you use to turn it in with. Once it's threaded all the way in, the little straight bit snaps off, leaving the steel threads in place. You then thread your original bolt (or a new replacement for it) into the repaired hole, instead of using a larger fastener which might require drilling out other holes / washers, etc.

[MansuAccord]

Thanks just picked up a Helicoil kit (M6mm x 1.0) but think I need a slightly longer length insert ones supplied are 8 or 9mm in length looks like I need a 12mm length insert, should I just use the ones supplied or get a slightly longer insert? since I took off the valve cover I replaced the valve cover gasket, spark plug seals, and grommets, and PCV valve.