*snap!* aawwww CHRIST!

[evol90accord]

So i was putting my oil pan back on last night with my shiny new gasket, and i snapped two of the bolts that hold the drivers side corner of the pan in place. So much for my torque wrench... it snapped at less than 120 in/lbs. Broke em off right at the block so I can't grip em with anything.

So, how would you go about getting the studs out? Drill n Tap, or do you think these "Easy out" bits at autozone will work?

[90AccordSiR]

i broke a bolt off when i was doing my cam swap and i went to napa and bought an easy-out. Super easy to use if your steady with a drill. You only need a little dimple really for the easy out to grab onto. than you just chcuk the easy out into the drill and press hard and reverse it out. Are you sure you didnt use ft. lbs? every one has made that mistake i think.

[4GAccordH22]

I would try the "Easy Outs" first, just make sure they go in straight and above all, take your time! Then I would probably replace all of the bolts, not just the ones that broke since they are all the same age/condition.

Good luck

[2.2litrebeater]

those easy outs are bad ass, one of those tools you hardly ever use but are like gold when you need em. anyway i agree with 4gaccord, maybe you should try replaceing the bolts if they break that easily.

[ZigenBallZ]

EDIT: ownd by reading... NM

[accordaffair]

I was thinking to myself, since it's just a bolt couldn't you put 2 nuts on it, then turn the bottom one to loosen it? I've done it before with intake manifold bolts, I assume it would work on valve cover bolts as well.

Here's a crappy illustration, I have a pic I can put up later if my rambling doesn't make sense...

||
||
[] -nut 2
[] -nut 1
||
||
tighten nut 2 so its tight against nut 1, then take a wrench and turn nut 1 to loosen, it won't come off because nut 2 will stop it (if its not tight enough, use a second wrench to tighten nut 2 against nut 1) if the nut do their job and hold tight you will loosen the bolt, not the nut(s)...make sense?

[93wagonEX]

all torque wrenches aren't equal, and low amounts are even more likely to be wrong for some reason.......

as well as not being calibrated as often as they should.

[evol90accord]

As far as calibration is concerned, it should still be calibrated. I only bought it maybe 3 months ago and I've used it twice. Is it true if you leave a torque wrench at any setting besides zero in storage it will lose calibration faster? My auto teacher said you should always store these things as loose as possible to keep their calibration longer... just wondering.

I can't really blame the bolts snapping on the torque wrench though, because the bolts are obviously soft and worn from 15 years of heating and cooling, over and over again.

[HondaFan81]

It should be standard practice not to leave the torque wrenches in a compressed mode. You should release the load off the torque wrench when your finished with it, then store it. Also, I found out through first-hand experience, torque wrenches do not like winter temps (I live in Michigan). Store it inside where it's warmer, I made the mistake of leaving it in the garage which is not very well insulated and the torque wrench eventually started slipping gears on me, not allowing me to tighten anything, it would just break free randomly. I luckily got Sears to exhange me a new one, but it is not standard practice for them to do so. They only exhange for a remanufactured or new part for hand-tools only they say.

Since I been doing this, I haven't had any issues with the 3 torque wrenches we have.

[Clueless]

It should be standard practice not to leave the torque wrenches in a compressed mode. You should release the load off the torque wrench when your finished with it, then store it. Also, I found out through first-hand experience, torque wrenches do not like winter temps (I live in Michigan). Store it inside where it's warmer, I made the mistake of leaving it in the garage which is not very well insulated and the torque wrench eventually started slipping gears on me, not allowing me to tighten anything, it would just break free randomly. I luckily got Sears to exhange me a new one, but it is not standard practice for them to do so. They only exhange for a remanufactured or new part for hand-tools only they say.

Since I been doing this, I haven't had any issues with the 3 torque wrenches we have.

Your Sears suck... I've broke many tools (Some were pretty old) and they replaced them without questions. I walked right in and they took the tool I broke and gave me another one equivilent to one I'd just broke. After all, they have a lifetime warrenty on ALL of their tools, even the one's that aren't meant for a paticular job! Next time they get "iffy", leave and go to another SEARS.

Caleb

PS: I buy SEARS tools for this very reason and no other tools can subsitute for the quality and service in my books.

[xtremeskier97]

I was thinking to myself, since it's just a bolt couldn't you put 2 nuts on it, then turn the bottom one to loosen it? I've done it before with intake manifold bolts, I assume it would work on valve cover bolts as well.

Here's a crappy illustration, I have a pic I can put up later if my rambling doesn't make sense...

||
||
[] -nut 2
[] -nut 1
||
||
tighten nut 2 so its tight against nut 1, then take a wrench and turn nut 1 to loosen, it won't come off because nut 2 will stop it (if its not tight enough, use a second wrench to tighten nut 2 against nut 1) if the nut do their job and hold tight you will loosen the bolt, not the nut(s)...make sense?

This might work.....if he had something to get the nuts on. He said he snapped them off right at the block/pan.

[Clueless]

You could weld the pan to the block... ....Just kidding, you might start a fire doing it! Is there a new bolt you can replace it with? You could use JB weld, just clean off the surface and let it cure completely... also, if you do this, becareful not to strip the drain plug thread cause if you do.... Hmm... maybe JB weld isn't a good idea after all...

Good luck
Caleb

[HondaFan81]

Your Sears suck... I've broke many tools (Some were pretty old) and they replaced them without questions. I walked right in and they took the tool I broke and gave me another one equivilent to one I'd just broke. After all, they have a lifetime warrenty on ALL of their tools, even the one's that aren't meant for a paticular job! Next time they get "iffy", leave and go to another SEARS.

Caleb

PS: I buy SEARS tools for this very reason and no other tools can subsitute for the quality and service in my books.

They give no problems or hassle regarding hand tools replacement/exchange...but it's the specialized tools that cost more money that are a different situation.

[Clueless]

They give no problems or hassle regarding hand tools replacement/exchange...but it's the specialized tools that cost more money that are a different situation.

Perhaps.... I hope my torque rench doesn't break any time soon!

Caleb

[wed3k]

all torque wrenches aren't equal, and low amounts are even more likely to be wrong for some reason.......

just snug them all up in the correct pattern, then with ONE hand, tighten them the best you can, the average person will twist them 100/150 in/lbs that way, depending on extension length...just keep going over them until they're all as tight as that one hand will get them and you'll be fine...if you're strong, a bit less than max, etc.........IMO, torque wrenches are only good for internals.........i've NEVER had an issue with torquing something if i didn't use it the rest of the time........it's kinda ***

yea, i dont torque shit down either...just tighten them...