cam cover bolt stripped

[675Rider]

So I adjusted my valves, then I started putting my cam cover back on and one of the bolt receivers, whatever it is called that the bolt screws into, is stripped. Im guessing I may be fucked, but Im gonna take it to the shop. Hopefully they can fix it without graping me in the mouth too much. I don't think it could be tapped to use a larger size bolt.

Thoughts?

[rybo]

are all of the other ones solid?

If so you might be able to use a helicoil

[675Rider]

They are good. Just that one. I was looking at the helical but I have never used one. Do you have to drill and tap then put the helicoil in? I would have to take the engine out probably to do that.

[rybo]

yeah, that's the typical routine. A good shop may have some tools that fit into small places better, but this will likely be your least expensive route.

[jcj81]

Did it strip or cross thread? How I read it is it pulled all the threads out of the bolt hole? Just trying to clairify cross thread is usually what happens.

[FZRguy]

Helicoil that bitch...it's easy.

[675Rider]

Yup, pulled the threads out of the bolt hole. I am guessing whoever put it in last must have torqued it down too much. Unless vibration could do that.

Im going to het what I ned to helicoil it today.

[675Rider]

Why the hell would you design something like this?????? Steel bolt in aluminum? WTF! Why not put a steel jacket in there???? Dumb ass bastards!

[moep]

I have used helicoil on my cars and they work great.

[laspariahs]

Time-Sert... It is a steel jacket.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Have been forced to helicoil cam caps with great success before. Standard procedure and steel bolts in aluminum works just fine. Trying to add some sort of insert in every threaded hole from the factory - just in case some end user screws it up - would add rediculous cost to the product.

[jcj81]

Clean treads and a torque wrench, most small bolts on the head are less than 100 inch lbs. torque if you use a 1/4 ratchet and tighend good'n'tight will be way over spec, just a thought for all and when going back together

[675Rider]

I do not think adding steel jackets to every bolt hole is necessary, but to bolt holes that are used repeatedly for maintenance makes sense. I always use a torque wrench when aluminum is involved. Somehow they got stripped or were damaged before I worked on them.

I ended up using a helicoil kit on the two center bolts. It looks as if someone used one on another hole as well.

[Mac020]

I use to work for a company that made Military Flight hardware and we installed helicoils in 90 percent of the aluminum parts that we made.

When one of the valve cover screws on the Beemer stripped; I went through and put helicoils in all the rest. No more worries and the torque settings are more consistent.

You can get a kit at most auto parts and/or specialty bolt stores.

To install a helicoil;

Carefully cover everything you can with a paper towel to keep the chips out of the engine.

Put a couple drops of oil in the hole and drill out the old threads until you feel the drill bottom out. Go slow and keep it square.

Use some more oil to lubricate the tap and tap the hole.

The tricky part is starting the tap square, go slow for the first couple of turns, once the tap is started make about 2 or 3 turns and back-off a quarter turn each time to break the chip. Screw the tap in and go 3 or 4 more turns after you think it's deep enough. (You can put some tape around the tap to tell how deep you are going). Be careful not to bottom the tap out! They break very easily at the bottom of the hole! There are ways of getting a broken tap out of a hole, but trust me, if you break the tap you are FUBAR.

Blow out the hole and install the helicoil with the installation tool until the wire is flush, then give it 1.5 more turns, break off the tang with a drift punch, blow it out of the hole, and you're done.

If you break the tang before the helicoil is deep enough. You can grab it with some needle nose pliers and wind it out of the hole. Carefully re-tap the hole and try again.

Good luck!

[cbrjohnny]

this is why we have torque specs...

[675Rider]

Provided "trained" mechanics actually use them...

[Bueller]

JB weld then drill and tap it.

[675Rider]

The helicoil kit worked really well. Pretty easy to use.

[moep]

The helicoil kit worked really well. Pretty easy to use.

Great news.