Broke my valve cover bolt off like an idiot

lo-n-slo

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So in my attempt to redo my spark plug seals I over tightened the bottom right bolt as I was literally thinking in my head what 8 pounds feels like and to not over tighten and....snap. All of the threads are inside the hole. I understand that it will have to have a tap and dye done, any other ideas? All of these problems I've had with starting the car and now this... So frustrated.


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HeX

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You need a drink.
 


dancam

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Its a die. And did you break the bolt or strip the threads? Just not sure what you mean by 'all the threads are in the hole...'


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lo-n-slo

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I'm having one one now HeX. I'm fed up.


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lo-n-slo

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Its a die. And did you break the bolt or strip the threads? Just not sure what you mean by 'all the threads are in the hole...'


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I broke the bolt off there is nothing to grip onto, either. [emoji24]


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Diana Nam

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I broke the bolt off there is nothing to grip onto, either. [emoji24]


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it happens sometimes. just drill it straight and tap it use helicoil to have the same size thread and buy new hardware
 

dancam

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I broke the bolt off there is nothing to grip onto, either. [emoji24]


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Good! Thats easier than stripped threads!
it happens sometimes. just drill it straight and tap it use helicoil to have the same size thread and buy new hardware
Woah! What? Just find a good small sharp drill bit, drill in the centre of the bolt and use a left hand screw extractor. Might need some heat. If you have a dremel tool another option is using a small grinding wheel to cut a flat spot for a flatblade screwdriver to fit in. Again, may need some heat or an impact screwdriver with a flatblade.


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Diana Nam

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Good! Thats easier than stripped threads!

Woah! What? Just find a good small sharp drill bit, drill in the centre of the bolt and use a left hand screw extractor. Might need some heat. If you have a dremel tool another option is using a small grinding wheel to cut a flat spot for a flatblade screwdriver to fit in. Again, may need some heat or an impact screwdriver with a flatblade.


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you can't cut grooves into it he would be cutting into his cam caps. and the spot his broke gets broken often. helicoil is a replacment thread fixer by drilling out the hole slightly bigger and threading the hole then you insert the piece in make it back to factory size so he can use new factory hardware. often better and stronger. stock threads aren't cut deep. stripped thread is actually easier cause you don't have to do any extra work of getting the broken bolt haft out of the hole.

majority of machine shops uses helicoil to fix stripped head bolts threads in the block
 
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dancam

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you can't cut grooves into it he would be cutting into his cam caps. and the spot his broke gets broken often. helicoil is a replacment thread fixer by drilling out the hole slightly bigger and threading the hole then you insert the piece in make it back to factory size so he can use new factory hardware. often better and stronger. stock threads aren't cut deep. stripped thread is actually easier cause you don't have to do any extra work of getting the broken bolt haft out of the hole.
majority of machine shops uses helicoil to fix stripped head bolts threads in the block
I know what helicoils are for, he doesn't have stripped threads... And why would he cut into his cam caps? These are 8mm bolts aren't they? Unless it broke off deeper inside the threads, but normally things break flush.


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Diana Nam

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I know what helicoils are for, he doesn't have stripped threads... And why would he cut into his cam caps? These are 8mm bolts aren't they? Unless it broke off deeper inside the threads, but normally things break flush.


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yes but actual size and thread pitch is m6 x 1.0 i already had this problem 10 million times with the d series

they are 10mm bolts
 
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dancam

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Ok, same diff, im sure the op will have no problem figuring out how to use a dremel on that if its broken flush.
And you should get a torque wrench if you have that much of a problem.

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Diana Nam

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Ok, same diff, im sure the op will have no problem figuring out how to use a dremel on that if its broken flush.
And you should get a torque wrench if you have that much of a problem.

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i have but you know any human can do 10-12ft lb by hand factory would be like around 6-8ft-lb. cutting discs on dremel is still not small enough i know i cause i have dremels i do a lot of of cylinder head porting and intake manifold porting and polishing for poeple.

@dancam in case your wondering i am a technician, have been so for the last 9 yrs. its my profession/career

a lot of time if something looks easy to do its actually harder and things that look hard or complicated is actually easier, 9/10 times this is true
 
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5SpeedEJ6

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I'd bring it to a shop. Seems like you'd mess it up pretty good if it goes wrong. If it makes you feel any better, I broke 3 out of the 5 there is on my current EK. Brought it to a shop, they told me it was a pain in the ass to fix lol.
 

Diana Nam

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I'd bring it to a shop. Seems like you'd mess it up pretty good if it goes wrong. If it makes you feel any better, I broke 3 out of the 5 there is on my current EK. Brought it to a shop, they told me it was a pain in the ass to fix lol.
well if any thing he can just source another cam cap and just get another valve cover bolt to make it even easier

i used a tire valve to plug the hole up for the time being lol but hay it worked...
 
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dancam

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@dancam in case your wondering i am a technician, have been so for the last 9 yrs. its my profession/career
I know, you mention that regularly. Not sure how you have a job and manage to post here every 15 minutes, but whatever.
i have but you know any human can do 10-12ft lb by hand factory would be like around 6-8ft-lb. cutting discs on dremel is still not small enough i know i cause i have dremels i do a lot of of cylinder head porting and intake manifold porting and polishing for poeple.
Yes, this is why i do not take my vehicles to dealerships ever and why i avoid independent shops for things except alignments and balancing. You've been a technician for 9 years and dont know how to make a cut-off wheel smaller...
a lot of time if something looks easy to do its actually harder and things that look hard or complicated is actually easier, 9/10 times this is true
Wow, you haven't learned much in 9 years including how to estimate have you? Too bad your not still at a dealership. Thats why i avoid independent places too.

To the op: hope you figure out how to fix it. I hope you can just remove the bolt. There could be problems with replacing just the cap, im not sure about your car. I will post a link to another thread about that for a different gen of civic. Dont drill it unless you are confident you wont get off centre, on an angle or slip. Take it to a shop if you dont trust yourself to do it straight. Just taking the cap to a machine shop would probably be cheapest.

Good luck!

Here is the thread about a guy wanting to replace his cam cap because he broke it installing a helicoil. '02 Civic Head Issue: Broken Cap
http://www.clubcivic.com/forum/index.php?threads/'02-Civic-Head-Issue:-Broken-Cap.229333/


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Diana Nam

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I know, you mention that regularly. Not sure how you have a job and manage to post here every 15 minutes, but whatever.

Yes, this is why i do not take my vehicles to dealerships ever and why i avoid independent shops for things except alignments and balancing. You've been a technician for 9 years and dont know how to make a cut-off wheel smaller...

Wow, you haven't learned much in 9 years including how to estimate have you? Too bad your not still at a dealership. Thats why i avoid independent places too.

To the op: hope you figure out how to fix it. I hope you can just remove the bolt. There could be problems with replacing just the cap, im not sure about your car. I will post a link to another thread about that for a different gen of civic. Dont drill it unless you are confident you wont get off centre, on an angle or slip. Take it to a shop if you dont trust yourself to do it straight. Just taking the cap to a machine shop would probably be cheapest.

Good luck!

Here is the thread about a guy wanting to replace his cam cap because he broke it installing a helicoil. '02 Civic Head Issue: Broken Cap
http://www.clubcivic.com/forum/index.php?threads/'02-Civic-Head-Issue:-Broken-Cap.229333/


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??? actually i work the most efficient way... lol the time it takes you do it that was i would already have it done and the car out already. fyi this still one way when your way won't work and it it has happened where your way hasn't worked.. so i still stand correct, also you obviously aren't very proficient in this so and to fact that you didn't even think twice about that fact that your way has seen equal amount of times that it just won't work that way...
 

lo-n-slo

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Thank you all for the help. I'd buy you all a beer if I could. Just backed it out with the left hand bit suggested and replaced it with a 10mm bolt of the same thread length and slapped a grommet on it. Y'all rock. Now I have a new vc gasket, spark plug seals installed correctly so they don't leak into my plugs, and new NGK Vpower plugs. Now I can focus back on my cold start thread, lol.


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