OverlandSteve

I just wanted to change out my valve cover gasket. It was my only leak. Things went smoothly, until I started to unbolt the cover. Everything was way too loose. I popped the cover off, and to my horror, a lone broken-off stud remained in the head. I knew I hadn't broken a bolt, so I looked through the studs I pulled out, and sure enough, whoever did this before me broke off a stud and put it back together with silicone. Great. Even better, as I'm putting the cover back on, I notice none of the studs will tighten... totally stripped... and then, amazingly, after just getting them finger tight, I broke off three studs in the back and I barely had them snug... what. the. hell. I swear whoever did this before me went nuts with an impact because that's the only way I can explain it... so now what, do I have to take it to a shop to drill/retap all my threads? I don't have any taps, and, because I'm 17 and my dad is pissed, he doesn't want me to work on it anymore...

jeep3200

This is something that you can fix yourself. The studs are not rusted in head so they should come out if you can get them to turn.

When the studs broke, is there any part sticking out of the hole that you can get some type of pliers on? Is there at least enough that you can put a notch into the remnant with a file, hacksaw blade, drimel tool with a wheel? If you can than you can use a screw driver to get the stub out.

You might be lucky enough that you can catch a part of the broken end with a small screwdriver and get it out without doing anything.

if these do not work then you may have to drill it out.

You can drill these out yourself. Go to Harbor Freight or somewhere else that sells left hand drill bits. You can get a set for about $10.

My guess is that once the drill bit starts to get a good bite the remaining part will back out leaving the threads undamaged.

On the back of the head this will be a bit of a challenge, but a good learning experience.

Good luck and have fun learning how to work on your Jeep

OverlandSteve

Well, you see I had called my uncle who's a mechanic, and he told me to do exactly that, so I did haha, but for just the one stud (I hadn't broken the other ones yet), and the bit would bite but the drill wouldn't turn... also I would do this on the other broken studs BUT the problem is that the rest of the studs are stripped... they won't tighten... I mean every single bolt except for maybe 2 is either broken or stripped...

scottmphoto

Even Wal-Mart sells an "easy out" kit. You drill a small hole in the bolt and then switch to the easy out. Use the drill in reverse and it'll usually pull the bolt out unless it's REALLY stuck in there.

jeep3200

If the bolts are stripped you can replace them at the hardware store. The fancy studs can be replaced with a section thread rod and a nut and washer.

For the stripped threads in the head, it is a bit more work.

You need to get a helicoil tap, inserts, insertion tool and the correct drill bit to make the hole bigger for the inserts. This will allow you to use the bolts or studs that are still good.

You can often find heli coil or comparable kits at the auto parts store. They are a bit pricy, but they can not be beat.

For the parts that are still stuck in the head you can slowly work to drill them out with the left hand bits. increasing in size till the remnants come out or you can get an easy out in. At some point you just drill it out and helicoil.

The other option is to drill out what you can and then refill the hole with JB Weld. Then get a bottoming tap for the size of the current hardware and the correct drill bit. Then drill the new hole and then tap for new threads.

CompleteCherokee

make sure to torque them to factory specs, instead of 'tight' or 'feels right'. Most people are surprised at how LITTLE torque the bolts need to hold things together (in lbs instead of ft lbs)

salad

For what it's worth, this is where the Felpro PermaDry Plus really shines. The little inserts limiting fastener travel take both brain and brawn out of the job. Little 1/4" ratchet is all you need.

Cork of course is an excercise in frustration.

OverlandSteve

See I got the Felpro Gasket, and I also thought the ratchet was all I needed... and I ended up breaking 3 bolts with barely any force. I mean I had them finger tight, and on the first 1/8 turn they broke... It isn't leaking though which is amazing, but I feel like it will in about a month if I don't fix it.

As for buying the taps I need for the head, I'll talk to my dad about it. He just wants me to take it in to have it professionally done, but I wonder if he would be interested in doing it with me... I have 0 experience with taps so I don't know if starting on the head in my jeep doing almost every single hole is a good idea w/out some help.

CompleteCherokee

if you've never done it, watch youtube videos for a how-to (great resource when you've never done something b4)

salad

...damn dude. I just firmed mine up to 'reasonable' with a little 6" ratchet. How rusty can your bolts possibly be in SoCal?

CCKen

Measure the length of the bolts that were installed. OEM bolts are 1" long. If you're lucky, the bolts installed are too short and only the first section of threads are butchered and 1" long bolts will pick up they un-butchered threads. If you're unlucky and the original bolts are 1" and the threads are butchered all the way down, then you are in a would of hurt.

The OEM bolts are 1/4-20". If you have a Lowe's store near you they carry 1/4-20, flange head bolts. Get them.

Another consideration concerning the valve cover bolts is that there are several bolt holes in the rear of the head that are blind holes, i.e., they are not drilled all the way through. These bolt holes can get filled with engine oil when changing the valve cover gasket and when a bolt is tightened down it will hydraulic lock on the oil, as though it where bottomed out in the hole; tightening these bolts too much will snap the head off the bolt. The blind holes MUST be clean and free from oil.

Bolt/stud torque is 87 inch/pounds.

There must be "Torque Limiters" installed in the bolt hole grommets in the valve cover. The torque limiters are steel sleeves with a flange on the outer surface. Felpro gasket kits come with new grommets but not torque limiters. If your torque limiters are missing see if you can get some at the bone yard. Do not assemble the cover to the head without torque limiters.

OverlandSteve

The Jeep is originally from Indiana, owned by a mechanic there, then brought to Cal. by the PO. Funny thing is, so far the only rust has been on bolts, nothing on the body...

Now that I think about it, I bet that's what I did... I must have wiped some oil down in there... As for the rest of the threads, I talked to the PO, apparently they had some trouble with their mechanic while they owned it... I'm guessing he used an impact on the valve cover and stripped some threads.

You know, what's funny is that I watched two videos on youtube about replacing the valve cover, and it all went smoothly for them... lucky me I guess haha

CompleteCherokee

yep, what works for one may not work for others. I've been the victim of broken bolts due to crud in the cavity before. Now, whenever I remove a bolt, the last thing I do is run a thread chaser into the hole (note, NOT the same thing as a tap which cuts new threads) and blow it out with compressed air (making sure to cover any openings of internal engine components). I do it as a routine to make sure everything is as clean and straight as possible. I then start all bolts by hand until they have positive thread engagement. For the torque on small items, here is a good inch pound wrench:
http://www.modernbike.com/product-21...FSsV7AodHGAAQw