i just resealed my rocker arm/valve covers but the last bolt i tightened moved in a way that felt wrong so i started loosening it and it wont come out...it just spins and spins.. i cant get a drill in there. what do i do?!?!

If you have room to clamp onto it with Vicegrips, straight on, not at a right angle, turn and simultaneously pull.

ok ill give it a shot... ive been using a ratchet wrench

it worked... i was so freaked out i wasnt thinking really

so it turns out that i snapped the female threaded piece in the cam carrier in half.. i JB welded it and im hoping for the best...

I have an ER27 just north of Seattle for you with about 80K on it. Give me a days notice and it's yours for $200.00. I need make room for other projects as I sold the XT6. Timing belts and covers are on and included.

post back if it doesn't hold, we'll figure something out. i've had to fix a lot of metal stuff, stripped threads, chunk of the block coming out with the timing tensioner pulley bolt (seen that twice), etc. there's usually something permanent that can be done. JB weld in my experience isn't that robust on stuff that's moving/shaking, etc.

post back if it doesn't hold, we'll figure something out. i've had to fix a lot of metal stuff, stripped threads, chunk of the block coming out with the timing tensioner pulley bolt (seen that twice), etc. there's usually something permanent that can be done. JB weld in my experience isn't that robust on stuff that's moving/shaking, etc.

 

well its just the valve cover so i think theres a good chance it will hold.

if it doesnt im glad these heads split in half so i dont have to change a head gasket (which i have never done before) although getting a cam carrier gasket might be difficult. they probably need to be replaced anyways and this gives me an excuse to send the cams down to delta cam in tacoma

there's no gasket on the cam carrier. but you'll wish there was as you have to clean out all the old sealant and squeeze in a new bead of sealant all the way around the cam carrier groove!

so im screwed but thats cool that theres no gasket i guess... so i need a new one and i have to tear my engine apart to put it in... anyone still wana sell me one?

like i said, JB weld is not a good fix for something like this.

 

if it's bone dry i'd try to fix it. if it's leaking anyway then maybe replacing it is a good idea. you'll need:

1. cam seal

2. cam cap oring

3. cam carrier oring (available from subaru or thepartsbin.com only)

4. anaerobic sealant (or your favorite substitute).

 

you just need a cam carrier? i've got cam carriers, valve covers, etc.

 

but you can probably fix it, just post up a picture. many times there's a rather simple fix. if you can post a picture and follow directions we might be able to help you.

 

swapping cam carriers is kind of annoying, the rockers all fall out and have to be greased to stay in place as you snake the cam carrier back in place without knocing the hanging rocker arms off. not bad really, but not something i look forward to either.

ok thank you for the shopping list but the jb weld was used on a snapped part inside the cam carrier where th ebolt threads into. the female threaded section (whatever its called) snapped in half on the inside. this means i cant bolt down the valve/rocker arm cover so i would need a new cam carrier unless theres another fix

ok thank you for the shopping list but \....... so i would need a new cam carrier unless theres another fix

the shopping list was the parts you would need to replace the cam carrier.

 

the cam carrier has a metal insert that's used for threading the valve cover bolts into.

 

if any of the insert is still left - you could get a longer bolt to reach the deeper threads. the inserts and threads are deeper than the original bolt so often times a longer bolt will grab lower threads. this still leaves you in a debacle since those valve cover bolts are funny shaped, so you'd have to get creative if you choose this option.

 

personally for the 100% success route i'd drill it out and helicoil it. which one is it - bottom with terrible access or top with lots of access?

 

or you could just remove it from the car and do it since you'd have to do that anyway to replace it. i usually opt for tools over parts in situations like this as the tool is usable into the future, the part is not. future repairs will be "free". you can get right angle drill attachments, that's what i have (they're really cheap and allow you to drill at a 90 degree angle) or even rent/borrow right angle drills. then shear/snap your drill bits in half to shorten their length.

 

if you've never done it - helicoils are really simple and on a benign part like this there's hardly any chance of error. drill a hole, tap, insert helicoil, and you're done.

 

you can unbolt the two lower engine mount nuts (14mm), and the pitch rod up top behind the throttle body and then jack the engine up a few inches for more room to work with.

 

good luck, these are always annoying but you'll get it done.

Edited April 25, 201114 yr by grossgary