I was under the car going over nuts and bolts to check tightness and after doing the oil pan I moved to the 10mm bolts on the bottom of the "valve cover" (I believe that's what it is lol) and the one was loose. Upon trying to tighten it it just spun and when I touched and and pulled out on it it just slid out.. I tried to put it back in but it doesn't get tight. I put a tap in there to try to reap it but the tap just false around like there is nothing even in there?? I'm lost please help. Right now I put jb quick steel over the bolt to try and hold it in place until I can figure this out. It's up again the frame too so it would be next to impossible to drill and tap...

I miss read when I wrote my reply.  Had to rethink.

 

Sounds like the threads are totally stripped out.

 

If it's an EA82. 

A tap should fit in the space.  But you have to use a wrench to turn it, not a typical tap handle.

 

The drill is the problem.   Only thing I can think of is a small right angle drill / adapter, with a very short bit. 

Edited January 11, 201610 yr by DaveT

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Edited January 10, 201610 yr by DaveT

EA81 or. EA82?

Some folks have talked about wrapping the bolt with a thin piece of copper wire.  Might be worth a try.

My guess is ea82 since the valve cover holes thread into the aluminum came towers. I worked on a ea82 that came with a broke bolt for the valve cover which had the grommet plus a nail holding it on. I pulled that off, cleaned the surface and the grommet then put on high temp rtv. It hasn't leaked or fallen off yet for my buddy.

You could also try a helicoil but i don't know if they make it in the correct size.

They do make Helicoils for the size of those bolts.  They are 6mm, but I don't remember the pitch.

OK. As long as the hole has something in it stopping the oil from blowing out I should be ok? I'm looking to get a newer car within the next month or so. It's an ea82. With a Helicoil isn't it necessary for me to drill the hole out?

Yes, the tap drill size is slightly bigger than the stripped out hole.

Just pick up another camshaft tower from your local pick-n-pull.  You will need some gasket maker from your motorcycle shop.  It takes maybe 2 hours to replace one.  Heli-coils are a joke because you do not engage any more threads than what your screw has engaged.  Full length solid threaded inserts are the only way to go, if you are going to piss away your time on hole repair.

I agree with the previous post you may need to get a new can tower I thought I had a stripped hole it turned out that the entire boss broke off from over tightening and left aluminum chunks in the motor there is no way to fix it pull the valve cover all the way off check it if there's any chunks pull them out you can use silicone rtv sealent to seal the hole and the valve cover till you get a new can tower its not a fun or simple repair if it is the can tower but its not hard to do

You should be ok for a temp fix, as long as the oil cant blow out