Well, I'm now in the situation of having the ends of a dozen odd cam cover bolts lodged in my head.... Have no idea why they were stuck in there, but can only assume Allard used loctite or something on them when doing my cam.

Someone tell me the cover bolts are softer than the head. They weigh next to nothing so hoping they're made from stuff quite soft.... :(

Maybe worth trying an easyout before drilling the head.

Tech Tips - Easyout.

If it's just the heads snapping they may have been stretched at the shank, is there enough left on them to grip with mole grips.

They've come off clean with the head pretty much

Worst thing is I now know why they broke. I was turning the wrong F****NG way! (with myself) Might be a labour intensive job to get them out, but they broke so easily I'm hopefuly that it will not be too tough to extract them.

Still, gutted though. So much pride in my motor and I f*** it up with one moment of muppetry. The labour charge will be punishment enough....

Ya gotta remember man - righty tighty, lefty loosey... Or something!

Ya gotta remember man - righty tighty, lefty loosey... Or something!

Righty loosey, lefty tighty.......****y me thinksy, or something.

If the remnants of the bolts are still in the head, that's a head of job to drill them out. Don't want any metal left in the head.

Don't want any metal left in the head.

It will be a pain in the a55 indeed. Been googling for some called an "easy-out" but it sounds a bit "hit & miss" (like my ability at working on cars... )

The head can easily be covered up before drilling. It will just need different sized drill bits, getting bigger and bigger, then finally some kind of knurled pointy device to clean out the thread. I'm thinking about having a day off work to go help out as some form of extra punishment. There's small consolation that there's only around 10mm of each bolt in the head, and the last 3mm of each bolt is actually just a small bit of square metal, so the thread doesn't go all the way to the base.

Deleted by MODVRS

Edited 20 June, 200917 yr by MODVRS

I think I'll go the labour intensive drilling out job - with various sized drill bits, and a final clean-up. All being well, and if the metal is as soft as I believe it to be - It won't be "too bad" - Still, to think a different setting on the wrench is the difference between having a working car with a colour coded cam cover, and a disabled car, with no cam cover at all.....

jas, try the easy outs, they can be a god send.

drill a hole in the middle and then screw this thing in with its reverse thread then when it gets tight it starts to turn the stud with ti and undo it. used them a few times now

jas, try the easy outs, they can be a god send.

drill a hole in the middle and then screw this thing in with its reverse thread then when it gets tight it starts to turn the stud with ti and undo it. used them a few times now

Where can I get one of these? I "think" they should come out easily enough, as in my foolishness, I only did them up about an extra half turn before they broke, so they are in no way "seized" - Just a bit tight.

I do feel such a muppet though... Another one to add to the list of Jason'isms.

any decent tool shop should have them, hell even B&Q might sell them!

We use them at work, they work a treat 99% of the time.

Screw Extractors

Im sure a big local DIY store should stock them.

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Edited 20 June, 200917 yr by MODVRS
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Hmm - Have put a shout out locally on my car club website to borrow one, although the way I am maybe I should invest in a set. It looks like I need one around 3mm in size, as the bolt is roughly M6, with there being about 5mm from narrow point to narrow point within the bolt. If there was a place selling them in Exeter I'd be there like a shot.

Just a thought Jason, mask up the inside of the rocker area before drilling, and have a vacum cleaner sucking while you drill.

Make sure you drill deep enough so the easyout does not bottom out. A centrepunch mark in the centre of the sheared area helps to get a start on the drill as its usually a conical failure , but dont punch too hard at the risk of spreading the bolt a bit. When you drill it some stresses may well be relieved anyway.

Have you tried a hammer and centre punch or a hammer and screw driver, tapping it round anti clockwise.

Hmm - Have put a shout out locally on my car club website to borrow one, although the way I am maybe I should invest in a set. It looks like I need one around 3mm in size, as the bolt is roughly M6, with there being about 5mm from narrow point to narrow point within the bolt. If there was a place selling them in Exeter I'd be there like a shot.

Be careful with these as a cheap set will break off in the bolt remnant and you never be able to drill that out. Off centre drilling will cut into the head, just as bad me thinks.

If you Join enough cable ties together you could wrap them round the sump and the cam cover, voila

If you Join enough cable ties together you could wrap them round the sump and the cam cover, voila

PMSL

i've seen someone do that with an exhaust , they wrapped rope around the car to hold the exhaust up off the floor after it snapped off at the downpipe

If you Join enough cable ties together you could wrap them round the sump and the cam cover, voila

I did wonder about doing this with a ratchet strap setup.

Looks like an easy-out is going to be tried, as the bolt is not actually seized, so with enough force (in the right direction. ) they should unbolt easily.

Definitely concur with the vacuum/covering thing. It will probably end up with me holding two bits of card in a V formation so nothing gets down into where the injectors are sat.

after the first 5 shears, i would have probably thought. fuk, somethins no quite right here. :-(

i hope you dont have to take the head off, that would ba an absolute nightmare., can you get in to the back to drill them out ok, looks quite tight.

easyout will do the job ok, (cowboy engineer bigw knows his stuff)

The ones at the back are a little tight, but should be reachable. The inlet manifold might need unbolting a bit to free up some room for a drill. Strut brace comes off easily.

Borrowing probably isn't an option - they tend to be fairly expendable.

Bad luck, Jase. They're not left hand threaded bolts, are they? (if so you'll need right handed screw extractors, which will be a bit unusual).

If not siezed try a mini chistle or sharp screwdriver hamered into whats left of the stud, and turn ANIT CLOCKWISE watch your watch for a clue.