I have a real problem here, please help soon

[SHOfear]

Last weekend I put my sho in storage, but before i did, i put in new spark plugs. I found oil in one of my wells. So I went out and bought the gasket set from Felpro (paid $87 from Forte's in Waltham), and redid all my spark plug gaskets and my valve cover gaskets. All went well, but when I was putting those shiny little bolts back in, some of them did not bolt down tight. They would go in all the way, but would just spin when they went they got all the way in. The bolt itself is not stripped, could the threads inside the heads be stripped. What do I do? The valve cover in back is not very tight. Would a heliacoil (sp?) work, or do I need new heads. Oh, God...what have I done? Thanx for your help.

Steve

 

[95SHOATX]

Originally posted by SHOfear:
Last weekend I put my sho in storage, but before i did, i put in new spark plugs. I found oil in one of my wells. So I went out and bought the gasket set from Felpro (paid $87 from Forte's in Waltham), and redid all my spark plug gaskets and my valve cover gaskets. All went well, but when I was putting those shiny little bolts back in, some of them did not bolt down tight. They would go in all the way, but would just spin when they went they got all the way in. The bolt itself is not stripped, could the threads inside the heads be stripped. What do I do? The valve cover in back is not very tight. Would a heliacoil (sp?) work, or do I need new heads. Oh, God...what have I done? Thanx for your help.

Steve

It is possible that you stripped out the hole in the head. A heliacoil may work. Did you possibly overtighten the valve cover bolts prior to this?

 

[AutoXSHO]

Is it possible the rear valve cover isn't seated properly and as such the bolts aren't reaching the threaded area down in the head?

It is easy to get it cocked one way or the other, or have the gasket bunch up under the valve covers, especially in back where you really need another set of hands to move all the junk out of the way (fuel lines and such).

I bet it's not seated right.

JV


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95 MTX with mods.

 

[sdpatt]

I'm sorry to say, but it is most likely that you stripped the threads in the cylinder heads. It takes little more than the 10 lb-ft of torque that is specified for these bolts to pull out the 1/2" depth of threads. You need the Heli-Coil M6X1 set. You must provide the drill and the 1/4" drill bit.

I speak from experience on this matter as I had to repair the threads on several valve cover bolts in my rear bank. The hardness of the aluminum in that casting was apparently not as strong as the front bank head. If the threads don't strip, you can easily shear the long valve cover bolt. I'm afraid I speak from experience on this matter too. You must use a torque wrench on any bolting that threads into aluminum parts.

Experience comes from experiencing. Sometimes painfully.


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Scott

1991, 252K miles, glass hood, police grill, SVO shifter, Catz fogs,
K&N, 73mm MAF, Superchip, PP Y-pipe, Borla cat-back, 190 lph pump
Eibach/Tokico/polyurethane, SHO Shop front & rear strut braces,
16x7.5" Moda R1, 225/55ZR16 Bridgestone RE730, -1 deg camber x 4,
Class II hitch, Silver award at the SHOklahoma Car Show

 

[SLOSHO89]

I have gotten the bolts going sideways before. Some of them didn't go straite into the holes like they should. They were off to the side..... Try taking off your valve cover and see if you can thread the bolt in with out the valve cover on. Then you can see if they go in right or not.

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Oxford White '89 SHO
Slicers, SHO+ hood and spoiler, Met.-Red and Gold Intake.

Web Page www.geocities.com/web_page66/

 

[luigisho]

I've gotta agree with everyone so far. Especially sdpatt with the torque wrench. I sheared a bolt on the front bank and stripped the hole on the outside of the rear bank. The angles in back are a PITA but the heli-coil worked. First things first, pull the rear cover off and check if the bolt screws into the hole w/out the cover on. Hopefully it's just lined up wrong. Good luck.

 

[SHOfear]

No, I know the bolts are in straight and the cover is sitting ok. I have done a heli coil before, so I guess I should be ok. Thanks guys for the help.

Steve