I have a bolt on my valve cover that has been stripped. Its causeing oil to leak from the seal. What can i do to fix this problem, is there something i can put in the hole to make the bolt bite? TIA

EclipsedChef was my first name..Member #460!

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You need a helicoil
you basically enlarge the hole and insert the helicoil into the new hole and it has threads for the bolt tapped into the helicoil

here is a link showing how it works

1998 dodge avenger 4 cyl AT
Mods are:
Not enough

If you don't have that tool, you can try some other things. If the bolt is showing a bit on the outside, grab a set of pliers or vice grip to grip it and keep turning it till it comes out. If the striped bolt is in a location on the valve cover that doesn't have a hole that leads to the head, you can drill it out (be careful if you choose to do this). Good luck.

Karl
97 GS
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I other day when I changed my valve cover gasket, I broke the bolt on the main front left (the one beside the timing belt). I am probably going to drill it out, but only because it doesn't go into the head. The heli-coil would work, but around here were I live they are like 44.00 bucks or something b/c my dad bought one a couple weeks ago.

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you can buy a tap and die set and make your own hole, you never know when you're gonna need it again

You guys are giving the answer to two problems. If the bolt hole is stripped, there may be enough material to chase it with a tap and rethread the hole, if not, follow the helicoil instructions.

If the bolt itself is broken off in the hole. If there is enough to get a vise grip on, try that and turn the bolt out. Threads should be fine. If not next try an extractor. You dill a hole in bolt and screw the xtractors in counter clockwise, as the extractors grab they turn the bolt and loosen it.

If none f that works you may have to drill it all out and helicoil it anyway...

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I know this post is old.. But i just had a bolt on the valve cover strip out. My stick was acting weird so I poped the hood to check out the shift linkage. Then i notice the bolt is almost all the way out! Its totally stripped. how does a helicoil work? Can I jst goto home depot and get a Tap and bolt to fit the new tap? Will the helicoil fix the threads so i can use the stock valve cover bolt? please help!!!

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four nails four corners four riders and four horses

This is easy. Go to advance auto, buy the smallest helicoil set (26.99) they have..1/4. You can use a small set of pliers..use the tap they give you with the set and tap the hole. The set had little spring like peices..which are installed in the tapped hole. The package shows you how to do it..if you need any more help, just post

EclipsedChef was my first name..Member #460!

::::..Under Construction..::::

thanks boss!

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four nails four corners four riders and four horses

AHHHHHHHHHHH! The helicoil tap broke off in the hole!!!!!

i have been tring for hours to get it out! any ideas how to get it out? please help!

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four nails four corners four riders and four horses

Note: valve cover bolt thread is 6mm x 1.00.

You broke the tap? Did you not drill the hole out first? Did you not use cutting oil when you were tapping the hole? It's aluminum, pretty soft comparatively, not easy to break the tap... I'm surprised. I would get a drill bit and drill the center out, the outer edges will fall apart then. And you can get a tap of the right size and o it again.



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you guys are doing it the hard way. i had the same problem recently. if it's one of the outer bolts, then you can just get a longer bolt... lay down a washer on top of the rubber thingy, send through a slightly longer bolt, and put a nut at the end. problem solved.

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errrrrr.

ok.. Yes the hole was tapped to the proper size. I didn't have any cutting oil so i used motor oil. It tapped all the way through and snaped when i was backing it out!! This isnt the 1st time ive tapped a hole, but it is the first time i broke a tap. probably in the worst place it could have happened. So i tried to torch it out, no luck. then i tried to drill it out, too hard and too small to drill the tap so i tried to drill next to it. I made it about half way through with 2 bits before they dulled out. I'm just going to keep working at it untill it get it out and tap a bigger hole for a larger bolt. The other 2 bolts my dipshit mechanic stripped out I taped fine. I said the hell with the helicoil and just taped them larger and used bolts. seems to be on there good exept for the last corner where the broken tap is. JEEZ no wonder i was loosing a half quart of oil every week!!

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four nails four corners four riders and four horses