Edit: Extracting valve cover stud from engine head

[BTB]

Hi (NA)M3F! Hope you all find yourselves well amidst this craziness. Glad to be back.

I got a stupid question for y'all: I did my first DIY valve adjustment (surprisingly easy, cool stuff!) the other week and I guess I overtorqued the bottom right valve cover 'stud' that bolts into the cylinder head. Thought I heard some of these valve cover bolts are TTY but could be wrong..? Anywho I have a replacement, just wondering if I should use blue loctite on this or what (see realoem link, part #7) when installing into the head. I guess the valve cover nuts themselves only need slight snugging after reaching their bottom out point. Also just curious about how you guys torque your valve cover, I saw 18 ft lbs somewhere online but I guess that is excessive... should prob just do by feel.

Thanks

[terra]

I used red loctite on mine. I can’t really think of any situation where you’d need the stud to be removed, so I figured may as well go red.

[BTB]

I used red loctite on mine. I can’t really think of any situation where you’d need the stud to be removed, so I figured may as well go red.

Cool, thanks Terra

[BTB]

Gosh ****ing darn it.

Figured it would be a good idea to change all three of those studs at the front of the engine, why not right? First two are fine, fix the broken one, last one starts to jam up and then of course I shear the whole dang thing off the stud going into the head. What's that old expression, if it ain't broke....... Any recommendations on how to get this out??? Limited experience removing studs here, and what's the probability that the internal threads on the head itself will be okay..?? For now I put the valve cover back on.

TIA!!!

[Obioban]

Penetrating oil (not Wd-40) early and often. After you’ve done that a couple of times a day for a couple days, stud extractor.

[jbfrancis3]

A strong clamping with a pair of ViseGrips - try to flattened the exposed section with the force, then see if it starts to turn. Penetrating oil may help.

[BTB]

Penetrating oil (not Wd-40) early and often. After you’ve done that a couple of times a day for a couple days, stud extractor.

A strong clamping with a pair of ViseGrips - try to flattened the exposed section with the force, then see if it starts to turn. Penetrating oil may help.

Huh okay, thank you guys. The valve cover acts as a little bowl around the stud so I filled it with PB blaster. Which type of stud extractor you think, the one that encloses and grabs the stud from the outside or the drill/reverse spiral type? I guess might as well try the first one though there's probably only 1/4" of stud exposed to grab onto

[terra]

I wonder if you're better off cutting a line through it and using a flat head

[BTB]

I wonder if you're better off cutting a line through it and using a flat head

Yeah.... well I PB blasted the heck out of it, tried using the 6mm-12mm stud extractor on it but there's not enough stud to grab onto. I have it buttoned up, seems like the valve cover might be weeping slightly at that corner but it's probably alright just temporarily. Not sure what the best way to get at it is. Would prefer to do myself if possible but I also don't wanna do something stupid and have this be wayy more expensive than it needs to be. Maybe I need to buy a drill? If I leave the valve cover on it at least makes a nice guard against s**t falling into the engine

[Arith2]

They are super brittle. To each their own but I would not add it for this reason. They shouldn't break if you follow the 7-8ft/lb spec. We all can make mistakes or some douche bag previously quadrupled the torque in my case twice. If you torque it and it comes out with the stud that goes one it, then you need loctite. That takes 30 seconds to check.

[BTB]

They are super brittle. To each their own but I would not add it for this reason. They shouldn't break if you follow the 7-8ft/lb spec they should never break. We all can make mistakes or some douche bag previously quadrupled the torque in my case twice. If you torque it and it comes out with the stud that goes one it, then you need loctite. That takes 30 seconds to check.

Yeah I just put some blue loctite and barely tightened to 7 ft lbs or whatever. Will make sure to be gentle on the valve cover nuts as well so hopefully this isn't an issue in the future

If you're interested, scroll down and see development of second issue... feel free to offer insight if you have any lol

[exodus454]

I'd try penetrating, then a good pair of vice grips, needle nose vice grips might work, or a tiny pipe wrench. Make sure you get them as tight as possible but try not to chew it up any worse than it is, if it won't grab it I'd stop, center punch it, drill it out with reverse drill bits. Start small and work up, a lot of the time the heat + reverse bit is enough to get it to spin out.

I just worry about slotting the head cleanly and having enough material to grab onto.

On mine I blue loctite it an just seat it by hand.

[BTB]

I'd try penetrating, then a good pair of vice grips, needle nose vice grips might work, or a tiny pipe wrench. Make sure you get them as tight as possible but try not to chew it up any worse than it is, if it won't grab it I'd stop, center punch it, drill it out with reverse drill bits. Start small and work up, a lot of the time the heat + reverse bit is enough to get it to spin out.

I just worry about slotting the head cleanly and having enough material to grab onto.

On mine I blue loctite it an just seat it by hand.

Hmm thanks for that. You think I should do this while the motor is warm? Wasn't having luck with vice grips though maybe a smaller pair would work better. Tempted to buy a drill if that's the best bet

[BTB]

Sooo have been ignoring this issue but the stud is still stuck in the head, protruding out just a bit. Any recommendations for the safest way to get this out so I can reuse these threads?? No luck with my own attempts using pb blaster and a cheap clamp-style extractor. I would have someone else do the work if easy enough— maybe machine a small square with 1/4” hole taken out, place over stud and weld around edge, then rotate out with a wrench?

Appreciate the input of those experienced, thanks

[SteelGreyM]

I used red loctite on mine. I can’t really think of any situation where you’d need the stud to be removed, so I figured may as well go red.

Make sure you never overtorque this. If you snap it off (easier than you think) its not gonna be fun to get out