Broken Rocker Arms Bolt WTF??
Broken Rocker Arms Bolt WTF?? Ok so coming home from a great 4th at the lake, on about the final 10 min of the journey cruising at about 1500RPM or so in 5th gear. All of a sudden my car starts popping really loud and looses power. So i pull over open the hood to hear that it is popping out of the Throttle body, so i decide to play it safe and have the car towed home. Got the car home and pulled the valve covers to find that a rocker arm was just sitting in its spot (passenger side 3rd bank from the front, exhaust valve) So i pulled the rockers and the bolt is broken off flush with the head so now i need to take the head off and take it to a machine shop to have it removed. So anyone have any idea how that happened?? Should i replace all the bolts while i am in there?
this belongs in the internal section... but if you have the money go ahead upgrade as much as you can while you have the car down... a lot of my rockers were loose the first time i took a look at them... some were amazingly loose... just gotta tighten those puppies up HARD to specs
From the manual
6. Rotate the crankshaft until the number one piston is at top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke. In this position, cylinder number one rocker arms will be off lobe lift, and the crankshaft sprocket key will be at the 1:30 position. The engine firing order is 1,8,7,2,6,5,4,3. Cylinders 1,3,5, and 7 are left bank. Cylinders 2,4,6, and 8 are right bank.
7. With the engine in the number one firing position, tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
.....(1) Tighten the exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 1,2,7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
.....(2) Tighten the intake valve rocker arm bolts 1,3,4, and 5 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
8. Rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees.
9. Tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
.....(1) Tighten the exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 3,4,5, and 6 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
.....(2) Tighten the intake valve rocker arm bolts 2,6,7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
6. Rotate the crankshaft until the number one piston is at top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke. In this position, cylinder number one rocker arms will be off lobe lift, and the crankshaft sprocket key will be at the 1:30 position. The engine firing order is 1,8,7,2,6,5,4,3. Cylinders 1,3,5, and 7 are left bank. Cylinders 2,4,6, and 8 are right bank.
7. With the engine in the number one firing position, tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
.....(1) Tighten the exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 1,2,7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
.....(2) Tighten the intake valve rocker arm bolts 1,3,4, and 5 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
8. Rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees.
9. Tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
.....(1) Tighten the exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 3,4,5, and 6 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
.....(2) Tighten the intake valve rocker arm bolts 2,6,7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
ya i figured i would try, i would like to just do heads but i dont know if i can afford that just yet. Thanks for the specs on how to tighten the rockers.
BUMP anyone else
BUMP anyone else
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Launching!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
From: fenton, MO
dont know if ARP makes rocker arm bolts but it would be a good investment because the stock rocker arm bolts really aren't that tuff, when i put my motor together i used the cheap VSC and you needed to hold the tool in place with a rocker arm bolt while you used leverage to change springs. moral of story, i bent the bolt with arm strength.
no they dont i called ARP and talked to a few people and they even tried to cross reference a bolt but nothing they had would work. They said they could custom make me a bolt but F that to much money.
Drilling out the old bolt:
It would be great if you could somehow grind a flat spot in the center of the bolt with a Dremal or something. On this spot, in the center, make a nice dot with a center punch. Centering this punch spot is important.
Start with a small drill bit. Low speed. Steady pressure. Stay centered. Stay straight. Stay centered. Stay straight. Use some WD40 to flush out the chips and keep it cool. Pull back often to clear the chips. Stay centered. Stay straight. If you hit the threads, the bit will wander more and more off center as it seeks the softer material to cut through.
Progressively increase the drill bit size. Be careful to not let the bit bind. It’ll break.
Before reaching for the bolt remover, flush everything with WD40. This will cool everything and get into the threads.
Use a tapered reverse fluted bolt remover. Prior to using it, decide how you’re gonna turn it. Before inserting it in the bolt, blow some air in the bolt hole to remove the excess lube. You have to make sure it doesn’t bottom out in the hole you’ve drilled in the bolt.
Lightly tap the remover in to get the flutes cut into the bolt. Now, take a torch and lightly heat up the head around the bolt to let it expand just a little bit.
Turn your bolt out. Have yourself a beer.
It would be great if you could somehow grind a flat spot in the center of the bolt with a Dremal or something. On this spot, in the center, make a nice dot with a center punch. Centering this punch spot is important.
Start with a small drill bit. Low speed. Steady pressure. Stay centered. Stay straight. Stay centered. Stay straight. Use some WD40 to flush out the chips and keep it cool. Pull back often to clear the chips. Stay centered. Stay straight. If you hit the threads, the bit will wander more and more off center as it seeks the softer material to cut through.
Progressively increase the drill bit size. Be careful to not let the bit bind. It’ll break.
Before reaching for the bolt remover, flush everything with WD40. This will cool everything and get into the threads.
Use a tapered reverse fluted bolt remover. Prior to using it, decide how you’re gonna turn it. Before inserting it in the bolt, blow some air in the bolt hole to remove the excess lube. You have to make sure it doesn’t bottom out in the hole you’ve drilled in the bolt.
Lightly tap the remover in to get the flutes cut into the bolt. Now, take a torch and lightly heat up the head around the bolt to let it expand just a little bit.
Turn your bolt out. Have yourself a beer.
