Rocker bolt stripped, what to do
Rocker bolt stripped, what to do Well, I was putting my rockers on earlier, and I got to the intake valve on the #2 cyl, and I couldn't get it torqued to 22ft-lb. It goes to 20 and starts to loosen up again, so I know probably the bottom threads are stripped. I looked down it with a flashlight and can't see any stripped threads though, so I loctite it and torqued it to 20ft-lb. Will it be an issue? I feel like it will be fine, should I try to run it or just bite the bullet and tap the hole for a bigger bolt? It seems like the bolt is chamfered on the bottom so I don't know what bolt I could possibly use.
You need to take a rocker bolt in to a parts store and buy a Helicoil kit for that size bolt (it will come in handy for other uses on the LS engine series). Then, all you will do is drill the stud hole bigger, tap the new hole, insert the helicoil according to instructions and you'll be back in business. It will be a good learning experience and it's the proper way to repair this issue.
Steve
Steve
You need to take a rocker bolt in to a parts store and buy a Helicoil kit for that size bolt (it will come in handy for other uses on the LS engine series). Then, all you will do is drill the stud hole bigger, tap the new hole, insert the helicoil according to instructions and you'll be back in business. It will be a good learning experience and it's the proper way to repair this issue.
Steve
Steve
Tell the wife you need new heads because yours broke, and if you don't get new ones, it could ruin the whole engine, and you don't want to take any chances. That's what I'd do anyway 
They are new heads, which is part of why I'm pretty mad about it. I've already found 2 stripped bolt holes, the second one on the same head was the rear coolant crossover. I broke the bolt off in that one already. Still trying to decide what to do with it.
I'm a tool & die maker and you never want to hammer on a bolt to try to remove it. Most of the time the threads in the hole get chewed up, specially since the heads are aluminum. The best way to remove a broken bolt is to drill a small hole in the middle of the bolt and use a screw extractor to back it out.
Trending Topics
The coolant plug bolt is far too small to do any of those to. I just capped the back holes and used an LS6 crossover I had for that. For the one with the broken bolt I just tapped the coolant hole and put a bolt in it with some thread sealer. I'm trying to avoid taking the heads off and ruining the gasket already.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
I followed GM's procedure. #1 TDC on compression stroke for the first ones then 360* for the second set. The one that stripped had a closed valve too, I think the threads were just weak. I went and got a helicoil set last night and fixed it, started right up so far no problems.
