Help FAST!! Rocker Arm Bolt Rounding off
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Help FAST!! Rocker Arm Bolt Rounding off
I'm in the middle of a cam install and the back rocker arm bolt on the passengers side has started to round off. It just continues to round if you use a 8mm or 5/16 socket on it.
Any miracle ideas as to how to try and get it off?
If it wasn't under the cowl we thought of pounding a smaller size socket onto the bolt with a hammer, but since it's so far back we don't kow if that'll work.
I figure this has happened to someone else before.
Also, just to confirm, it's a REALLY BADidea to do a cam swap and leave one stock spring right? They're normal LS1 springs.
Any miracle ideas as to how to try and get it off?
If it wasn't under the cowl we thought of pounding a smaller size socket onto the bolt with a hammer, but since it's so far back we don't kow if that'll work.
I figure this has happened to someone else before.
Also, just to confirm, it's a REALLY BADidea to do a cam swap and leave one stock spring right? They're normal LS1 springs.
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I have had this happen more than once. One time I got vice grips on a front rocker arm bolt. Another time was on one further back. I used a slightly smaller socket, pounded it on, and used a torque wrench to slowly break it loose.
Better call the dealership now for new bolts. They don't always have them in stock
Better call the dealership now for new bolts. They don't always have them in stock
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Originally Posted by Brains
For really stubborn rocker bolts I have a 5/16" impact socket I use. Works like a champ
DEFINITELY do not use a 12 point socket. That's asking for trouble.
DEFINITELY do not use a 12 point socket. That's asking for trouble.
At this point i'm trying to pound on a 7 mm socket with the handle of a rachet, I've been going at it for 30 minutes so far while someone else changes springs.
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5/16's 6 point good quilty usally works great and have had no issues. but if youve been pounding a 7mm on there it might be to far gone now so you'll have to vise grip it and hope it breaks free and get a new bolt and a good 5/16's socket to tighten them back down after
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Another thing you can try is to loosen the bolts on the K-member to drop the motor about an inch. Then you can try using a small pipe wrench. I used one and hacksawed the end of the handle off enough so it would fit. If that doesn't work may a stick of dynamite or a low yield nuclear device of some sort...
I feel your pain.
I feel your pain.
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Originally Posted by Brains
I don't use an impact wrench, just an impact SOCKET The walls of the socket are thicker, so it doesn't flex and open up tolerances on the wrench flats.
Good luck. <<<<<<<<don't do this, ok??
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Tally, it's too bad you didn't post that earlier as it looks like the best option at that point. I'm going to have to get some of those....I was helping with the install and all was going smooth as you could hope for until then. I was removing rockers on the driver's side with christian (ru2n00n3er) on the passenger side. He just happened to grab a 12 point and, well, that's how you learn the hard way that 12 points are evil! I almost rounded of the crank bolt on my install using a damned 12 point socket before somebody explained to me that what I was doing was "just asking for trouble".
The angle required to reach the bolt was pretty rough and there was just not enough room to work with since it was the very last bolt on the passenger side. I got some vice grips on it pretty tight once and when I tried to turn it I ended up with a small puff of powdered metal (apparently) as the $%#% thing slipped right off. If it was further forward I'd use my mini sledge and a slightly smaller socket, but we can't get to it to do that.
Long story short, it should be finished by monday.
The angle required to reach the bolt was pretty rough and there was just not enough room to work with since it was the very last bolt on the passenger side. I got some vice grips on it pretty tight once and when I tried to turn it I ended up with a small puff of powdered metal (apparently) as the $%#% thing slipped right off. If it was further forward I'd use my mini sledge and a slightly smaller socket, but we can't get to it to do that.
Long story short, it should be finished by monday.
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Long story short, it should be finished by monday.
We decided to quit right around the time Tally put up that link, which looked like it might have worked, but we rounded it off pretty badly. Well, I rounded it off pretty badly. However, I ended up calling Sears and they didn't have anything like that in stock. Also, my install is kinda under a time crunch because I'm getting ready to move to MI next week and Nate (BlkZ28spt) was helping me on a day off from work.
So basically, we had no clue how to get the bolt off, and didn't have access to anything that would have helped us do it, and were on a time constraint. So I called up Straightline Performance, and they're going to come pick up the car on Friday and finish the rest of the installation. They're giving me a good price on the work since half the install is complete already. Basically they're saving my *** and getting my car back together with the parts installed. They're really helping me out.
Last edited by Ru2n00n3er; 08-11-2005 at 04:51 PM.
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Originally Posted by Ru2n00n3er
So basically, we had no clue how to get the bolt off, and didn't have access to anything that would have helped us do it, and were on a time constraint. So I called up Straightline Performance, and they're going to come pick up the car on Friday and finish the rest of the installation. They're giving me a good price on the work since half the install is complete already. Basically they're saving my *** and getting my car back together with the parts installed. They're really helping me out.
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Originally Posted by JoeyGC5
Sucks about the timing/luck. But nice to see a shop helping out
Well, I'll wait until the car gets done when they say it will and see how good the tune is before saying that, but right now they're damn helpful
I'm just pissed that it was something this small/stupid that kept me from installing everything myself. It just shows my lack of experience working on stuff I guess. I'll just try to console myself that Monday Ill get the car back all together, the exhaust won't bang anymore, and I'll have more power