Well this sorta sucks

[Rougarou]

So, after 134000 miles I decided that it was time to check the valve clearances. I ordered some feeler gauges and settled down to following JVB instructions 

 

everything was simple enough and the clearances were in specs, no adjustments necessary. 
 

I started putting the valve covers on and actually using a torque wrench(a rarity). Tightening one of the bolts and felt the slip of the break.  
 

Now I need to get this extracted and a new bolt

[blalor]

That might be deep enough that you can use this trick. 

 

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Living the Dream said:

So, after 134000 miles I decided that it was time to check the valve clearances. I ordered some feeler gauges and settled down to following JVB instructions 

 

everything was simple enough and the clearances were in specs, no adjustments necessary. 
 

I started putting the valve covers on and actually using a torque wrench(a rarity). Tightening one of the bolts and felt the slip of the break.  
 

Now I need to get this extracted and a new bolt

 

 

 

Afternoon  Living the Dream

 

Those usually come out fairly easily as it didn't bottom out & break, they usually snap due to the  bolt bump bottoming out on the cyl head boss. 

 

The secret is to NOT use a common right hand drill bit as that will almost for sure run the broken piece to the bottom of the hole & jamb it there.

 

Start off with a  simple small L/H drill bit after lightly center punching the center of the broken bolt. It will usually catch then spin out on the L/H drill bit, if it doesn't come out on the small L/H drill bit then go to a larger L/H drill bit as will usually back the broken piece right out. 

 

Do not use an Easy-Out (unless you are VERY/VERY familiar with how an easy out feels when working correctly). Those things are really mis-named as they should be called an (easy-to-break-off-in-the-bolt).  

 

Or put another way--- broken bolt easy to remove / broken Easy-Out darn impossible to remove, plus, in a lot of cases the easy out expands the broken bolt & makes it stick in the hole even tighter.

 

Careful with using a torque wrench on those bolts unless you have a very low torque measuring 1/4" drive torque wrench. Most mid range torque wrenches do not read very accurately at or near their lower settings. 

 

For home servicers-- if not familiar with the feel of (properly tightened) valve cover bolts &  if no VERIFIED (checked)  accurate torque wrench in the correct reading range handy then I usually advise to use a paint pen & put a small paint mark at the very (top) of every valve cover bolt head. Then when re-tightening, or re-torqueing, if the paint dots get to the top DO NOT tighten any farther until you FULLY  understand WHY  you need to tighten farther than they were before you started on the job. (this only works if the bolts stay in the very same valve cover holes)

[Rougarou]

Left hand bits are on the way.  I'll give those a go before anything else.  Also have a new bolt on the way.  After I get this sorted out, I'll plug up my homemade manometer to see if the throttle bodies match up.

[szurszewski]

I don't buy a lot of harbor freight stuff, but I do have a set of their left hand twist drill bits - I can't remember why I got them (stuck bolt on the road maybe?) but they have held up surprisingly well (I'm not going to say whether or not they get a lot of use/I break a lot of bolts...  ).

 

 

[Rougarou]

Gotcha!!  Used a small left hand drill bit 5/64 then stepped to a 1/8 very slow revolutions.  

[dirtrider]

2 hours ago, Living the Dream said:

Gotcha!!  Used a small left hand drill bit 5/64 then stepped to a 1/8 very slow revolutions.  

 

 

Afternoon  Living the Dream

 

Well, that's good news & a positive outcome. 

[Nate9k9]

I have a spare valve cover bolt if needed.  Just pay postage.

[Rougarou]

4 minutes ago, Nate9k9 said:

I have a spare valve cover bolt if needed.  Just pay postage.

Thanks but I’ve got the new one in now

[Nate9k9]

👍

[EvilTwin]

Very Cool.     I learned something new about getting out broken bolts.  I would have tried an easy out.  

[Sonor]

It is for exactly things like this that I really appreciate everyone on this forum.