I was installing my new Opti and I broke one of the 3 bolts off in the timming cover

***Fastbird*** · 05-01-2014, 01:16 AM

Those holes are sealed last time I checked. I'll try to remember to look at my timing cover real quick when I get home in about 4 hours.

Posted from my LG G2

**95albinobird** · 05-01-2014, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by 79LT1Monte

Don't take this the wrong way but...
If you can't afford to pay a shop to do the work and your ready to half ass it and cover everything in silicone just run it with 2 bolts and deal with it when you put a cam in it. Again I am not trying to knock you I have just seen plenty of customers cost themselves a lot more money by trying to save a buck.

**94ndta** · 05-01-2014, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Fastbird

Those holes are sealed last time I checked. I'll try to remember to look at my timing cover real quick when I get home in about 4 hours.

Posted from my LG G2

They are, but then you need to worry if you move the cover from the block slightly getting the shavings to fall through. I'm sure if you shop vac'd the crap out of it, did it one at a time and kept the timing cover bolted down with the other screws you would be fine.

**ZOHAN** · 05-01-2014, 09:02 AM

Thats true. The cover around the bolt does go all the way to the block, and the seal is around that, plus if rtv was used... put a shop vac by the hole as you drill/easy out, and call it good.

Making you silky smooth...

***Fastbird*** · 05-01-2014, 04:06 PM

Yep, they're sealed. If the timing cover hasn't been loosened, you can drill and use a screw out all you want. Then blow that puppy out when done.

**Featherburner** · 05-01-2014, 04:24 PM

Use a left hand drill bit and the broken bolt will probably back out while you are drilling.

**fleetfeet2004** · 05-03-2014, 01:58 PM

Yeah, it being sealed helps. I haven't taken anything off yet. I was just worried about the drill bit or broken bolt digging in to the timing cover but I supose it doesn't matter if it is all sealed. I don't have to worry about scratching the inside of the "tunnel" of where the bolt travels through. luckily a drill could fit in there and I do have an easy out bit, however I won't be able to see what I'm drilling. I don't want to drill through the timing cover (lol) plus the bolt is pretty hard. I tried drilling through the other half that broke just to see how easy or hard it would be and it was sliding all over the place (surface of the bolt). Its worth a shot if I can get a pilot hole in there. Which I may be able to do.

I can't beleive the bolt broke, I'm not a totally stupid idiot who thought he would save some $$$ doing it diy, its that I'm 20 in college overtime and I work a part time job as a clerk. So in reality I just can't afford $1000 here $1000 there to fix stupid crap like this. I bought the car in highschool with my money from my part time job about 2 years ago.

Anyway, I thought the bolts where supposed to be tourqued down to 8.8ft/lbs so I was out there with my tourque wrench set to 8.5lb/ft and was just tightening them down in a star pattern when "pop".... crap. I would be done already if the bolt didn't break. I think it is just because the bolts are 18 years old and have never been off before untill I took them out, maybe they were just going to break no matter what. that or 8.8lb/ft was the wrong spec and it borke it but I can't imagine 8.5ft/lb's being enough to break a bolt.

Originally Posted by 95albinobird

Is that doable? I mean is it even safe to run only 2 bolts for the opti? I imagine it would wobble while spinning and that coudn't be good. Plus the bolt that broke was the upper left one, but I Hear what your saying. I might want to pay someone just to remove the bolt and I would finish installing the opti, waterpump and everything else

**79LT1Monte** · 05-03-2014, 03:22 PM

I get what you are saying and again I didn't mean it as a dig or anything. I just saw you heading down the road of pulling more stuff apart and possibly causing yourself more problems. Since the bolt broke while you were tightening it vs being seized and breaking when taking it apart you should be able to get it to back out with a left handed drill bit. But if it doesn't come out easily and you can't afford to pay someone to do it I would run it with 2 bolts and deal with it next time its apart. Just my .02 good luck with it either way.