valve cover hex bolts?

[americanjebus]

ok my valve cover is leeking like a mofo and its pissing me off cus when i get to work i can see the oil that is leeking down the exhaust side onto the exhaust manifold get burned off and make smoke come out of my hood.

i've got the oldschool phillips screw on things with the weird gold and black washer on it. what i want is something ilke a 10mm or a bolt that isnt based on a screwdriver (i fooking hate screws) that i can replace those with. the problem is i need to go order some but i dont know what dimensions to ask for as in lenght or size.??

anyone done this change? what are you guys using and do i still need those weird washers?

 

[billspreston01]

I took one of the old piece of shit screws and went to the hardware store and bought new ones. they're like 1 1/4" m6 or something stupid like that (I have no knowledge about thread pitch and crap like that)

I found this the other day, it should help
http://cjsupra.kendra.com/Hexupgr.html

 

[supraman7mgte]

Yeah,just take one down to a local bolt shop,and you can match it up to what ever you want. I personaly use the stainless steel hex head type for a different look.

 

[IHI-RHC7]

$15 on Ebay all day long.

 

[mkIIIman089]

15 bucks... I could probably make a set myself from a hardware store for like 5 bucks, lol.

I remember reading somewhere that some kinds of bolts can react with aluminum and actually start to erode the Al. Someone has a site that talks about exactly what they used, I can't for the life of me remember what it was though. Someone here must know what I'm talking about.

 

[billspreston01]

yeah, I already posted it

 

[mkIIIman089]

d'oh. Right... Bill's got it. Bookmarked

 

[tte]

M6x1 30mm long...I also bought lock and flat washers to use with the hex head bolts.
I bought mine at OSH...

cheers,
Roy

 

[wh0wants2know]

you're in WA, so find the nearest location for Tacoma Screw (there not just in tacoma) and go there and pull one of the bolts out of your valve cover and give it to them and tell them to get you a 10mm version of that bolt and they'll look at it and say, "hmmm, ok, let me see. . ." and then walk to the back of the store, and about five minutes later they'll bring you a bolt and say, "yeah, that should probably be the right size for you" (it will be) and then they'll charge you about $0.15 per bolt or so and for about $2 you'll have a new set of good bolts.

 

[drunk_medic]

Don't torque the hell out of them. Make sure the holes are completely cleaned out and then screw the bolts all the way in with your fingers until they are tight. If you have to [recommended], use a torque wrench with an allen hex adapter and follow the factory torque sequence. I'm not shittin' you, you will be pissed if you overtorque the gasket and break it, no matter how cheap a seat of valve cover gaskets are.
What you are talking about with the aluminum corroding is called galvanization, where the two disimilar metals react with each other. Sometimes this happens so quickly that it's amazing.

 

[Mk3 TurboS]

Drunk medic, Say someone, oh I don't know maybe tightened the fuck out of them (10mm hex bolts) so the little pricks wouldn't come back out. Could it wreck the gasket and cause them to leak all over again??

 

[jester1341]

i may have missed it but i'm pretty sure HorsePowerFreaks sells a kit of carbon steel hex head bols and washers for the mkiii, it's only like 12 bux i think bought one when i did my head

A+++

john

 

[americanjebus]

goodness thanks people, im heading out to store to get some i wasnt aware that little rubber valve cover gasket was so vulnerable to overtightening it, maybe i've been overtightening with the screwdrver? oh well thnx guys i really really appreciate it.

now i just gotta keep myself from using a ratchet and stripping the things.

 

[bluemax]

If you overtighten them you could cause the gasket to not seal properly. But what are you going to do, keep tightening them a few times a year to keep the screws on the motor or risk leakage?

 

[drunk_medic]

Yes, it certainly could cause them to leak. I believe part of the reason Toyota put phillips screws in was to prevent over-torque. An allen really lets you put some ass on those bolts easily.

 

[bluemax]

I actually lost one of the screws once because I never checked to see if they were loose. And I only checked the screws when I went to replace the gasket because the cover was leaking. Now I tighten the screws first before I replace the gasket.

 

[Mk3 TurboS]

So in summary, Get some hex bolts, just don't over tigten them. Replace the gasket if you have over tightened them because this also could cause leaks. What is the recommended Tourque setting by the way?

 

[Justin]

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/pri...erformance/Engine/Valve_Cover_Bolts_and_Studs

 

[jester1341]

thanks justin those are the ones i was talking about.

i think tq numbers are like 10LBs.....i think

john

 

[figgie]

If you overtighten them you could cause the gasket to not seal properly. But what are you going to do, keep tightening them a few times a year to keep the screws on the motor or risk leakage?

actually none of the above.

two words.

SAFETY WIRE.

End of bolts loosening up over time. Of course the bolts have to have the holes drilled for that but in the long run it is better.