Dull Cracking sound followed by

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:31 pm

ooooooooooooooooooooh bolxxks, i have stripped the far right hand bolt on the rocker cover..... is there anything i can do?

This is what happens when i get the tools out & dont know how loose or tight things should be...

I was tightening all 3 bolts up quite slowly and carefully as they didnt appear to be very tight (perhaps they arent supposed to be?).

Any advice/help greatefully received.

Oh, & this isnt even the Gti, grrrrrrr

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:40 pm

Oh dear...

Ok, what has stripped? The bolt or the bearing cap?

If it's the bearing cap, it will be possible to change the cap.
To do it properly you'd have to remove the cam and ream the cap to match, BUT, I've changed a few caps before without removing the cam, or reaming it, and it's worked fine....

Those bolts dont need to be done up tight mate.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:46 pm

Bearing cap

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:46 pm

Are you just talking about the aluminum outer cover? If so as Doc says is it the stud or the capped nut which has stripped?

Its likely its the nut - in which case you'll have to buy another. An ordinary nut will hold the cover on but a small amount of oil will work its way up the thread.

Buy decent tools, a Haynes manual which contains the torque settings (Can be downloaded - I've given the reference often enough) and a torque wrench - and use them.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:29 pm

Er, slightly confused, the bolt stripped some thread out of wherever it went into. I thought the rocker cover didnt have any threads itself, its the next part of the engine where the bolt threaded into which is the bit i've managed to strip.

Is the easiest way around this to just get a bigger bolt which will go further down the thread, thereby bypassing the stripped bit?

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:51 pm

It will be the thread in the alloy cam bearing cap, take it off and get a helicoil fited into it, read the haynes and take your time, motorbike shops will fit a helicoil while you wait for uner a tenner.
Stewart

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:53 pm

From the sound of it you have stripped the thread off the stud. If you remove the rest of the nuts (2 more I think), remove the cover you will then see the securing studs - undo the stripped one, get another and screw it gently into the camshaft bearing cap and give it a gentle nip to get it tight, then fit a new gasket and refit the cover.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:52 pm

jeremy wrote:From the sound of it you have stripped the thread off the stud. If you remove the rest of the nuts (2 more I think), remove the cover you will then see the securing studs - undo the stripped one, get another and screw it gently into the camshaft bearing cap and give it a gentle nip to get it tight, then fit a new gasket and refit the cover.

Use locktite on the stud into the bearing cap.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:53 am

Its deffo the thread from the alloy cam bearing cap rather than the stud as its still attached to the stud.

Hmm, i can take the rocker cover off, but i think taking the next bit off the engine might be beyond my mechanical know how. I will find out if anywhere locally can do me the helicoil & hopefully some kind sole will be able to help show me how to get cam bit off......

All this effort for such a small part ,& having the car off the road til god knows when.....

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:59 am

Well I've already said that these bolts shouldn't be tightened much - so take the nut off the stud and see if the stud will find some thread in the bearing cap. It may be worth turning the stud round if both ends have the same thread. If it feels as though there is some thread there - put it in with a drop of locktite - following its instructions as to cleaning, setting time etc.

Then refit the cover and gently tighten the nut.

Other methods of fixing the stud are to bore it out one size larger and retap it and use a larger stud, put something down the hole like some solder (bodger's trick) - squash or distort the hole to make it grip a bit - using a punch or clamp again a bodge. - Another is to find a bolt that's slightly bigger and force it in - again a bodge.

Think bodgery doesn't happen - I recall someone taking his Rolls Royce in for service - and seeing a bunch of guys huddled over a Jaguar V12 in the corner. On looking they had stripped a head stud thread out of the block and were trying to melt the block so the stud would grip.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:35 am

jeremy wrote:From the sound of it you have stripped the thread off the stud. If you remove the rest of the nuts (2 more I think), remove the cover you will then see the securing studs.

Studs? Every XUD I've ever seen simply has bolts straight through into the thread in the top of the cam bearing top half.

I agree with Stewart. Remove the cam cover, remove the offending bearing cap, and either re-tap it to the next size up (not a problem as there is plenty of metal there to tap into) or have a thread insert fitted.

TBH you can drive the car with one cam cover bolt missing. I only had 2 in one of my XUD engines for years. The oil leak was insignificant.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:45 am

If its a bolt then a slightly longer one may pick up on some good thread. Don't force it.

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:51 am

Longer bolts would be an issue since the thread for the bolt is cut deep into the bearing cap already.

For sure, the easiest way ahead is either helicoil it, or tap it out as sadi above.

Or, remove cam cover, apply ample silicone sealer to the gasket, refit wih two bolts and hope for the best!

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:38 pm

If i decided to go the helicoil route, how would i get it to the place to get it done? Sorry to sound thick???well no more than normal anyway.

I'm awaiting the intercooler gasket which was knackered anyway so the car is undriveable at the mo, not including the rear arms which have seen better days....

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:56 pm

It will run without an intercooler gasket.

It won't leak much oil.

If you're really worried take the rocker cover off, remove the bearing cap and get that helicoiled or re-tapped.

OR buy a tap and do it yourself.