Spark plug cover removal gone wrong.
09-30-2014, 11:56 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Spark plug cover removal gone wrong.
Oh what a mess I have here.
It only started when I felt one day that I should probably replace my spark plugs.. Okay, cool. Nice and simple. Lets just undo this little spark plug cover, right quick. Or nah.
The four bolts I needed to remove:
I ensured the allen wrench was sitting nice and tight into the hex bolts but they literally must have been torqued to 400 lbs. After an incredible hulk effort.. the hex head is stripped.. but this is only the beginning of a messy situation.
Soon after, I purchased one of those easy out screw/bolt removal tools and, get this, the bolts was in SO TIGHT that it broke the screw extractor off into the hex bolt.
I think, "Man, alright, this isn't going to be fun", I resort to a little more drilling and another effort at extracting the screw so i could get this stubborn spark plug cover off.
After many more failed attempts at drilling/extracting the bolt, which was pretty much destroyed at this point, I say
let;s just cut this thing off.
Took a dremel all the way around each corner so that at the very least, can change my plugs.. I think I may want an entirely new valve cover and spark plug cover to ever get it looking right again.
Please note, I had never tightened the bolts. This is my first time attempting to remove them. Whatever shop/factory tightened these bolts, got them WAY to tight. Please only resort to this method if you absolutely have to.
Any ideas as to how I could get the rest of it off?
It only started when I felt one day that I should probably replace my spark plugs.. Okay, cool. Nice and simple. Lets just undo this little spark plug cover, right quick. Or nah.
The four bolts I needed to remove:
I ensured the allen wrench was sitting nice and tight into the hex bolts but they literally must have been torqued to 400 lbs. After an incredible hulk effort.. the hex head is stripped.. but this is only the beginning of a messy situation.
Soon after, I purchased one of those easy out screw/bolt removal tools and, get this, the bolts was in SO TIGHT that it broke the screw extractor off into the hex bolt.
I think, "Man, alright, this isn't going to be fun", I resort to a little more drilling and another effort at extracting the screw so i could get this stubborn spark plug cover off.
After many more failed attempts at drilling/extracting the bolt, which was pretty much destroyed at this point, I say
let;s just cut this thing off. Took a dremel all the way around each corner so that at the very least, can change my plugs.. I think I may want an entirely new valve cover and spark plug cover to ever get it looking right again.
Please note, I had never tightened the bolts. This is my first time attempting to remove them. Whatever shop/factory tightened these bolts, got them WAY to tight. Please only resort to this method if you absolutely have to.
Any ideas as to how I could get the rest of it off?
09-30-2014, 12:11 PM
#2
I feel like I'm looking at a Gore thread or something...
That really sucks man, whoever torqued those bolts down that tight in the first place must be a colossal idiot.
Edit: Honestly unless someone here has a better idea, it would probably be easiest/cleanest to just replace the entire valve cover at this point.
That really sucks man, whoever torqued those bolts down that tight in the first place must be a colossal idiot.
Edit: Honestly unless someone here has a better idea, it would probably be easiest/cleanest to just replace the entire valve cover at this point.
09-30-2014, 12:14 PM
#3
drill an tap out the bolts.. might work..on another note.. you maybe could have heatgunned the valve cover around each bolt, then aircanned froze the bolt and it might'a just walked out
09-30-2014, 02:34 PM
#5
Dude! Super OUCH!!! 
Were you able to get the spark plugs out, in one piece? This is prolly the most $$$ set of plug changes you've ever done. Follow the heating advice. JOC, that was a 5mm allen head wrench you used? Not some US sized hex head wrench, which almost fit. I've twisted cheap allen head wrenches, like spaghetti noodles. But, never stripped out the bolt.
Used to race Honda CR250 and 500's. And all engine cover bolts were allen head. Using quality tools and doing removal while engine is hot helped to overcome electrolysis effect "welding" the steel bolt to magnesium & aluminum alloy cases. I applied moly grease to threads when re-tightening, to help avoid future headaches.
Good luck with your fix.
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-...ds=moly+grease
Were you able to get the spark plugs out, in one piece? This is prolly the most $$$ set of plug changes you've ever done. Follow the heating advice. JOC, that was a 5mm allen head wrench you used? Not some US sized hex head wrench, which almost fit. I've twisted cheap allen head wrenches, like spaghetti noodles. But, never stripped out the bolt.
Used to race Honda CR250 and 500's. And all engine cover bolts were allen head. Using quality tools and doing removal while engine is hot helped to overcome electrolysis effect "welding" the steel bolt to magnesium & aluminum alloy cases. I applied moly grease to threads when re-tightening, to help avoid future headaches.
Good luck with your fix.
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-...ds=moly+grease
09-30-2014, 04:25 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
I feel like I'm looking at a Gore thread or something...
That really sucks man, whoever torqued those bolts down that tight in the first place must be a colossal idiot.
Edit: Honestly unless someone here has a better idea, it would probably be easiest/cleanest to just replace the entire valve cover at this point.
That really sucks man, whoever torqued those bolts down that tight in the first place must be a colossal idiot.
Edit: Honestly unless someone here has a better idea, it would probably be easiest/cleanest to just replace the entire valve cover at this point.
Dude! Super OUCH!!!
Were you able to get the spark plugs out, in one piece? This is prolly the most $$$ set of plug changes you've ever done. Follow the heating advice. JOC, that was a 5mm allen head wrench you used? Not some US sized hex head wrench, which almost fit. I've twisted cheap allen head wrenches, like spaghetti noodles. But, never stripped out the bolt.
Used to race Honda CR250 and 500's. And all engine cover bolts were allen head. Using quality tools and doing removal while engine is hot helped to overcome electrolysis effect "welding" the steel bolt to magnesium & aluminum alloy cases. I applied moly grease to threads when re-tightening, to help avoid future headaches.
Good luck with your fix.
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-...ds=moly+grease
Were you able to get the spark plugs out, in one piece? This is prolly the most $$$ set of plug changes you've ever done. Follow the heating advice. JOC, that was a 5mm allen head wrench you used? Not some US sized hex head wrench, which almost fit. I've twisted cheap allen head wrenches, like spaghetti noodles. But, never stripped out the bolt.
Used to race Honda CR250 and 500's. And all engine cover bolts were allen head. Using quality tools and doing removal while engine is hot helped to overcome electrolysis effect "welding" the steel bolt to magnesium & aluminum alloy cases. I applied moly grease to threads when re-tightening, to help avoid future headaches.
Good luck with your fix.
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-...ds=moly+grease
09-30-2014, 04:36 PM
#7
Registered User
I snorted when I scrolled down from the picture where you circled the bolts to where you have to cut through.
Previous owner must have been completely incompetent...
Previous owner must have been completely incompetent...
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09-30-2014, 04:45 PM
#8
Props on cutting the cover. kinda did what you had to do.
My neighbors corvette hood wouldn't open. We tried everything and he said after a little while, "il drill a hole into the hood if I have to". We drilled a few holes and finally got the damn hood open lol.
My neighbors corvette hood wouldn't open. We tried everything and he said after a little while, "il drill a hole into the hood if I have to". We drilled a few holes and finally got the damn hood open lol.
09-30-2014, 04:57 PM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
You gotta do what you gotta do! Luckily nothing else was accidentally cut while I was trying to remove the cover and it actually turned out to be a nice solution given the circumstances.
09-30-2014, 04:58 PM
#10
The underside of the bolts corrode to the spark plug cover, they weren't necessarily over-torqued in the past. They can be really hard to get off with just an allen key once they corrode in place. I switched to stainless replacement bolts and I still put anti-sieze under each bolt head where they contact the spark plug cover, and threads.