[alfarian]

Just thought I would keep you posted on my broken camshaft cap bolt. I successfully removed it this afternoon I have attatched some pics for anyone interested. I drilled a hole in the centre of the broken bolt, vacuuming any swarf out regularly, screwed the removal tool in anti-clockwise and slowly but surely unscrewed the offending bolt :thumbs: Hop the pics help anyone who has any similar probs.
The bolt on the next camshaft cap has stripped the threads, I will be ftting a helicoil later this week, hopefully will post some more pics.
one of the pics has only loaded as an attatchment
The pics are poor, off a phone, the drilled hole is deeper than it looks, it is really about 5mm.

 

[NineOneSix]

Handy mate :thumbs: thanks for posting

 

[pubsinger]

Well done indeed, gives one a real sense of achievement getting sheared bolts out. I successfully removed sheared exhaust manifold studs from the head of my MR2 and son's Astra, felt like I could land on Mars.

5mm was sufficient for the removal tool? Staggering, what is this sorcerer's magic tool?

All the best

Pub

 

[alfarian]

In all fairness the sheared bolt was tight but not seized, due to its position I suppose, plenty of oil about. The tool used was from a laser screw extractor set bought from Halfrauds, £12.99 I believe. And yes, when something goes to plan you feel you can do anything :thumbs:

 

[tavspeed]

hi all,well done,have used screw extractors,or another name is easyouts with varying success have made the job worse by snapping the easy out off flush with the bolt.basically the easy out is a left hand thread tap made of very hard meta,always proceed with caution,especiallyon small threads eg m6 m8,or you could end up with a disaster on your hands,cheers all/

 

[Philjay50]

This nightmare has happened to me a couple of times, my son's 146 was a PITA whoever worked on the car had never heard of a torque wrench.
A tip for you guys, I use left hand drill bits, quite often the offending bolt will run itself out while drilling.

Excellent result th'o

 

[Rockhopper]

I still think that head is scrap and will need line boring at the very least to save it.

 

[alfarian]

Cheers Rockhopper what a little ray of sunshine you are
I will keep you posted.

 

[Rockhopper]

I told you that on the other thread. If the cam has been able to move around enough to loosen off one of the other cap bolts then there is very little chance that the journals are still round. It'll probably run then the cam will snap or seize a few thousand miles down the line.

 

[alfarian]

Yes I guess that could be true Rockhopper, but for the cost of a helicoil tool and insert (£25) I thought I would give it a go, I will take the cam cover off in a week or two and see if there is any more significant wear in the two cam caps that are affected. Thanks for the input, it may not be what I want to hear but forwarned and all that, cheers.

 

[alfarian]

Just thought I would give you all a further update on my camshaft problems, The stripped thread on one of my cam caps has been helicoiled, some pics of the job attatched :thumbs:
All has been put back together and seems ok Took it for a test drive 50miles and no knocking or odd noises right through the rev range :thumbs:
I have put one of those magnets on the oil filter just in case though and will be taking the cam cover off in 500 or so miles to check for any wear on cam lobes and cam caps, if there is any wear hopefully the magnet will help keep any metal out of circulation.
Going through the pics from the top, the tool in box, old thread drilled out and tapped, insertion tool and helicoil, helicoil screwed in and all done.

 

[scottyf]

Did you get the Camshaft caps machnined and smoothed at all?
Could help make it that little bit smoother.

Last time I had mine off and passed them over to a friend to machine them a little to make sure they where nice and flat where the cam shaft is pressed down. Some of mine had small scratches. I imagine from debris in the oil geting in then getting whizzed round.

Nothing terrible for an engine with 108k on but worth doing to ensure all is smooth again.

Now have a noise in the variator solonoid that doesn't seem like it wants to work.

 

[alfarian]

Old thread this car has done 10000miles since, everything OK, now sold on :thumbs: