I was tightening the 2nd to last bolt on my valve cover after polishing it, and the screw just BROKE!! WTF am I supposed to do? AHH I don't have another screw! Please someone tell me what I can do to get this thing out of the hole!

Hey bloke, I hear you. I hate it when that happens. I have used all sorts of tricks, from tweezers and a toothpick, slowly rotating the thread back up, also have used some thick electrical wire with some crazy glue on the end (this you have to be very careful with), but the best thing to do is get a reverse scew remover (not sure of true name). It's a simple kit with 2 parts. A drill bit and an odd looking drill bit for reversing the broken bits out. I use only the remover kit now. get it at an auto parts store and I think Home Depot. Hope this helps.

Cossie

man that suck but if * can't back it out go to sears or the auto parts store and get sum easy-outs it looks like a drill bit but it is reverse tread first * drill a small hole in the center of the broken bolt and put this in and turn the old bolt out they work great ;)

Originally posted by Crono1321
I was tightening the 2nd to last bolt on my valve cover after polishing it, and the screw just BROKE!! WTF am I supposed to do? AHH I don't have another screw! Please someone tell me what I can do to get this thing out of the hole!


It's really bolt, not a screw. I broke 2 of those bolts right next to each other. You car is still fine as long as the valve cover gasket is properly seated. I've been driving around like that for about three months.

Thanks guys. Today I went to Discount Auto and bought the extractor..the thing you drill a hole and then use the tool to pull it out. It worked, but now I have to find two new bolts. Turns out I did it to another one...sigh. Thanks for the info. I was pretty stressed last night when I was doing it and then I was just about to throw my car away when it broke. lol well I'm calm now and I am going to get the bolts from a junkyard tomorrow. Anyone know the msrp on one (or two rather) of those bolts from Nissan? I'm not sure if the junkyard will have the right one because I was going to pick them out of this 200sx I saw. Early 90's version, the screws match up in diameter, but I can't see the length of it for obvious reasons. Thanks again for the help.

You might as well just order them from the dealer. They you don't have to go getting them of a dirty engine in a junkyard. I paid around $5 for 2 new ones from Nissan.

Cool! Did they have them in stock? I haven't driven my car in almost a week its driving me crazy as hell and I want to get new ones anyway. Not some 10+ yrs old! lol THanks for the help!

No, they weren't in stock. They ordered them and they came in like 4 days.

You could hit ACE hardware and bring one with you if you want to get it done now. They can match the thread length and pitch as they carry metric. I like using high grade Stainless as Nissan tends to use low tensile bolts. YOU NEED A SMALL TORQUE WRENCH bloke!!! ;) They require about 6-7 lb-ft. Just think, all shinny stainless bolts. :)

Cossie

NOO! I just ordered some from Nissan this morning. :( oh well I am shining my valve cover again lol because I missed a couple spots and now i have a better tool, so it will take me another day before its ready anyway. I can wait I guess. Nothing to do right now anyway. School is almost out!

Originally posted by cossieturbo
You could hit ACE hardware and bring one with you if you want to get it done now. They can match the thread length and pitch as they carry metric.


Actually I don't think you'd be able to find them anywhere else. They are quite unique, they have a long smooth surface and then the threading starts, also some other minor things with them - I doubt anyone but Nissan has them.

Yeah I think you're right storm. Sounds weird. I went to around 5 different shops asking for them, maybe more. No one had them.

What???? I think I can relate with not being able to find them as ACE was the only place in my area with the right size(s). Yea, you do have to pick out washers and slide them on, but that's not too hard. I went to Discount Auto, Pep-Boys, Home Depot, local auto shops (they had some non-S.S. & dirty) and another small hardware store with no luck, Then this nice bloke said "go to Ace on such and such road (Lantana)". For some reason they have a large selection of Stainless metric including case hard fine pitch (rare). :) I waste so much money buying stupid SS bolts because they are the hard to find high grade stainless and they look good. I think the valve cover bolts are a 6mm standard metric pitch. Well just don't worry bloke. With a torque wrench, you should not be breaking any more factory bolts & stainless is heavier anyway. Slows the car down. ;)

Cossie