Rocker cover fasteners

[davidppp]

Hello chums.

I'm doing some engines just now and thought it might be worth mentioning a little thing about valve covers.

I now replace the studs on the exhaust side with bolts...makes removal much easier especially with tURBO covers on the 914..but also on 911's..

A spot of loktite makes me relaxed about the locking..have thought about helicoiling but not found the need..yet..

Kind regards
David

[sammyg2]

Are you talking about a 914 with a six cylinder engine? That would make alot more sense than a 4 cylinder with the bailing wire valve cover retainers

I also don't understand how a bolt would be easier to remove tha a nut.

One of the advantages of a stud vs a bolt is that the stud is bottomed out in the threads, providing full engagement and strength. A bolt is by design not bottomed out (hopefully) so has less thread engagement.

This is not really a concern because the valve covers require such a low torque value, but what if some ham-fisted clown tries to stop an oil leak by cranking down on them and rips the threads out of the very soft cam housings?

Also, do the threaded holes go all the way through into the areas that see oil? If so you will have to seal the threads or the heads of the bolts to keep the oil in.

[davidppp]

Hello, Sammy.

You're right..I did worry about the threads in the carrier..but had no problems..yet..

The clearance is very tight ..especially on the 914-6..so having only to slide the cover off is much easier then releasing the engine mounts..

Kind regards
David

[sammyg2]

I gotcha, when I first posted that I didn't think of the clearance issue between the valve covers and the suspension. After a few minutes I remembered having to shave some metal off just to get them to fit in a 914, that's when it struck me that having bolts instead of studs would allow the valve cover to slid off instead of having to be lifted all the way off the studs. Makes perfect sense now.