Engine Tear Down: Disaster Narrowly Averted

Rot 911 · 10-18-2003, 06:35 PM

I got out in the garage bright and early today for a general cleanup and the work on removing the cam housings, heads and cylinders. So I'm listening to the radio while removing the rocker arms. Use 8mm allen wrench to hold rocker shaft nut, 5mm on the bolt, use some leverage, remove bolt, tap out shaft remove rocker arm. 11 down with no problem, one to go. Damn nut won't budge, little more leverage and I round out the socket!

Then I tried the other side and rounded it out!

So I get a bright idea, I'll just weld the allen wrench in place and all I managed to do was break the wrench!

Only thing I could think of to do was to try and drill the bolt out. Fortunately it was a nut accessable from the end of the housing and I had a good set of titanium coated drill bits. 5 minutes of drilling, and pop, the bolt popped off the nut and I got the last rocker shaft and arm off! Total time spent on 11 rocker arms: 30 minutes. Time spent on number 12: one hour.

RoninLB · 10-18-2003, 06:41 PM

WOW.. that PIA would upset my day

Rot 911 · 10-18-2003, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RoninLB
WOW.. that PIA would upset my day

To be honest I was getting a bit worried. Here in small town Missouri it's not like I can just load everything into the Jeep and take it to the experts. In my part of the woods I'm all there is!

rcwaldo · 10-18-2003, 06:59 PM

Job well done! Its always the last bolt that gives you grief isn't.......

Yes, My Murphy is with all of us....

makaio · 10-18-2003, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kurt V
To be honest I was getting a bit worried. Here in small town Missouri it's not like I can just load everything into the Jeep and take it to the experts. In my part of the woods I'm all there is!

Same thing here where I live. I'm 3 hours from any wrench that I would trust to do work on my car. I don't even trust the tire mounters. When I had my S-03's installed a couple weeks ago, I put the car on jack stands & took the wheels down to the tire shop for fitment.

Silveresrty911S · Silveresrty911S's Garage

Probably shoulda started with that bolt first, aaahhhh live and learn

Doug Zielke · 10-19-2003, 08:43 AM

Good thread and pictures!!

On my rebuild, those suckers were as tight as a frogs ass! (thanks to roninLB for that euphemism.)
I was scared the wrench and/or bolts would give out, as did Kurts. They were groanin' and creakin' with impacted rust.
You don't really realize it til' you see them, but the ends of these bolts are exposed to the weather, and they *rust*!!

They all did come loose without damage; dodged another bullet. I did not reuse any of that hardware, and bought all new as replacements. And I put a little smear of assembly lube on those threads for future corrosion insurance.

RoninLB · 10-19-2003, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug Zielke
. I did not reuse any of that hardware, and bought all new as replacements. And I put a little smear of assembly lube on those threads for future corrosion insurance.

I guess I should get new ones also. was thinking about it, but you just helped push me over the edge... thanks.

and that frog's ass will be water tight......Ron

yelcab1 · 10-19-2003, 09:40 AM

Welding an allen socket on, wow that is gutsy.
Tight as a frog's ass, that is funny. I never tried frog's ass, just their legs, and those tasted like chicken.