Cam Housing Woes

[ScoobySteve]

I just snapped a hardened steel hex key on one of hidden cam tower bolts. I can't get the broken piece out of the bolt head.

Any ideas? For what's it's worth, the ones above the exhaust manifold came out easily.

[mikepellegrini]

I'm not sure there's any graceful way.

If you put the lower bolts (above the exhaust) back on, it may take some of the strain off the upper ones (caused by pressure from the lifters) and make it easier to turn.

Taking off all the bottom (or top) bolts can put undue strain on the bolts that are left and make them hard to get out. The lifters exert quite a bit of pressure.

Maybe a small socket just larger than the diameter of the bolt, pounded on? I can't remember what it looks like in there but I don't think the heads of the bolts are recessed.

I can't really think of anything else that wouldn't involve destroying the cam tower. I've heard of people using a hack saw... but that's last resort.

Maybe a super-duper heavy duty carbide drill bit would work - where you drill the head of the bolt off. But with a hardened hex tool broke off in the bolt-head, that'd be tough. Worth trying, though.

Good luck!

[thewerxracing]

Heat it?

[Rasta Monsta]

Are we sacrificing the bolt too early? Seems like the first effort ought to be getting the tool out with a bolt extractor.

[ScoobySteve]

To provide some closure....here's what we ended up doing. We got a heavy-duty center punch and smacked the center of the bolt holding broken-off hex tool. That dislodged it enough that a strong magnet could pull the piece out.

After that we went through a couple of rounds of "waking" the bolt hold, and ground-down the hex-driver socket to fit through the plug hole. This let us a use a proper ratchet instead of a big allen key. Then the rest came out fine. Got the cam tower off (just left the lifters in it) and removed the head.

[mikepellegrini]

Congratulations! That's a happy ending.

[ScoobySteve]

Originally Posted by mikepellegrini

Congratulations! That's a happy ending.

See my OPRV thread

Actually, I've just got questions. My Subaru is a like a Fisher Price car by comparison. Everything is so much simpler and more self-explanatory. Here there are more pieces to even simple parts and the parts seem to raise lots of questions. I'm very unsure of everything.

[HondaDustR]

The $25 for the extra long 3/8" drive 6mm hex bit from SK tools is worth every penny. Glad you escaped that one clean!