so heres the situation:

im at the gas station, filling up and checking my oil, when i notice that there is some very slight oil seepage coming from one of the valve cover bolts. when i got home, i went to take it out to inspect the bolt and the little rubber thing on it to make sure nothing is broken. well, as soon as i get the bolt out, i find that only half the threads are there.

now, ive got a broken bolt, and i need to get the other threads out from the inside. the question is, what procedure should i follow to remove it, what tools and equipment will i need, and what should i look out for to prevent me from breaking sometinh else during this procedure.

oh, will i also need a new gasket? also, i will need to know the torque specs for the bolts, i cant seem to find them anywhere

 

and its the 2.3

 

Remove the remaining bolts, remove the valve cover, and hopefully the stub end of remaining bolt will be accessible. If yes, you should be able to grip w/ a vise grip wrench and remove.

If bolt is flush w/ hole, you'll need to use one of the "broken bolt removal" tools (Grabit is a popular tool). There are many types available. First you drill a small hole in the bolt center w/ a reverse drill bit (turns CCW to drill). This may remove the broken bolt if it is loose. If not, then you use the bolt removal bit inserted into your drilled hole to back out the broken bolt.

If bolt removal doesn't work, then you'll have to drill out the bolt, rethread the hole w/ an anchored insert.

You may want to take the car to a mechanic w/ experience in this type of operation.

Tell the truth now, you tightened that bolt because you saw a little oil, wanted to stop that leak, and bolt suddenly got loose. If you didn't someone did.

good luck

 

basically ive gotten everything i need, its not as hard as i thought. the excess threads are out, the new gaskets are in, everythings all set... i just need a new friggen bolt.

Would it share the same valve cover bolts as the 98-02 accords perhaps?

 

How did you extract the stub end?

I suspect bolts are same for any 2.2L Accord or Acura engine, but don't know for certain. Honda or Acura parts will be able to supply a replacement bolt.

good luck

 

Yup E-Z out screw extractor kit if it's flush. Then a helicoil kit to that thread size and you're good.....Or if not re-tap the the hole.

 

the remaining threads were 1/4 in out, so it was easy to remove. i got the new bolt today and its in. 7 bucks for the bolt. since i didnt have a torque wrench, they told me to hand tighten it, then do 3/4 turn with a regular wrench. can anyone confirm this or have their own input?

 

The torque is very low, ~ 7 ft-lbs or 84 in-lbs. A 1/4" or 3/8" drive torque wrench will have the range of settings to apply the 84 in-lb torque rigorously.

I don't use a torque wrench and tighten w/ my hand wrapped around the base of 3/8" ratch (no leverage). You won't overtighten w/ this hold and can get torque adequate to seal. I also make 2-4 passes, first pass is just snug, and then repeat to "firm" w/ the base hold on the ratchet till all are tight.

thanks for the update on how you solved problem.

good luck

 

so now that everything is back together, i seem to have a slight loss in power. at full throttle, after i pass 4k, it will very slowly climb to 6k. in the low end range, i dont notice the decrease in power that much. i know its there, but its not as much of a loss compared to the high end. any suggestions as to what to check or what to do? any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

im starting to think my vtec is gone. i just took out the solenoid to try and find the filter (i read that it could be clogged). no luck finding that. do i just have to remove the solenoid or is there more work involved? My oil is plenty full, the valve cover is back on w/ no leaks, and my check enghine light is still on throwing a p0420. I dont think the code has any relation because its been on since september with no loss in power. Should i attempt to clean out the vtec filter screen? if so, where can i find it? any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oil change maybe?

 

Today, i my car farted. i was driving it hard to see if vtec was back. it didnt seem like it was back, but it wasnt as bad as before either. then... i see this cloud of white smoke just fart out of the back. it was a really thick cloud too. any ideas? maybe the excess seafoam i ran through 2 weeks ago? im wondering if this is all related.

 

^ i dont know but i have the same problem with the bolt. mine broke and is gone. But i just found a bolt that can hold the spot, and stop the oil from flying out. I keep getting the vtec engine code too, no matter if i reset the ecu or not, it keeps coming back. Ive come up with the ultimate fix for this problem...... G23 time!

 

i dont have the vtec code, it just doesnt want to seem to come on. according to autozone, i just have the p0420 code. the bolt i got for 6 bucks at a dealer. did u get the code as a result of the bolt? or did it just appear at random?

 

white smoke=toast head gasket. check under your oil cap to see if there is any milky residue.

 

nothing milky, just oil. would it be an obvious seperation as if it were water on oil? theres nothing like that on my cap, inside, or on my dipstick. thats why im confused, it only happened once. all of my fluids are full and not leaking at all. would it have just been gunk or some kind of buildup burning. i did run a seafoam a few weeks ago... maybe leftovers?

 

P0420 is low catalytic converter efficiency. This can be caused by an exhaust system leak, aging O2 sensors, or failed converter matrix.

Since yours is running poorly, new primary (ahead of converter) O2 sensor may fix your problem. Check ebay for sensor for <$50. Any 94-97 Accord O2 sensor will work in your Acura.

good luck

 

cool, i only assumed it was the cat, but i already replaced the rear sensor... ill try the front one next. is their anything to look for if i take it out and inspect it?

 

and another update: evidently that fart fixed my car. ive got vtec back and everything is fine... except for the p0420, but thats been there for a while.