the right tool for the right job...help

[docrice]

So yeah, to clear things up here in front, I am a dumbass. But more importantly, i'm cheap as hell. So i was putting my new cam in (248 exhaust cam from s13 into intake side of s14) and things went quite well, without a hitch up til that point. Well, i put the caps on over the cam and begin tightening them down 1/2 turn at a time, as directed by the jwt cam install writeup. These are supposed to be torqued to 1.4 ft/lbs, then to 2.5 ft/lbs, then 6.7-8.7 ft/lbs. Well genius me decides to use my 10-120 ft/lbs torque wrench cause i'm too cheap to buy a second one for small stuff and it can be set below 10 ft/lbs. Well that didn't f*&#ing work and i ended up snapping 2 of my damn bolts off deep in their holes (one on the right side of the 3rd cap and one on the left side of the 4th cap, i was going in order haha). So my easy project is now a major pain, seeing as i dont know how to get them out. the holes are so small and fairly deep, so tapping them would br tough. Any ideas? The rest of the bolts still hold the cam in there fine, and it runs and drives fine, but i dont really want to take that risk...It is going to the machine shop in the fall for a rebuild and some work, so do you guys think it will be ok until then? god i hate my stupid self...

[usctom]

I would defiantly take the cams out and try to get them out with an easy out or something. It may run fine but your going to wear the cam and everything else in the head out.

[kandyflip445]

Would the easy out even be long enough? You could always buy a junkyard head.

[prophet_19]

Why dont you drill them out with a bit alittle smaller then the bolt itsself? Then just scrape out the metal. Sounds good in theory but you probably wount be able to fold the drill steady. It seems to me like you have made a mistake and it will teach you use the proper tools? Something that might seem cheap will end up expensive. :/ Dont stress too much....

[docrice]

well i'm gonna talk to my friend about buying his spare motor for my buildup but he's trying to jank me on the price...i know a couple machinists and mechanics that may have some solutions. I wanted to wait until fall to take the car off the road for its engine buildup (since i want to drive it now and i need to save up some $$$) but that might not happen...

[IAM_SO_sLOw]

haha ya i learnd to use proper tools also the hardway =(

[theicecreamdan]

after breaking the first bolt why didnt you stop and try to do something right?

[docrice]

after breaking the first bolt why didnt you stop and try to do something right?

WELL, at first i heard a little pop when i was tightening one and thought "damn, that sounded kinda like a bolt snapping", but since i was using a torque wrench at what i thought was the right setting i knew that just couldn't be the case :smash: , so i figured that the cap was seating or some shit like that, stuff always creaks and makes funny noises when you tighten it all down. When the second one went, i knew it was bad news.

Today I am going to talk to one of the service dept. guys at the nissan dealer and see if he thinks anything can be done. If it's gonna cost much at all i'll just say screw it and buy another motor, not like its hard to find a KA cheap, people about give them away (some actually do)...

[theicecreamdan]

gotcha, I hope I didnt come off sounding like an ass, I was just curious.

[docrice]

That's cool man, i dig. I figured i'd get flamed for being a retard, but i posted it in hopes that someone would read it and see just how little of an issue it takes to become a big problem. Anyways, i didn't tear it apart yet, but by looking at my remaining part of the one bolt that came out, it should be shallow enough that i can get it with some time and a set of EZ OUTS. and luckily, my friend is a subie tech. and has a great tool set. it just pisses me off cause i am usually the guy that does things the right way, which pisses people off cause it takes forever (but less time than fixing a bang-up job), but i tried to rush this and BAM!! BTW, tomorrow on the way to work i'm going to stop and buy a torque wrench that will actually work properly for what i'm doing.

So in short, looks like i might get out of this one easy, lesson learned, take heed: my attempt to save a few minutes and the cost of another tq. wrench could have potentially cost me the head of my engine. Do it right, kids...

EDIT: Also, never take your car to the nissan dealer for service. the tech that agreed to do it wanted to take out my cams and my whole timing chain (top and bottom) and replace a few seals while he was at it....wtf? he wasnt going to pull the head so why the hell would he have to take off the timing chain? here's why: lots of labor hours...they quoted me about $800 to fix it....total BS.

[noodl35]

haha weird...you know what I had the same experience. I broke 2 of my cam bolts so i went to a local parts store and bought a drill bit and an extractor bit. Taking the bolt is easy just dont mess up the firs ttime and make too many dimples. After that i used a nice digital snap on torque wrench :-D

[blu808]

Pull the head take it to the machine shop. I wouldnt try drilling into those hardened steel bolts for a easy out. You will just get metal shavings in your motor at the same time.

[Ian]

yeah i used a ft/lb torque wrench for my cams...but i didnt have any problems w/ it


be more careful man...the most important thing to remember is that the cam bolts basically need to be a 1/4 turn past hand tight...and dont forget the pattern in the FSM

[docrice]

well last night my dad and i spent a couple hours attacking it with drill bits, a couple different types of ez outs, and a few other creative ideas and finally managed to remove them without causing any damage. i used my new torque wrench (25-250 in/lbs) to do the job properly and had no problems with reassembly. I was lucky i could take care of it without having to pull the head and have a machine shop do it for me. Take note, kids!!

[mjjstang]

ur fucked, I did this to my sr head, but not totally my fualt, the screw was fuct, anyway, yah easy out, drilling nothing worked, I just managed to tap it almost perfectly, but I would never put cams or anythying pricy in this head, Ill wait for a new one, sr heads arent cheap though. count yourself as lucky that its justa ka

[kandyflip445]

He fixed it already......

[docrice]

sr heads arent cheap though. count yourself as lucky that its justa ka


sr heads arent cheap? sr's and parts are about as prolific as ka's anymore, i can't see having trouble finding one for a decent price...my friend got a whole longblock for $800 in awesome shape, from a vendor no less, not even a private party, so i can't imagine you couldn't find a head for one cheap enough....


just a ka? :fawk2: kiss my ass...

[LA_phantom_240]

just a ka? :fawk2: kiss my ass...
LOLS i was thinking the same thing....