My torque wrench failed, and there is now a broken bolt in my new valve cover.

I can get the broken part out with a screw extractor I'm sure, except that I can't get to the broken piece because of this crazy design. Messing with an unbroken one, the bolt setup seems to have a catch to prevent it from coming out of its sheath.

Based on how much the top of the broken bolt can come out, I am assuming that it has sheered below that catch in the metal sheath.

Any ideas on how to get the top of the bolt out of the sheath w/o going nuclear with a dremel and possibly damaging or destroying my new $ 250 valve cover (if it isn't fractured already from over torque)?

I tried tugging with a wrench if course, but I am worried about making it worse.

Problem:



Example of good bolt:

 

IT IS A ONE PIECE UNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bolt and spacer is ONE PIECE. They are an assy.
A new COMPLETE part is required.

bob gauff

 

Had a no-duh moment. Realized that it had broken between the cover and the engine block, so I undid all the other bolts and the cover came out, allowing me to tap the broken bolt out. Now time to hope that the cover and gasket weren't damaged, and reinstall it all.

 

The reason the spacer is there is to PREVENT damage to the plastic cam cover!!!!!
The rubber 'isolator' provides the pressure on the gasket/seals.
Replace the fastener and re-install the cover.

bob gauff

 

Just wanted to add (to "end" this story) that if you have a leaking valve cover gasket, and have a high mileage car, from certain suppliers new valve covers aren't a huge amount more if you want an OEM gasket with all the isolators and other rubber parts because the new oem cover comes with all new rubber as well. $100 bucks more is worth the risk of having to redo the warped valve cover; the symptoms were the same as a bad gasket in my case.

On this car the gasket (oem and aftermarket) was redone 3x over a two year span, and the warp in the cover was not visible until the engine was hot and the cover under pressure. The new cover fixed the oil leak issue, and the old cover is now a planter