Now I'm totally freaking out. I was tighting the engine cover bolts after painting the engine cover and I overtightened the last bolt, closest to the driver's side and then SNAP the engine bolt broke off. It happend towards the very bottom of the bolt.

Am I totally screwed or what? I don't know what to do. I'm going to try to take off the engine cover and look for the piece of the bolt, but I heard it fall. I doubt I'll be able to find that little piece.

Please help with suggestions.

That sucks!.... that sucks bad. You can easily get another bolt from the parts department at the dealership, wow... good luck..... whatever you do, DON'T START THE CAR! You should be able to find it, wish you the best of luck...... fingers crossed for you......

Make sure you don't over torque the bolt when you do get a new one, torque it to (80in-lbs for the SPI, also posted on this website so it's definitely that number) which is factory specs.....

You're having a TOTALLY f-ed up day, aren't you? Hope like heck you can remove the valve cover and see it lying there or can get it with a magnetic pick-up. What did you hear fall? I'm asking because it says you hard something fall inside. Removing the head is about a 5 hour job, so I truely hope you can find the missing part.

For one final kick in the nuts: You know that the valve cover is only supposed to be tightened to 80 INCH pounds, right?

Yeah I just posted that about only torquing to 80 in-lbs also. Wow, I hope he can find the other part. Hope he posts back on here.... otherwise we will know what happenned.....

As much as I mess with people now and again, it makes me wish I could be there to help instead of just wishing him well. This could get ugly....

I am so pissed. The good part is the engine cover looks great.

So what if I can't find it with a magnetic pick-up. I'll try but when I did it (broke the bolt) I heard a metal piece fall into the engine under the engine coverl. It could be big or it could be small. Versus the size of the other bolt it's a real small piece.

What's the worst that could happen though. I'm sure that this has had to happen before. Could I pray to the car gods that nothing will happen, drive the car until something happens, or is this just a loosing proposition. Is there a chance that nothing will happen or am I definately just screwed.

I am going to need some serious anti anxiety pills tonight. Please post any responce that will help me sleep.

I'm just trying to figure out what could have dropped into the engine. There's the bolt with washer (on top) and two rubber washers (one up one down). You sure it wasn't the ratchet transmitting the sound up to you when the bolt snapped?

No, a piece physically broke off the very bottom of the bolt, part of the thread. If the bolt is 3" long it may be the bottom 3/8th tops. I sent you a PM. I am serious just freaking the f out.

Can you show me what you have accounted for so far?

I haven't taken the engine cover off, it's too dark here so I have to wait to the AM. I have the entire bolt except for a small piece of the bottom towards the bottom of the threads.

I don't have that black plastic piece, hopefully I can find this. I assume this is on the inside of the engine cover.

I'm at home depot right now buying a mag pickup to go searching with tomorrow AM.

Let me know the real deal.

If you have the whole bolt with the exception of the threaded part, my feeling is that if you can get the threads out you'll be fine. The rubber part should be relatively easy to find. I'll bet that if you went out there with a flashlight and someone to hold it while you worked you'd sleep a whole lot better tonight. The oil return holes aren't really that big, so if you haven't run the engine since the bolt broke you should find the part (if there is one) right on top. Look carefully, I have dropped bolts in the head before and it takes some detective work to find them. Damned if I know how things fall where they do.

In short, I don't think it's as bad as you do. Granted, it's not my car but as long as you can account for the bolt parts (like in the pic and the bolt didn't shatter) you should be ok once you get the threads out.

Ok here's the deal. the bolt broke exactly where the threads start, just a little below. I should be able to find that big plastic part. Then I go a searching fot the threads. If I find that I should be ok (say the prayers to the car gods)

But let's play the what if. What if I don't find the threads. Then where do I stand? Is it possible that the car will be fine?

Thank you so much in advance for all your help waterboy. If we ever run into each other, the entire night of drinks is on me.

Diet Pepsi all night!! Whoooooo! I'm on a plane right now!

Hope I made you laugh.

Ok, for the "what if's"

What if you can't get the part out. Well, you could run it and hope for the best.-Not recommended as it may do one of two things. One, it could by some miracle forn its way into the oil pan and lie there forever, OR it could find its way into a cam bearing anfd then you're in deep doo-doo. Ankle deep doo-doo. A sheared cam would be bad. The SPI is not an interference engine, but is still would be some major breakage. Most likely a new head, cam, and possibly a valve or two.

What if farts and burps were reversed?

Don't jump off the deep end just yet. Let me know what's under the valve cover and we'll go from there.


jim

Thanks Jim. I'm up at 5:45 tomorrow AM working on the car. Sounds like I may have a little bit of hope. We'll see at daybreak. Thanks man!

OK, I have to leave for work by 6:30 so if you can get a pic up before that I'll take a look.

Waterboy, PM'ed you.

We may be OK to drive I think. Found all the pieces. The only issue is that the screw broke off inside the threaded hole so no way to get this out. I would think though that I'll be OK to run with only two screws. Please post up!

There are reversed based drill bits that all you to put a drill in reverse it digs into the metal and allows you do unscrew it, if that makes any sense at all.

Originally posted by UMDivX
There are reversed based drill bits that all you to put a drill in reverse it digs into the metal and allows you do unscrew it, if that makes any sense at all.

Help me out with this. Don't quite understand what your trying to say.

Do I even what to try to undrill/unbolt this or can I live without the bolt in place?

Advice.

Maybe I should just really tighten the other bolts[:D]

no I would not recomend running with out both bolts in the valve cover and if you try tighenting the otehr one the same thing will happen but from the smile icon I am guessing you were being sarcastic. Basicly what I was trying to say there are counter clock wise funky looking drill bits I have seen mechanics use to remove half broken off bolts just like in situations your in right now. you can try and find them (I have yet not seen them so thats why I dont know what they are) or talk to a mechanic and see what you can do.

Did too things. Went to ford today and talked with a mechanic and a Service Manager. Both said the same thing. If I want to, go to a machine shop and get the screw replaced. I'll probably do that, I know of a shop that may be able to do it.

Second they said no real problem. They said fasten the bolt I broke with a little gasket sealer (so nothing will go in the open hole on top of the engine cover) and just watch to make sure that there's no oil leak. Both said probably will be fine and that it's not that big of a deal.

Machine shop next week for me though. See what they can do.

my cam cover has had a couple cracks at one end for years now...it seeps a little oil, but nothing serious. I doubt you have a real problem. That mechanic is correct. A machine shop can remove that broken bolt without a problem. Be prepared though, and buy another bolt to replace it before you go. If there's oil on that gasket, however, it won't seal properly and will seep oil until you replace it.

WTH??! My reply never posted. Cliff Notes: I'm glad it worked out. Use some silicone until you get the threads out. Get some sleep!

Waterboy and guys. Thanks for all the help. Drove the car all day today, no issues and no leaks. I'll take it to the machine shop sometime next week.

Now to get back on the horse the threw me, put on the focus sport wires with some autolite double plats and the car runs so smooth now. Seemed to pick up a little of low end torque, not a huge increase, but after the original plugs and wires with 70,000K miles your can tell it was due.

Tomorrow I'm going to install a new PVC valve (got that at the dealership today), a new fuel filter, and the focus sport exhuast. Then I'll just be waiting for that chip group buy!

Again, thanks everyone for all the help. Thank the car gods!