Today, I tore the entire engine down. Pretty much a bare block besides oil pan. Am having a hell of a time removing the cam thrust plate bolts. The torx head bolts stripped as soon as I tried to remove the bolts. TRied one tap and that didnt work. Am really close to sending the new cam back and getting a refund for it. Anyone have an idea of any trick I can use to remove these bolts?
Can't remember but it seems like these trust plate bolts were more of a button head looking bolt head.....
try...if you can get a firm grip on it with a vice grip, yes, you'll more than likely deform the snot out of it.
do you have access to a
welder?
and it sounds like the bolts are pretty rounded out from the torx socket slipping. get a 1"w x 1/8"or 3/16" thick flat stock steel metal ...say 8-12" long.... drill a hole towards the end (1/4"-1/2" in, er so ) of the flat stock just a bit larger than the torx size. Now place the hole of the flat stock on top of the bolt head...weld shut the hole. and you should be able to turn the bolt & flat stock right out.
if the flat stock breaks off, grind off weld nodules and repeat...maybe a little larger hole, just so it is not larger than the bolt head. Just don't weld/tack the flat stock to the block
DO NOT try welding the torx socket in the bolt....the torx drive is hardened and will just snap off the end, leaving you with 2 things to get out.
If you have access to a
torch or a little butane torch, (like what a plumber would use). You can try heating up the bolt head ...let them cool just a bit and re-try the torx socket.
if the welding or heating up fails.....grind off the head of the bolt...or drill it off.
so you can remove the thrust plate...then go back with a vise grip and grab the now left over stud....& they should come right out with the pressure gone.
yes these are going to mandate new bolts for the reassembly side of the project....maybe a new thrust plat too, depending how rough the extraction got.
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