Hello
If anyone has any ideals or information on what I could do or where to go that would be fantastic.
Recently I purchased a new head for my 98 dodge neon. Everything was going fine got most of the engine back together and went put the valve cover back on and couldn’t get three of the retaining bolts to tighten down. So I pulled the valve cover back off and then noticed that the head must have had some of the valve cover holes tap and die work done on it or something because they are three holes that are larger then they are supposed to be most of the holes are 6 mm except three and they are 7 mm so now my bolts want tighten for the holes are too big. I went to a couple of auto parts stores and to the dealer and they said they had no ideal what to tell me to do for they don’t make oversized valve cover retaining bolts. And I can’t just put a 7 mm bolt in its place because the 6 mm retaining bolts are made in a metal sleeve with a rubber Grommet which I need or the cover will leak. I thought about cutting the top of the head off of the 6 mm bolt and sliding it out of the sleeve and then sliding a 7 mm bolt through in its place but the 7 mm bolt is to big to slide through the sleeve so now I have no ideal what I should or could do or where to go to fix this problem without have to replace the head which I don’t really want to do because the head is new and I have already put a new head gasket on so any help or ideals would be great.

Thanks for any help

 

Just go to Lowes or your other local hardware store and get metric bolts, you will have to know the right thread and diameter though. Then take the rubber grommet off the old bolts and put it on the new bolts, it will work to fine

 

Hi
Thanks for the answer and sorry for the late reply. Ok so let me make sure I understand this are you saying that the little mental sleeve isn’t really needed just the rubber grommet? Because if that’s true then yes I’m saved!

When I talked to the dealer he gave me the impression that I had to have the metal sleeve that the rubber grommet fits around which is what puzzled me for I just could not find away to get a 7 mm bolt to fit through that metal sleeve all though I gave it a three hour try. lol
I’m going to gave just the rubber grommet a shot if you would like I’ll let you know if it works. But you probably all ready know it will which I’m glad you know for that makes it good for me or I would have been in trouble if I’d hadn’t figured something out.

Thanks

 

if you cant get 7mm bolts with the sleeves, you could fill the holes and re-tap to 6mm or take it to a shop and have them do it.

 

That’s an interesting ideal I guess after I try just using the rubber garment and 7 mm bolt if it happens to leak I’ll try that and I would have taken it to a machine shop ifI had noticed it beforeIinstalled the head on the carbut now that its back on the car I don’twant to have to pull the head back off and ruin the new head gasket so I guess I’ll keep what you said in mind. But one question though I have done a little tap and die work before but never needed to fill a hole in so if it comes to doing that what would I fill the hole with?

 

yanno, after typing that and thinking about it i remembered this product. I 100% believe it will work. http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.asp

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