Has anyone else had a problem of stripping out the camshaft bearing cap bolt threads? After getting my heads cleaned up and a couple of valves replaced ('94 3.0) I went to put everything back together and when torquing the camshaft down the bolt stripped the threads out of the head on the right hand side, front cap (#1 I think). I wasn't sure of the best way to fix this so I took it back to the place that did the valve job for me and he just drilled it out, tapped it, and inserted a helicoil. So then when I was putting it together for the second time the other bolt on the same camshaft cap stripped the threads out of it's hole! Did I mention yet that I was indeed using a torque wrench and I was not torquing more than 12 ft.-lbs.?!?! So this time I put the helicoil in myself and it seemed to work fine except that I almost put it in too far (only got about 3 threads engaged).

Anyways, I just wanted to hear if anyone else has had this problem. I mean, what are the odds that both bolts, right next to each other, would strip out? Im not a Strength of Materials expert but I would guess that someone before me had torqued these way past spec and Im now seeing the results of their mistake?

 

I didn't have any trouble on my 3.0 when I re-did mine, but when I do a full rebuild on any 22R's I work on I always helicoil/timesert the camshaft bearing cap threads, and the exhaust manifold studs. Those seem to give me some greif often so I just spend the extra $20 and get them fixed if I'm doing a total a tear down.

Someone could have over torque'd someone could not have, it's just something that happens with aluminum. Those 2 spots I mentioned earlier are the only spots I've ever had trouble with, I've never stripped any intake bolts or studs (knocks on wood). But I've done many camshaft bearing cap bolts and exhaust manifold studs.

If you strip another, I'd just go ahead and have the shop replace every single one, that way you wont be coming back. At least with that head

 

have you had your torque wrench calibrated? it might be off -- i usually put the full 16lbs of torque on my caps and have no stripping problems.

 

I'm with kyle, have that torque wrench calibrated

 

make shure you were reading N*M and inputing that on the ftLbs side. that will get you f'd up in a hurry.... (ask me how i know)

 

I use an inch/lb wrench, I've stripped a few camshaft cap holes out, I would say in total I've stripped them out on 2 heads out of alot, but it only cost me like .25 cents a hole so I have them replaced, along with the exhaust manifolds.

I agree with the others have your wrench checked out, although I never use a ft-lb wrench on anything below 20ft-lbs anything below that I use an in/lb wrench.