That's less than ideal

"aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe" (emaxxbl) 08/02/2019 at 21:40 • Filed to: None

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You may recall a few days ago I did a much needed ignition tune up on the alfa. Well while I was doing that I noticed a very suspicious crack in the valve cover, at the time I didn’t pay much mind to it because the car was running fine and not making any odd noises and just chalked it up to shoddy Italian casting being heat cycled one too many times.

But curiosity was getting the best of me because it looked very much like something had struck the valve cover from the inside. So I removed the valve cover and found that the middle bearing cap was loose enough to move up and down with the camshaft rotated, not good at all. I’m assuming what happened is the the nuts holding the cap down loosened up which allowed the cap itself to move and eventually pulling the studs out from the head. Luckily though there was little foward-back movement so bearing and cam are still in ok shape.

Everything in this photo was removed by hand.

I was able to get one stud to thread back in and torque down, whether or not it holds that torque is anybody’s guess, the other stud is totally stripped in the head. My best best now would be to source a used head/whole engine which honestly I was planning on doing anyways because the engine in it now is as tired as a 900 year old camel.

E xtra destruction pics.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/02/2019 at 21:47

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Oh come on, just do a borsuq-style repair with some JB weld and a bigger bolt or two. It’ll be fiii ine!

MM54 > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/02/2019 at 22:28

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Ouch. Any chance it can be re-threaded for a temporary fix?

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > MM54 08/02/2019 at 22:53

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gettingoldercarguy > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/02/2019 at 23:57

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Angle nail it down into the head

Urambo Tauro > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 00:12

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Yikes. Good thing you checked! So was that moving arou nd enough to hit the valve cover from the inside, as you suspected?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/03/2019 at 01:39

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JB is disappointing stuff. It absorbs water, for one thing.

Old-Busted-Hotness > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 07:07

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If the engine’s tired, pull the head off and get a valve job and new guides. Have them put in a Heli-Coil while they’re at it. If it’s not tired, just do the Heli-Coil yourself and run it til it is.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 07:12

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66P1800inpieces > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 08/03/2019 at 08:44

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Nooooo to heilcoils.   Timesert. 

66P1800inpieces > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 08:51

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Is that a cast iron or aluminum head? It looks like there is already a thread repair that might be something you can remove with an easy out and then re-install a new thread insert provided you can find the same type that was first used. Or I think a couple of the thread kits use similar taps to make oversize holes for the thread insert, so even if it was an old repair there could be something on the market that fits . I have really come to like Timeserts and used their kit on the aluminum engine mounting bracket for my Golf. Apparently the aluminum is good for one or two uses at the high torque required. The 14mm insert had no issue with 90 ft-lbs +1/2 turn.

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > Urambo Tauro 08/03/2019 at 10:49

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Yep you can even see little indentions on the underside of the valve cover

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 08/03/2019 at 12:12

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Good! That'll keep that water out of the oil!

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 13:31

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That engine may be old and dying but it's not as old and dead as the B meme in your username you've had for well over a year

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > 66P1800inpieces 08/03/2019 at 15:07

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So, a fancy helicoil? Lo oks like there may be limited room to drill and tap the larger hole a time-sert needs vs. Helicoil. 

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered 08/03/2019 at 15:49

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B

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 08/03/2019 at 16:22

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66P1800inpieces > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 08/04/2019 at 11:48

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Yeah, there probably isn’t enough room there . Either it has already been repaired or it’s an aluminum head and it came with an insert from new. I did a quick check and the hole for the M12-1.5 Timesert kit I have is 31/64 which is the same for the helicoil.