Hey guys,

I went tonight to put on my new wire loom for my plug wires and ran into an interesting problem...I don't have traditional valve cover bolts. I have screws threaded in to the holes that have nuts screwed onto them...does any one else have these? I've never had the valve covers off since I've owned it so I've never had to think about it. Kind of strange. Anyway, does anyone know where I can get a set of bolts and what size should I get? Oh, and the junk yard, they had 3 F-bodies in there, none of which had engines...Thanks!

 

thats not stock, studs were not used on valve covers, they had 1/4" bolts that were like 4" long. if you remove those studs then replace them because they are probably not the grade 10.9 rating that they should be, 10.9 can withstand high tempurature without stressing. if you ever do get em replaced, go to the dealership because they have the stock bolts with the torx heads.

 

Yes I've had a couple of cars that had the nut-&-stud arrangement, from the late 70s. It's most definitely stock. By 1984, they had mostly gone back to bolts. I guess they still had some of the older hardware laying around the day they assembled your motor.

The correct bolts are ¼" x ½". They won't be grade 10.9 however, because that's a metric spec, and is not used on SAE hardware. Depending on how thick your looms and gaskets are, stock ones might notwork anyway; you might want to use ¾" long ones instead.

You don't need anything special, as far as the "grade"; there's very little stress on them, ordinarily. Regular SAE grade 5 (std automotive grade) are fine.

You can get stainless ones at the hardware store. That's what I usually use, and I'd suggest. Rust-free forever is good.

Torx ones were not the stock hardware in 84. They would have been hex.

 

Thanks guys I really appreciate it. I can't finish putting my new plug wires in until I get this resoved. Hopefully I'll be able to get off work early enough this week to stop by the dealership.

 

Bad plan.

Stock ones likely won't be long enough.

Go to the hardware store and get ¼" x ¾" stainless hex head bolts. Maybe some stainless star washers and flat washers too. Much better deal all the way around.

 

I will go to the dealership, or maybe just the hardware store and get a set of 4 stock and 4 of the extended ones. I have this wire loom. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

It can bolt strait down on the valve cover but I don't know if I can with the A.I.R. tubes from my headers...they might be in the way. IF they are I'll need to use the bushings that come with the kit to bring the loom up a bit. The kit has two bushings per loom (looking at the picture, there are four bushings, one in each corner) that can extend the loom up about half an inch or so. That said, I may need to go longer on the bolt.

 

For the record, my '86 LG4 had the stud-and-nut arrangement stock.

And, to emphasize sofa's point, don't go to the dealer. All they will have is what the factory used, and that isn't what you need. (Not likely they'll have '84 parts, anyway.)

 

There was also a TSB to replace the bolts with the nut and stud and a spreader to fix leaking valvecover gaskets.

 

I have the stud-nut/spreader on mine. Probably what was done to it way back when. But the spreader can be used with bolts...oh well.

 

On my 84 I have stamped steel covers with spreaders and a relatively thick gasket, and some of the studs have wire looms or hose clamps for the fuel line on them. I used a set of ARP stainless studs, I don't remember the length, but they're the ones the catalog lists for cast valvecovers. Hardware store stainless bolts would be cheaper, though.

 

I picked up a set of 8 stainless grade 8 bolts from the hardware store for $2.36...now to see if I need the longer ones for the spacers or not.

 

my appologies i shoulda noticed you had anb 84, i was referring to newer models, they have bolts. dont use stainless, its weak and cannot handle heat stress, thats why i suggest you go to the dealership, they have the correct length, strength and head design to match your TPI. of if you wanna get the right stuff, ask them what is required and they will either have it or you can go get it, but it HAS to be either grade 10.9(metric) or grade 8(impertial) or next time you try to remove them, they might break or stretch.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

We're talking about valvecover bolts here... they get torqued to a few inch-pounds. They don't have to be grade-anything. Stainless is more than strong enough, and it's not even in a high-heat location. They're not going to stretch or break.

 

I also don't get the TPI reference.

As with anything, there are junk stainless fasteners out there. In general, though, stainless should be tougher than standard grade-nothing steel.

I've been getting small stuff like that from the neighborhood Ace Hardware. I haven't gotten a junk fastener from them in any grade, and the stainless stuff is top-notch.

 

I just hit up well...I guess it is the only hardware store in town that sells nuts and bolts in any quantity, even LOWES sucks when it comes to nuts and bolts, and picked up what I needed.