Resolved Valve Cover Bolt Kit

[Yamadaaaa009]

Stupid question but I have a few missing bolts in my valve cover. I saw that STM offered stainless allen ones but adding shipping to my country will be too expensive so I thought maybe getting the same m6x25mm stainless allen bolts and washers from the hardware store will be the same thing. Are those okay to use or should I look for specific "valve cover" bolts? Also wondering if they have a spec torque, I do not currently have a torque wrench so if they do I may have to wait till I can borrow one before replacing them.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Stupid question but I have a few missing bolts in my valve cover. I saw that STM offered stainless allen ones but adding shipping to my country will be too expensive so I thought maybe getting the same m6x25mm stainless allen bolts and washers from the hardware store will be the same thing. Are those okay to use or should I look for specific "valve cover" bolts? Also wondering if they have a spec torque, I do not currently have a torque wrench so if they do I may have to wait till I can borrow one before replacing them.

You can use the same size and thread pitch bolts as the STM kit, yes, and probably save a decent chunk of money while you're at it. There are two different sizes though. The outer bolts are longer than the inner bolts.

They definitely have a torque spec. Honest to God, I barely tight them with a tiny ratchet until they just bottom out and wait. If it leaks a little, I'll tighten it just a little bit more. I think the OG torque specs are like 19 in/lbs or something ridiculously light. Just do them by hand, and only a little at a time. Better to have to tighten a little more later, than to go too much and strip the ridiculously easy to strip threads out.

 

[19Eclipse90]

Or crack the cover if you go too tight.

The manuals call out 2-3 ft.-lbs. or 2.5-3.5 N-m.

 

[Yamadaaaa009]

You can use the same size and thread pitch bolts as the STM kit, yes, and probably save a decent chunk of money while you're at it. There are two different sizes though. The outer bolts are longer than the inner bolts.

They definitely have a torque spec. Honest to God, I barely tight them with a tiny ratchet until they just bottom out and wait. If it leaks a little, I'll tighten it just a little bit more. I think the OG torque specs are like 19 in/lbs or something ridiculously light. Just do them by hand, and only a little at a time. Better to have to tighten a little more later, than to go too much and strip the ridiculously easy to strip threads out.

I bought similar bolts to the STM kit (M6x25mm and M6x20mm). I thought that the shorter ones were for the spark plug covers, good thing I bought them as well and asked here. I'll try to tighten them by hand for now. Thanks everyone!

 

[CrackedDSM]

I bought similar bolts to the STM kit (M6x25mm and M6x20mm). I thought that the shorter ones were for the spark plug covers, good thing I bought them as well and asked here. I'll try to tighten them by hand for now. Thanks everyone!

The spark plug cover ones are 10mm long. All of the kits that have the spark plug bolts "included" are all too long from my experience. I bought some that are 10mm long, and they're perfect. For both the OEM cover and my aftermarket billet spark plug cover from China.

 

[19Eclipse90]

The spark plug cover bolts, MD130704, are shoulder style and meant to have rubber cushion with them as well. The shoulder will bottom out on the valve cover rather than the threads in the bottom of the hole and the cushion keeps them and the cover snug.

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[CrackedDSM]

The spark plug cover bolts, MD130704, are shoulder style and meant to have rubber cushion with them as well. The shoulder will bottom out on the valve cover rather than the threads in the bottom of the hole and the cushion keeps them and the cover snug.

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Those work great for the OEM ones, sadly though they didn't work at all with my aftermarket "billet" spark plug cover from China.

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If you had to/wanted to, you could drill the holes out to match the OEM bolts and it'd work great. Good info for future readers'/posterity sake.