• From: Elizabethtown, KY
  • Registered: 2017-11-30
  • Posts: 63

Topic: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

I figure at least a couple of people on this thread have dealt with this particularly engine.

I’m redoing the valve gaskets on our Dodge grand Caravan, with the 3.8 V6.

I got the rear one off pretty easily, all things considered, and the front six of eight we’re fine.

But there’s these two way down under the intake manifold. I went a bit too hard at them and stripped the heads. How can I get them off?

If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
  • Registered: 2013-11-15
  • Posts: 670

Re: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

Can you weld a good nut to them and use that to get them out?

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon
  • From: Elizabethtown, KY
  • Registered: 2017-11-30
  • Posts: 63

Re: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

rb92673 wrote:

Can you weld a good nut to them and use that to get them out?

They're stuck between intake and the cover itself, maybe a half inch clearance around them. I doubt it. I did consider jb weld and a sacrificial socket. Haven't totally dismissed that idea.

If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

zac.s.caldwell wrote:
rb92673 wrote:

Can you weld a good nut to them and use that to get them out?

They're stuck between intake and the cover itself, maybe a half inch clearance around them. I doubt it. I did consider jb weld and a sacrificial socket. Haven't totally dismissed that idea.

If anyone else's suggestions do not pan out welding might still be an option.  With flux core you take off the gas lens on the torch and it can still work with up to about 1" stickout...super less than ideal.  Remember to try to weld to bolt and the nut just gets welded by accident (inside out if you have room for movement).

So our normal process on these is hammer the next size smaller SAE socket on the head as a first attempt (assuming they are/were metric metric).  When I say hammer it on, mean if you do not make it all the way to the flange on the flange head bolt, you keep hammering.  Alternately, they make sockets designed for this  but the above method has worked often.

Final option is break the head off the bolts ot break the valve cover around the bolts

  • From: Elizabethtown, KY
  • Registered: 2017-11-30
  • Posts: 63

Re: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

Apparently I already tried 5/16 so much that it was stripped down from 8 mm past 5/16, so I took a torch and a 7 mm and I’m letting that socket cool off before I go at it.

If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
  • Registered: 2021-08-15
  • Posts: 28

Re: Stripped valve cover bolts in the worst place! (Dodge/GMC 3.8)

It may be easier to remove the intake. It takes a couple of hours the second time, First time a little more. I think the labor guide shops use is around 1.5 hours. Then you can buy (cheap) bolt removers from Home Depot that you put in a drill, then put the drill in reverse and with a little bit of luck they'll spin right out. While there it may be a good time to replace the plugs, and what ever bits that'll be easier with the manifold off. Also you can remove all the crap that isn't needed for road racing. Heater hoses smog stuff etc... There's a bunch of Youtube vids with step by step.