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Hey all -

I replaced my valve cover gasket, and all but one fastener is tightening. The rear passenger side (bottom left of the valve cover) stud is spinning in the head and I can't get it to tighten against the nut on the valve cover. It also has some wiggle/play when I move it by hand. Would blue/red Loctite do the trick or am I in for much more than that?

Thanks

Thread locker won't work. Locktite does have a product for this, Stripped thread repair. That might be worth a try before getting a helicoil kit.

Threading and rethreading into aluminum isn't great, especially the 6MM bolts which are fine threaded, not that you had a choice in the matter, and curiously E3s before E12 and E28s after used studs, not bolts for the valve cover.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lct-28654

JB Weld has a similar epoxy thread kit that might not be as expensive. It worked well on a small stripped bolt hole on a brake caliper on my TR3. the kit should be an OK repair for a valve cover but I would not use it on a critical bolt.

Well I fixed it!

Long story short, previous owner striped insert out of aluminum head, and either 1) exposed crappy M8 x 1.25 threads or 2) tapped his own, then used a custom M8 to M6 stud to clamp on. Near solution, but not long lasting! The M8 threads were also stripped to hell, I could only grab one or two threads that ended up stripping when I tried to go hand tight. A drill + tap to M10 x 1.25 and a key insert later we’re back to an M6 hole that can actually hold some torque.