[alfa] Next disaster... pulling camshaft bearing stud

[Jon Pike <jhpike@xxxxxxx>]

OK....  onward and upward..

We got some momentum this weekend..  spent the day getting the engine 
build moved closer to completion.

Tackling the head was a lot of it..  cleaned the surfaces of block, 
liners, and head with brake cleaner to degrease things,  tapped the roll 
pins in,  put on the head and torqued it down!

Then we learned why you put the cam chain in first...  I actually 
thought I could put it in from the bottom,  but that turned out to be a 
fantasy..  Ahem.  I also had the crank off TDC,  to be safe to the 
valves,  but realized also (now that I got the book out) that having the 
chain link in the middle during TDC has many advantages. (like being 
able to pull the head and not mess with cam retiming)

Anyway,  the named procedure in the factory engine building manual is to 
loosen the cam bearings till all the valves are closed.  This would only 
work with the cams completely loose and the caps off.  But,  the middle 
pistons are down,  only the #1 and #4 need to be worried about.  Only #4 
is slightly open... and heck it should be fine if the timing is right..  
but I've been bitten by not folllowing procedure before..  so I do it.  
On goes the head again,  with the chain threaded through this time..  
and now comes the time to retorque the cam bearing caps.

I set my now known accurate 3/8" torque wrench to 14 lbs  (13-15lbs in 
the book)  and after a very light snugging down with a ratchet,  I bring 
them up to torque.  The last bolt of the last cap.. dosen't tighten. 
(!)  It gets somewhat tight,  and it looks like the stud is getting 
taller. (!!!)

So, it looks like I've pulled a cam cap stud. 
I'm guessing the only option is to get it removed,  drilled out, and a 
Helicoil (or something) installed.  Is this something I'd want to try  
(limited to a large drill press for machining gear at home) or should 
take it to a machine shop to get a good repair?  I tried double nutting 
it to remove it for a look,  but couldn't get it to budge.

Side issue..  I've torqued up and removed the head gasket once,  after 
the repair it would be twice..  would that be tempting the Head Gasket 
Gods too much on a cold, never run engine?  Or should I trash it and get 
a brand new one?  I was amazed at how little effect (visually) being 
torqued down had on it..

Thanks..

Jon and Marcia  (so close,  so close we were to a assembled core motor!!!)
77 Spider
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