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 with Jim Cambron When Rocker Arm Cap Screws Turn Up Missing
A distant second place is in a remote corner of the top
of the head where the screw is waiting to move to the worst place -- under a cam lobe! If
a screw falls under a cam lobe, it can jam the camshaft causing the timing belt to
snap. Fortunately, because most stock pistons have indentations in their tops to provide clearance for stuck open valves,
there is little chance for
Here is a picture of a screw that was fished out of the bottom of the oil pan on an engine I am rebuilding. Fortunately, it didn't cause any damage while getting there... It is important to note that while rocker arm cap screws do occasionally work themselves loose, it is usually due to improper torqueing in a previous repair. Be sure to tighten down these screws to factory specification. According to the 1988 Samurai Shop Manual (Page 3-46) the torque specification is:
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01/30/10 21:28
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When you remove the valve cover to inspect the valve train, be sure to
check the flat-headed Philip head screws that hold down the rocker arm shafts
for tightness. Occasionally, one of these flat-headed screws come
loose -- especially after work has been done involving these screws. If you
notice a screw is missing, a careful examination of the top of the head assembly
is in order.
If you are lucky, you'll find
that the errant screw is in the bottom of the oil pan. It got there by
being "rinsed" down one of the two oil passages indicated in the
picture. The red circles indicate the return passages from the
head as viewed through the block from bottom.
