Question RE: Oil filter cover bolt

[dchrist]

ok. first a little history.

well I did it. I sheered off one of my filter cover bolts over tightening it. So to begin with I feel like a dumb ass... and a little pissed cause who wants to deal with that. At this point I think I've read every post on the subject and I've applied PB blaster and hammered and vice gripped and finally after soaking every couple of hours for like 2 days the bolt turned. I was psyched but after I turned it a couple rotations I realized its not coming out...I think it's just spinning.

so here's my question...

Is that possible? am I screwed or what? I'm afraid I've just broken the bolt at a different point and now I'm gonna have to drill it out. Which I'm pretty sure involves removing the whole front end... I'm doing progressive springs this weekend anyway so maybe I'll do the full job instead of the lazy man's method... although I had planned on going lazy.

has anyone faced this same issue? anyone want to offer some advice? I surely would appreciate it. at this point should I keep at it with the vice grips and hope for the best? or should I cease and desist to employ some other method? Is it possible for me to do any serious irreversible harm here?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

d

[pennstump]

Seriously?  You posted this 5 days ago?

I just had the same thing happen to me today.  The first cap/nut came off with no problems.  The "top" 2 just spin; they won't tighten, loosen, or come off.  They spin, but they're so close to the plate that I cannot even get my finest flathead screwdriver under it.  Visegrips have gotten me no where. 

I was thinking about a nut cracker, maybe something like this:

http://www.jackstoolshed.zoovy.com/product/20662A?meta=FRG&utm_source=GBASE&utm_medium=CPC&utm_content=&utm_campaign=

However, there's not a lot of space in there.  A Dremel, which I don't own, is the only other thing I can come up with, but that is probably bad because I would probably wreck the post since I've never used of those before.  The odd thing is that the seal hasn't been broken; no oil has come out from under the plate.  I could almost put the one nut back on and sleep for a little while knowing that I changed the filter the last 10 times...

Any thoughts or help for the 2 of us?