I was installing my powdercoated rocker box covers today. I thought that I blew out all of the holes but I must have missed one. When I was torquing the breather bolts, the center bolt popped & pushed a small pieced of the bottom of the head. How screwed am I? Will it leak or is this not really an issue?

 

if you don't mind the leak it's not an issue.

 

Some people like them like this.?

 

Time for the best thread sealant you can find.

 

I've heard of folks epoxying the broken piece back in with some success, but... yeah, good thread sealant is probably the ticket. Maybe with a thin layer of form-a-gasket under the bolt head.

 

 

Hydraulic pressure is an amazing thing. Did not take much to do that. Is there an opening to inside now? Little gray or black Permetex gasket maker rtv on the threads will seal from top. Valve cover gasket seals around it.

What I used on the head bolt on my Jeep that goes into the water jacket. That is just to the valve cover, isn't it?

 

It is a veeeery thin area. It also happens when people put silicone in the bolts holes that seal the inner primary to the engine instead of under the bolt heads.

 

THAT ^^^^ is a heart breaker.