So, I am putting my valve cover back on, chuck the 5 bolts in, and hand do them up some.

Grab my small ratchet and gently nip up 4 bolts, connect with the fifth and before I even feel it get anywhere near starting to nip up it just feels like it's only just been put in and spinning "Crap..."

Yup, sheered, like butter. I am a pretty careful person when it comes to stuff like this and I cannot believe it happened, I am no master mechanic - but I am not totally oblivious to these things either. I would understand it if I was hanging off the ratchet but I literally did not even feel the thing get anywhere near tight.

Left with the stud section in the block, luckily it sheered before I got any real torque on it and I was able to slowly but surely unscrew it back out.

Ordered a new one but would you say it's safe to drive for the 2 or 3 days it takes to come down? I turned it over and the gasket is holding, no oil leaking.

Thoughts?

 

If you got the broken piece out, just take a bolt with a 10mm head from elsewhere in the engine compartment untill your proper bolt arrives.

 

I did, and that's not a bad idea. Any suggestions to go looking for one?

Are these bolts prone to being a bit soft? Sort of put me off a little, doing work on the car that is but I was careful.

 

They are not soft...it could have been stretched by a previous owner.

Use one of the UN-painted bolts holding the headlights in, located on/by the front fenders.