If people are using dual scale wrenches - ie. lb/ft and Nm then care needs to be taken not to end up reading the lb/ft scale. Those bolts have never felt even close to distressed when ever I've done them - and Ive done LOTS of em!

Oil in the threads shouldn't normally be an issue with most machinery - HOWEVER - when dealing with threaded holes in soft material - ie. aluminium or magnesium alloys etc. - especially vertical holes - it is indeed one way you can end up stripping threads - ie. the bolt can hydraulic at only a few threads in, those few threads tear out without even feeling like there's any tension, meanwhile some oil bleeds past so bolt regrips and runs down a few more threads before hydraulic-ing again etc. etc. End result is a very nifty way of turning a threaded hole into a smooth bore - yet at the driving end you have no indication there's been an issue until WTF there's metal coming from somewhere and the damned thing won't tighten!!

I personally always do clean oil out of any holes - rag with air nozzle is easiest and quickest, but without air I carefully drop a punch or phillips screwdriver etc. in that displaces a certain amount of oil if there's a lot in there (ie. wipe it away with a rag as it wells out round the punch) - then I dipper with a cotton bud - ie. dip, wipe on rag, dip again etc. until the hole is pretty much clear. Renew the cotton bud before the end gets too raggedy and falls off in the hole of course. Screwdriver and rag is the trad method of course but I personally reckon cotton bud s*&^s on that...

Silicon in a bolt hole stops the bolt from threading all the way in . I use blue silicon on my thermostat . It gets in the bolt holes and I went to tighten it up and it got really tight but the head of the bolt had not seated . I force it tighter then all the silicon blew out and became loose .

Has happened with rocker gear aswell but not as bad . Oil usually gets out through the threads .

You shouldn't be needing to use Silicone sealant on the T'stat housing gasket, it is a rubber gasket, and as long as the surfaces are clean, dry and flat, there is no need for it.

well didn't break a bolt but ended up stripping 2 threads where the dowels are in the inner middle exhaust side (2 different locations) so gotta get captain thread to come out and fix it for $106 in couple weeks time, not gonna attempt to do that myself yet, while I'm waiting money for that gonna replace welch plugs and install new sump gasket (cork one but oh well).

I don't have a gasket , silicon is all I'm using

Buy the right Helical kit and repair the threads yourself .Straight forward job, cost for a helical repair kit approximately $45.oo, depending who you purchase kit from.

Also if using a large tension wrench forget it, it just hasn't the sensitivity required to tension small diameter bolts. When using a long tension wrench on small bolts you will continue pulling the tension wrench arround untill you either strip or break the bolt before then tension wrench indicates you have reached the 25Nm's.

" Rocker arm support bolts tension setting is 25Nm "

Appropriate tools for the appropriate job, use a tension wrench ( total length approx 8inches ) that has a scale adjustemt between 0 and 30Nm should solve you problem of over tightening small bolts and stripping threads in aluminium.

cheers