Well some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug! Today I was the bug. My c3 was sitting there warming up after having the radiator changed when I heard that gut wrenching snap that you just know is not going to be good! After quickly shutting her off, I pulled the driver side valve cover and found a rocker arm laying there far from its home. The rocker arm stud had snapped right at the nut. The rod looks good, not bent and the rocker arm looks fine. Why would the stud just snap? The car had been running just fine. Guess no Sunday drive for me tomorrow.

Hi Owen Mate i know how it is!!! my vette only got its new motor back in today after 3yrs resting in my shed after a rocker mishap i bent a pushrod badly damaged rocker,stud valve i think i had some coil bind wouldnt have minded if i was racing but i was driving normaly The rest of the motor wasnt worth a rebuild
anyway do you know what happened yet and what brand were they ?
Cheers Mick

Howdy Mick, I can't see anything else that is wrong with the head. Just the broken stud. There is a "GM" stamp on the head but that is all I can tell you about it. The motor was a crate motor, manufacturer unknown, that was in the car when I purchased it. I went to the local auto stores looking for the stud, but no one seems to have one like it. The ones they have seem to be a 'press in' while the ones in this engine are threaded on both ends. Guess I will have to check the local engine builders this week.