Safe to drive?

I was removing the valve cover on the passenger side of my 02 Tundra, and two of the bolts broke off. I was using a short 1/4 inch ratchet, so I couldn't have been applying a great amount of torque, but anyway, they were seized and broke. So I'm going to have a mechanic do the gasket replacement.

My question is: is it safe to drive the truck the 40 miles to the mechanic, or should I have it towed? I put everything back together with the exception of the two broken bolts on the valve cover. The two broken bolts are on the bottom, one is closest to the cab of the truck, and the other is about in the middle. I never removed the valve cover.

Am I risking significant oil loss by driving it to the mechanic? The reason I am replacing the gasket is that it has been seeping oil.

Thanks for any help!

 

I would probably just drive a few miles pulling over a few times to see if it's leaking badly. I wouldn't expect it to do so for a couple bolts.

 

You should be fine. Like Bill said, pull over and check the oil regularly

 

Okay, that's good news. Thanks!

 

If you haven't already, start it up and observe the valve cover just to make sure it's not pissing oil out. I agree with the others that it should be fine, though.

 

You're not the 1st person to snap off valve cover bolts. I think @txagg may hold the current record on number of bolts snapped.

You may just be able to tighten the adjacent fasteners down. Was a toss-up on removal. Some people were able to grab the stub with Vise grips and loosen. Others went with the double-nut technique. Worst comes to worst, cover the head with a towel and drill it out.

 

I've been driving around with a broken bolt for years. Granted, it's on the top, but still broken.

 

Well, I went out and started the engine today and let it run for maybe 5 minutes and there was noticeable oil on a piece of cardboard beneath the engine. It probably wouldn't be a big deal for a 40 mile drive, but I'd rather not risk it. So I'm going to have it towed to be safe. $120 to tow it vs. a lot more $$ if something bad happens during the drive.

It was worth a shot

 

Oil on cardboard or the ground can look a lot bigger then what it is. I’d top it off and drive it. Take a quart with you and check it half way.

 

Agreed. It wasn't that much, but there was enough to cause it to burn off and give off smoke as the engine warmed up. I figured the leak would get worse as the oil got hotter. So I've got a tow truck coming later this evening just to be safe. Just for my peace of mind. I had a Chevy in the past that probably leaked more oil than this, but I'm more cautious now