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Help on helicoil kits

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

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Hi all.

Does anybody know if it is possible to fit a Helicoil in a head that has had
the thread stripped from the spark plug hole without removing the head from the rest of the engine?.
I did a top end rebuild last year and do not want to pull it apart again....

Phil :cry:
 
I have a buddy that works at a machine shop that has done this. He said it isn't the proper way, but if you are careful, it can be done.
He has done this on car engines with aluminum heads.

When he was tapped the hole, he coated the tap with grease. He said this would catch most of the metal shavings. After tapping, turn the engine over without the sparkplug in the hole. It should blow out anthing else which fell in. Also use a set of needle nosed pliers when removing the tab from the heli-coil. Hang onto it so that is does not fall down into the motor.
 
I recently stripped the threads of the spark plug hole for my 1977 Honda XL350.
I got the spark plug hole repair kit from heli-coil ($90) and now the bike runs even better than it did before (I guess it's got better compression now). I didn't have to remove the head or do any driliing. Use grease on the tapping tool.
The trick is to tap a couple of threads at a time, back the tap out, clean the chips off the tool, re-grease and then repeat this as many times as necessary. I don't think much of the chips (if any at all) fell into the head. The grease catches it all up pretty well if you frequently re-grease the tapping tool.
 
One other thing: As brs127s mentioned, make sure that tang (or tab) does not fall into the head. I put lots of sticky, thick grease on my needdle nose pliers to reduce the chances of this happening, but the main thing is to keep the pliers squeezed tight till you see that tang out of the hole completely.
 
I have done probably as many as a thousand helicoils into 6061. The grease does help catch the aluminum burrs but more importantly keeps the tap cutting threads from clogging up. Keeping them clean makes for great threads and an easier pass. Tap Magic is great for tapping aluminum.

Though this removal isn't critical that its perfect, the tang can be removed effectively if you quickly turn it up (towards the other part of the coil) and back in on itself with one quick motion. The key here is to keep from bending the coil, but cause a clean break. Might be difficult with a pair of long nose crammed down a spark plug hole.

Might consider a clean rag pushed into the cylender at close to TDC. When done, a little vac and pulling the rag out should result in a clean installation. (Did something similar on a Chevy 350)

Mark
 
I used a kit like the one in the attached link to repair theads in a VW head(wihtout head removal) a few years ago and it worked like a charm. I purchased mine at AutoZone for around $10usd. All the above hints about using grease, rags and vacuum for cleanup are good. http://www.autopart.com/Tools/file/part276.htm Good luck.
 
Thats the same kit I have used cost me $40 at car quest. I like it better then the helicoilkit, its actually a steel sleeve you screw in the head. worked like a charm on my bike and i didn't have to remove my head.
 
Thanks

Thanks

Hi All.

Thanks fro all the replies on this one.
My local backstreet bike workshop has said they can put in a time-sert
without stripping the engine, seems that they do this a lot on ally heads.
I will let you know how good it is later in the week.

Phil :roll:
 
question on time sert

question on time sert

Bike: 83 GS 1100 GK

Hi Phil and anyone else who was apart of this. I pulled up this old thread and what a help it is to me. (I love the search feature, by title, really helps you get alot of info fast)

I made the mistake of trying to thread my inner plugs using extenstions without pulling the tank up. I thought I was hitting, but no, I ruined the threads.

I can still get the plug in 1/2 way. The bike seems to run great.

A few questions for you guys:

1.Would you leave it as is, since it is running?
2.Anyone know about these time - sert things as referenced on this thread?
 
whew.....

hopefully this will work for me.


my plug is all the way in now, but when i pull it , i dont know how the threads going to be..... really stupid mistake. :oops:
 
just did this last friday, do not use the heli-coil kits they are less quality then a time cert kit. the time cert is much easier to use and better. like every one has said gob up the tap with grease. BUT also remove the synce bolt that you would use to synce the carbs, hook up one of those brass carb sycne tubes to the cylinder in question then slowly turn the motor over until the intake valve is open, next hook up compressed air to the tube so you are putting a constant posative pressure into the cylinder and air is blowing out the stripped spark plug hole, now use your greased tap and retap the hole with the timer cert tap. make sure to screw the tap in a little bit then turn it out to break lose the shavings, turn it in more, back it out and keep doing this till it is taped. the compressed air will help keep the filings from falling into the cylinder. use some red locktite to help keep the timer cert from backing out and try not to remove your plugs when the motor is hot as a pre-cation to not back out the time cert.

-ryan
 
I reciently had to retap a spark plug hole in my 78 GS 1000 as I cross threaded the plug into the hole. Then to make matters worse, I used the wrong size drill bit to drill the new hole. Luckily, Time sert makes an oversized thread insert to accomodate the hole I made & it was as easy as pie to put the new insert in. All I needed was the right size tap to thread the hole & the insert already had the locktite on it. All you have to do is use the spark plug to thread the insert into the hole & tighten it down. I was even lucky enough to not have to buy the insert due to the fact that no one here carries it on the shelf so I contacted the company directly & they sent it to me for free. It has been in now for about 1000 miles & I have had no problem with it.
 
time cert is just a company in southern CA that makes & sells thread inserts. I found out about them through a local automotive parts house. You can look them up @ www.timesert.com.
 
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