Heli coil kits??

[ToadHill]

I used to helicoil all the spark plug holes on the aluminum head of my race car. That way if you took the plugs out while the engine was hot, you didn't have to worry about stripping the threads. You should take the pan off but if it's too much work you can cover the tap with wheel bearing grease and clean it often while you tap to trap the shavings.

 

[Matt_Jr]

Yes, they are that simple, and yes, I would reccomend it.

That said, I would do a practice one or something once or twice before committing do doing my oil pan upside down.

Instead of breaking the tang with the punch, I would grab it with pliers or hemostats and wiggle till it breaks.

I would insert it with a liberal dose of blue sealing, threadlocking locktite gel.

I would grease the tap prior to tapping the hole and back it out often.

I would start the tap, and stop, and look and check for true, and make my BIL check for true, and get out from underneath and go back and check that I was true before committing.

Careful with the plugs go to the truck section if you want to read of my struggling with my truck and a cheater plug.

I would insert a Fumoto drain plug after I got it helicoiled.

Hope it works out well for you.

Excellent advise. And I myself wouldn't drop the oil pan. Most of the metal shavings will come out while your drilling. The oil filter will take care of the rest. And like Alanb wrote, back the tap out often and break off the tang whith pliers or hemostats. If you feel more comfortable though by all means. Take off the pan. Good Luck and happy tapping.

 

[kenmac]

I've had good luck with installing heli coils. It would be easier if you can drop the pan without alot of trouble. I hate working off my back

 

[CATMAN]

I'm surprized that no one has mentioned to slightly pressurize the whole crankcase system while you are drilling the hole and tapping the threads. After you drain the oil, add some air pressure to the oil filler cap hole or even dipstick tube. I have done this on big diesel engines before, but I do have a air regulator so I don't over pressurize. Yes, it is a little messy, but the debris is constantly pushed outward. I would also "waste" a quart or two of oil to "flush" out the hole after drilling and tapping procedure was done.

Another thought on this repair is to just tap out to a pipe thread size, then first install a reducer bushing, then put in a smaller pipe plug for the drain. The advantage of using pipe thread is that you don't have to be totally perfect on the drilling and tapping procedure so that a factory seal or copper washer will seal properly.​

You can save the pipe plug procedure as your "backup" plan also.

 

[automech]

After drilling the hole oversized, fill the flutes on the tap with grease. It will make the chips stick to the tap. You can flush the hole out with a quart or 2 of fresh oil. I have installed a few oil pan plug helicoils, and have never removed a pan to install.

 

[WilliamBos]

After drilling the hole oversized, fill the flutes on the tap with grease. It will make the chips stick to the tap. You can flush the hole out with a quart or 2 of fresh oil. I have installed a few oil pan plug helicoils, and have never removed a pan to install.

Thanks. What about when we drill, should we use grease too? Or is there enough chips to matter?

 

[AlanB]

Thanks. What about when we drill, should we use grease too? Or is there enough chips to matter?

The chips from the drill will want to come down the flutes.

Often, in aluminum, if it is truly stripped, you can skip the drill part, that said, I would reccomend that only to someone with a good feel for the cut, which I doubt you would have it being the first time.

I would also throw in that you should put a stop on your bit (big wad of tape works well) so that you don't get pushing through, pop through the hole and have a spinning drill bit finding something in the bottom of the motor. Oil pickup comes to mind, or hanging on something and snapping a bit.

Again, the biggest thing too me, is too think through what you are about too do, and do it carefully that you do not make the situation worse.

I would not pull the pan.

 

[Danno1]

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Helicoils are avail in different lengths. 1 diameter, 1.5 dia, 2 dia etc. Be sure you have enough metal to completely bury the HC (both ends). The end of the HC should be 1/2 thread pitch below flush. If not, use a Keensert or equiv.

Also, it's never a good idea to use threadlocking compounds on Helicoils.

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[AlanB]

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Also, it's never a good idea to use threadlocking compounds on Helicoils.

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Why?????

 

[DieselPower]

Personally I don't like Heli-Coils. Over the years I have had some of them pull out, unfortunately some in critical applications. When I was working for a truck dealer I got introduced to Time Sert thread repair inserts which are factory authorized by many engine and vehicle manufacturers. There are many different brands that are similar to Time Sert's. Unlike Heli-Coils they are not a coil like a spring. They are a solid piece of steel threaded on the inside and outside. Once installed a swaging tool is run through them which expands them slightly and locks them in. I have never had one of them fail yet.