Hey,
I just blew the center plug on the drivers side out of the head. I don't know why but the threads are stripped and I can't get the plug in. 300,000 km on her so I don't owe it anything but it runs fine even on the 5 good ones. Is there a Quick Fix I can use to secure the plug for the next couple of months. I have another motor to put in but it is winter here and I would like to wait until the summer. Would cleaning the thread and using red lock tight or jb weld work?

Thanks for the help as always

 

id say jb weld it or helicore it

 

Helicore it. Do not use JB Weld, it will just blow right back out.

There is a thread chase kit that you use, where you stick it down into the cylinder PAST the hole, then clean from the inside out. That way you dont have to deal with all the metal shavings in the cylinder.

 

Its HELICOIL not Helicore. Also known as timesert and a bunch of other brands and names. Most any auto parts stores will carry a version of it. They are the thick black fine threaded inserts, not the course chrome colored ones.

You don't use the thread chaser with the helicoil. The thread chaser is designed to save the existing threads. Something to try before using a helicoil. You HAVE to drill out the hole using a helicoil and you WILL get SOME shavings in the head. You can use a lot of cutting oil or grease, and a vacuum cleaner, but you will get some in the head. Luckily its only fine aluminum shavings and they will be quickly and harmlessly burned in the cylinder.

I had 2 helicoils in my 3vz heads and they worked fine.

 

dammit i knew i was saying it wrong lol.

It just woke up, gimme a break!

 

Helicoil's work great, I don't think you can use helicore's (unless your restringing your fiddle). DeathCougar can you play "The devil goes to down to Georgia" Just kidding.

 

i like that song, you son of a .......

 

just make sure to tap it in at the right angle going into the head
helicoils are life savers and worth the 30$ or 40$ you take it to a shop and they would use helicoils but would probably charge you 300$

and heres my favorite devil went down to Georgia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9tEdbwXxXw

 

I would coat the drill and tap with grease to hold as much of the shavings as possible. You also have to be careful of the tab on the end of the insert that the insert tool uses to thread the new insert into the hole. The thread insert is hardened, and if the tab falls into the cylinder, it won't "harmlessly burn up".

 

When u use a helicoil, there is a tap that is used before it gets threaded in, its bigger than the existing hole, so you might have to drill. #1 - make sure that the piston is not all the way up when your drilling or tapping, you might hit it, but if its all the way down it will be harder to get the shavings out. after your done with the helicoil, use a blow gun with a long tip and try to blow the shavings out. crank it up a couple times without the plug, and ignition disconnected. You need to try to get as many pieces out as possible, shavings are thin, but cylinder walls arnt the hardest things in the world.

 

Wow, I thought he had found some new product or something.

 

Guys, the "helicoil" style spark plug inserts are NOT the same as regular helicoils. They do NOT have the tabs. It is a fine threaded black solid insert, not the cheap silver colored ones that you use for regular hole re-threading.

And Harbor Freight now sells these "timesert" style inserts. They are all the same product, just sold under different names.

 

and prolly made in china...not that that's bad...

 

thanks,

I used the non tab black insert and it worked great. The tap is great quality so I can buy the insets now for $4 each.

 

Glad it worked!

Funny, I just looked up and seen a timesert banner ad at the top of the page.