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- Jan 2, 2005
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- 27
Anyone ever used a Heli-coil to replace a stripped out spark plg? I need some user info if ya have some. Thanks.SBS.
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auto repair
- Thread starter S.Bryan Sayles
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- Jan 2, 2005
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- 27
what should I ask for at the autoparts? Or should I take it to my mechanic? Thanks for the reply.
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Most likely going to require a mechanic as you not only have to have equipment to ream the hole and tap it for the liner (which is threaded for your spark plug), but then you have to have the tools to get the shavings back out of the cylinder.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2000
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S.Bryan Sayles said:
There is a special Heli-Coil for spark plugs, or the one piece insert is called a 'Keensert'.
Check your auto parts store (NAPA, Carquest, or a local store that caters to the trade) for the kits, and advice. The kits come with detailed instructions.
I would definitely advise that you not do it yourself. This is one case where if you don't know what you are doing, you WILL end up eating the cost of a cylinder head.
If the first couple threads are messed up and you are having problems threading a sparkplug in, there is a tool that can be inserted into the hole and rethread it from the inside out.
Mark
If the first couple threads are messed up and you are having problems threading a sparkplug in, there is a tool that can be inserted into the hole and rethread it from the inside out.
Mark
I bought a used 6 cylinder engine to put into my 1976 BMW 2002. Two of the spark plugs were stripped into the aluminum head (the PO was *very* incompetent, it seems). I decided to take the head off and take it to a machine shop to have it helicoiled. The reason I removed the head is because it is very difficult to drill the head such that no shavings get inside the cylinder. You don't want metal shavings inside the engine itself - that can screw stuff up big time. Although I know they will blast air into the spark plug hole to try to remove any metal fragments, I wanted to do it right the first time rather than have a blown engine a few thousand miles down the road.
Depending on your car, it may or may not be easy to remove the head. My engine was sitting on a stand so it was relatively easy for me. This requires buying a new head gasket and head bolts, and probably a thousand dollars worth of labor if you don't do it yourself. (And if you do it yourself, it's a lot of labor for you).
So my advice is to talk to a mechanic. It cost about $30 to have the two spark plugs helicoiled, so that's about $15 apiece.
Reddog-
A helicoil is sort of a corkscrew-shaped piece of wire that fixes stripped out threads. It screws in where the old threads were, and provides new threads where the old ones used to be.
Depending on your car, it may or may not be easy to remove the head. My engine was sitting on a stand so it was relatively easy for me. This requires buying a new head gasket and head bolts, and probably a thousand dollars worth of labor if you don't do it yourself. (And if you do it yourself, it's a lot of labor for you).
So my advice is to talk to a mechanic. It cost about $30 to have the two spark plugs helicoiled, so that's about $15 apiece.
Reddog-
A helicoil is sort of a corkscrew-shaped piece of wire that fixes stripped out threads. It screws in where the old threads were, and provides new threads where the old ones used to be.
Heres another idea... You can install an adapter that would screw into the spark plug hole (Just drill/tap the hole out to the next size.) that the spark plug screws into. Just like what a real bad oil burner would recieve.
Forgetting what you call these, maybe one of the other gear heads can give me a hand with the name! Screw it into the sparkplug hole, its about a 3/4 inch long, screw the sparkplug into the other end...
Forgetting what you call these, maybe one of the other gear heads can give me a hand with the name! Screw it into the sparkplug hole, its about a 3/4 inch long, screw the sparkplug into the other end...
