The V8 Owners Forum -

I have two stripped threads on the heads that came with my 4.6 engine. I have made up some jigs to drill out and put inserts in, I don't want to fork out for a time sert kit, you can buy individual inserts for £3 or so, any one know what STI tap I would need for 3/8 unc time sert ?
One of the holes has been messed with and im not sure if a helicoil or time sert would work, anyone know if there are any larger OD ones available?
I guess I could make up a alloy bung and die/thread it to fit if all else fails !

I'd always assumed the taps used for Helicoils are a special, so the expensive part of the kit. That and the odd sized drill.

To do it at the lowest cost, buy a kit then sell it on Ebay after you've finished?

You can buy helicoil kits from as low as £15 through to over £50 for a few sizes.

That's everything, drill bit, helicoils, taps etc

I've a few of the V-Coil ones in metric sizes. Handy sets to have

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-8-UNC-V-Coi ... 1c352c4fbf

Also have some "silverline" which this appears to be, again all good.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELICOIL-TYPE ... 56688e5f1e

Thanks for the replies I have helicoils but I was asking about time serts, these kits start at £50 odd, although helicoils are fine most say time sert are better.-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSyfY1VLtU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjDQJtWFc8

Time sert ebay-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-WURTH-UNC- ... 588f50d037

I cant see anything you would possibly need on most engines where you'd need anything stronger than a helicoil.

Especially as a helicoil thread insert is already stronger than a thread into the bare aluminium.

stevieturbo wrote:I cant see anything you would possibly need on most engines where you'd need anything stronger than a helicoil.

Especially as a helicoil thread insert is already stronger than a thread into the bare aluminium.

This ^ yes Time-Serts are better quality IMO but they are also more expensive too

Are they exhaust threads?
I had one on my P38, drilled it out and tapped it to M12. I used a M12 Cap screw which surprisingly fitted through the existing holes on the exhaust manifold, but I also turned a "waist" on the top half of it to give it some extra clearance.
If the hole hadn't of been previously messed around with I think an M10 would of gone in, but I had to go out to M12 in order to clean the hole out.

Time-Sert might well be better on a thread which is heavily used. But on a normal engine, how often do you take things off?

DaveEFI wrote:Time-Sert might well be better on a thread which is heavily used. But on a normal engine, how often do you take things off?

Precisely

I had an idea about doing a heli-coil loan system.

You'd pay a deposit covering the purchase price of the kit, and get it refunded less the costs of the bits used on return. And of course a (small) additional fee to cover wear and tear.

Suggested it to the SD1 club with absolutely no interest.

DaveEFI wrote:I had an idea about doing a heli-coil loan system.

You'd pay a deposit covering the purchase price of the kit, and get it refunded less the costs of the bits used on return. And of course a (small) additional fee to cover wear and tear.

Suggested it to the SD1 club with absolutely no interest.

Kits are dirt cheap and handy to have.

Just buy as you go, then you always have them there and then when you need them in the future.

Well I drilled out the offending holes using the jigs I made, and all came out good both will accept helicoils , then I casually ran a straight edge over the heads only to find them warped !
Its a better pair of HRC2479 heads or skimming, whats the most you can skim ?