Who fix the head w/ Heli-Coil in town? - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

zpeed · 2010-03-24, 11:41 AM

My kid just blew up his kart engine. The spark plug came out. It look like spark plug thread is strip on the cylinder head. Any body know where to fix this? His 1st race coming up this Sunday.

Dean · 2010-03-24, 12:25 PM

Talk to Robert at AIMS on Glendale. 359-8866

He has done a bunch of machine work for me recently.

sperry · 2010-03-24, 01:19 PM

Actually... heli-coil is pretty do-it-yourself-able. You just need to drill out and tap the existing hole, which is a breeze if it's aluminum, and not all that hard if it's iron/steel. Then the insert goes in with some thread-locker, and you're pretty much done.

All you need for tools are the proper sized bit and tap, which aren't expensive unless we're talking about a 1"+ hole. In fact, there are heli-coil kits that come with the bit, tap, locker and insert... and I would think a spark plug hole repair would be the most common repair as well.

cody · 2010-03-24, 01:39 PM

What about all the metal bits that end up in the combustion chamber?

Dean · 2010-03-24, 01:40 PM

I assumed he did not want to do the work...

My concern would be getting both the drill and tap aligned for that large of a hole/seat.

sperry · 2010-03-24, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cody

What about all the metal bits that end up in the combustion chamber?

Um, take the head off before drilling?

sperry · 2010-03-24, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean

I assumed he did not want to do the work...

My concern would be getting both the drill and tap aligned for that large of a hole/seat.

If you're just cutting away old threads, the drill is pretty self guiding. I had to turn a threaded 10mm hole into a 14mm hole on my old block to heli-coil one of the idler pulleys. It was really a quick and easy job... no crazy setup... just drill and tap carefully and let the tools do the work. But STi blocks are aluminum... so that made it significantly easier.

cody · 2010-03-24, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

Um, take the head off before drilling?

Oh yah!

zpeed · 2010-03-24, 07:45 PM

Thank everyone. The engine builder already mail out a loaner head to us. It should be here tomorrow.

2010-03-24, 11:41 AM	#1
zpeed EJ251 Real Name: Nat S Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Reno, NV USA Posts: 743 Car: 06 S2000 Class: RNP & PDX	Who fix the head w/ Heli-Coil in town? My kid just blew up his kart engine. The spark plug came out. It look like spark plug thread is strip on the cylinder head. Any body know where to fix this? His 1st race coming up this Sunday.

2010-03-24, 12:25 PM	#2
Dean Señor Cheap Bastarde Real Name: Dean Join Date: May 2003 Location: $99 Tire Store Posts: 9,294 Car: $.04 STI Class: Fast,Cheap & Reliable=STI Deal, did somebody say Deal? Oh, Dean, yeah that's me.	Talk to Robert at AIMS on Glendale. 359-8866 He has done a bunch of machine work for me recently. __________________ I am a Commodore PET --- Now get off my lawn you kids...

2010-03-24, 01:19 PM	#3
sperry The Doink Real Name: Scott Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 20,335 Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata Class: PDX/TT-6 The way out is through	Actually... heli-coil is pretty do-it-yourself-able. You just need to drill out and tap the existing hole, which is a breeze if it's aluminum, and not all that hard if it's iron/steel. Then the insert goes in with some thread-locker, and you're pretty much done. All you need for tools are the proper sized bit and tap, which aren't expensive unless we're talking about a 1"+ hole. In fact, there are heli-coil kits that come with the bit, tap, locker and insert... and I would think a spark plug hole repair would be the most common repair as well. __________________ Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?

2010-03-24, 01:39 PM	#4
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	What about all the metal bits that end up in the combustion chamber? __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2010-03-24, 01:40 PM	#5
Dean Señor Cheap Bastarde Real Name: Dean Join Date: May 2003 Location: $99 Tire Store Posts: 9,294 Car: $.04 STI Class: Fast,Cheap & Reliable=STI Deal, did somebody say Deal? Oh, Dean, yeah that's me.	I assumed he did not want to do the work... My concern would be getting both the drill and tap aligned for that large of a hole/seat. __________________ I am a Commodore PET --- Now get off my lawn you kids...

2010-03-24, 07:45 PM	#9
zpeed EJ251 Real Name: Nat S Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Reno, NV USA Posts: 743 Car: 06 S2000 Class: RNP & PDX	Thank everyone. The engine builder already mail out a loaner head to us. It should be here tomorrow.