Folks,
So I ran a leakdown test on the Buick this weekend. Leakage was 12 to 18% on all cylinders. Not great, not too bad....
However....when I removed the leak test adapter from one cylinder....I managed to remove a helicoil installed who knows when.
Has anyone out there had to re-install a spark plug helicoil? Any help is appreciated.
(Motor is a 62 Buick AL V8.)
TIA,
Rog
Timesert http://www.timesert.com/ makes a better insert than Helicoil for things like plugs that have to come out regularly, but it should be no problem at all to reinsert a helicoil. All you need is the coil and installer. Check with your local machine shop if you don't feel like buying the whole kit..
Search for P71/Javelin's 4.6 Ford stripped plug posts. Might help.
I paid a shop to do it, I was too chicken 
My dad did on his subaru, basically it involved searching untl he found one witht he same threads as the one that came out, and installing a new one according to the instructions, just skipping the tapping part. It still works like 50k miles later.
Put Lock-Tite on the outside of the helicoil, Nevr-Sieze on the spark plug and wrench it in. Wait a few minutes for the Lock-Tite to set and remove the plug. Or not...
+1 for Time-sert. That stuff does the job.
I greatly prefer Timeserts over Helicoils. However, since the head is already drilled and tapped for a Helicoil insert, he can't go back and put a Timesert in the same hole. There's no material left to cut for the outer Timesert threads.
Another +1 for TImeserts. We use them on the 2-stroke SAAB rally car, and that thing needs a plug change just to start the car. We HAVE pulled out a TImesert with a plug and the repair was to go to the next outer sized insert. We've also started using Loctite 2422 super-high-heat retainer.
A long time ago, my friends in motorcycle world said the same thing drmike sez. That is, if you put helicoils in, you can't later put timeserts in. They much preferred timeserts.
If the helicoil came out and the threads it went into are good, I'd just put new helicoils in with red loctite, let it dry (couple days) and use neverseize on the plugs, as stated.
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