Helicoil, in car

[isnms]

I just finished helicoiling my exhaust side, still in the car.
Tools:
Helicoil kit M10x1.25
13/32 drill bit
3/8 ratchet
5/16 twelve point socket - for tap
11/32 twelve point socket - for thread insert tool
Makita drill
WD-40 - for cutting lube
canned air
small needle nose pliers - to remove tang (not shown)

First do the six holes you can get to. Then cut down the drill bit and use a drill doctor to sharpen it back up to get to the hole in back.

 

[bigaaron]

I have also done that on my car and a customers car.
I bought a stubby drill bit and a right angle drill attachment, worked great.

 

[isnms]

dang, I couldn't find a stubby bit

 

[AustinJ]

How careful do you have to be to get the holes straight when drilling? I have the engine out, and was thinking of putting my head under a drill press so as to make sure they were straight, but maybe that's not necessary? Just need a steady hand?

 

[isnms]

yep, just a steady hand. If you're straight and center it will drill easy. If you start angling off it will get hard and bind.

 

[macsupra76]

At least yours turned out, guy at auto parts store gave me the wrong size tap and die, my holes where too big for the bolts, had to use cheap bolts to hold the exhaust on, they came loose every month, i was running 4 psi for one year. I just got a used head now. Life lessons , never trust the auto store guy, double cheap!

 

[kamil]

I think I'll be doing this while my head is out, where did you purchase the helicoil kit? How much was it?

Edit: Is this what I need? http://www.cartools.com/Merchant2/m...&Product_Code=hckmHLC5543-10&Category_Code=KM

 

[isnms]

macsupra76 - that sucks man.


kamil - out of the car would be the time to do it. Be sure to do all of them, so you don't have to do it again.
Also, I had to order three new studs and bolts. Even after soaking for two days in 'PB Blaster' I could not get the old nut off the stud.
Yes, that looks right. I got mine at PepBoys for ~$44.99. needed it right away.
Couple of places have it cheaper online:
one place has free shipping for $40.95 http://store.yahoo.com/brandsplace/0246-hel554310.html
another has it for $31.37, don't know about shipping http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/hel5543-10.html

 

[DrakeMK3]

I'm glad you brought this up, isnms. I'm going to helicoil my head while I have it out to replace the cheapo headgasket this car had on it.

 

[SuPrADr1Ft786]

what does helicoiling do??? Is it required

 

[isnms]

If your stud bold just turns and turns and turns,
If you have an exhaust leak because you can not tighten the manifold to the head,
You have stripped out bolt holes.
In that case, yes it's necessary

 

[SuPrADr1Ft786]

oh ok, i guess i wont need that. Thanks man

 

[Lurch]

Does it gain anything for you if you have none of those problems? Does helicoiling make them less likely to develop? Is there a large risk of those problems developing without helicoiling?

 

[bigaaron]

If the manifold has never been removed, it probably will not leak but as soon as you remove and reinstall it and retorque the nuts, you have about a 50/50 chance of one stripping before you reach the required torque. The rear 3 are the worst. I will never reinstall a 7m exhaust manifold again without helicoiling all the studs. It's just too much work to have to pull the whole thing off just for that.

 

[Lurch]

If the manifold has never been removed, it probably will not leak but as soon as you remove and reinstall it and retorque the nuts, you have about a 50/50 chance of one stripping before you reach the required torque. The rear 3 are the worst. I will never reinstall a 7m exhaust manifold again without helicoiling all the studs. It's just too much work to have to pull the whole thing off just for that.

Duly noted. Motor is out of the car now, but I'll be having the whole thing apart, so I'll put that on my to-do list. Thanks.

 

[DrakeMK3]

I just got through doing mine and let me tell ya, not having to worry about stripping a hole is a WONDERFUL feeling. Every supra I've owned thus far has had at least one stripped hole. Now, this one doesn't have ANY! Yay!!!

 

[kamil]

For anyone interested, here is a picture of the helicoil equivalent from pep boys ($44.99).

 

[isnms]

Yep, that's exactly the kit I bought, at pepboys

Also, here is a good write up by CJ
http://cjsupra.kendra.com/Helicoil.html

 

[billspreston01]

so, it puts like a type of 'nut' into the hole in the head and the bolt threads into that? I'm assuming that's how it works. I've gotta pull my turbo and exaust manifold tonight cuz I'm getting a leak somewhere back by the turbo and check for cracks, should I just helicoil it while it's out? I don't think I had any stipped bolts cuz the head was completely rebuilt back to stock specs (shitty job) and only has maybe 1100 miles on it, but I'm not sure. Are there any other local stores that carry helicoil kits? I don't even know where the nearest pepboys is Should just about any auto parts store carry the kit? I'm wondering if maybe that's where I'm getting my leak. hmmm

 

[isnms]

you can look at your gaskets for evidence of exhaust leaks.
You can see my ex-man-gasket laying across the top of my engine, on the intake side, in the second picture, on the first post. All those black areas around the exhaust holes were exhaust leaks.

Most autoparts stores should have some kit. Be sure its M10x1.25. It may not have that blue threader but it should have an insert tool. I liked this one best. You could get a socket on the end of it to thread it in. Others I saw had some T-handle threader that would have been hard to use.