Way, way back in the days that I owned a '61 Olds Cutlass with the 215 aluminum
V-8 (that eventually became the Rover V-8), getting a heli-coil installed was a
MAJOR project. Probably because there were so few aluminum headed engines
around. Now both technology has moved ahead and also because so many cars have
aluminum heads that the installation of a heli-coil is a ho-hum job. My local
auto parts store now sells the "kit"-back in the sixties you had to search out
a specialist store to get them.
Jan
Alex & Peggy McGregor <apmcgregor@home.com> wrote:
> I want to thank all who responded to my query about blowing a plug out of an
>aluminium
head (yes it was aluminium). I felt, and could see, that there was thread
damage even
though I did manage to put it back in and torque it to 15 ft/lbs. I just
didn't feel
right about allowing my favourite (read only) daughter to drive 400 miles of
highway that
has a total of 6 towns with a gas station, when it's 30 below zero. I also
didn't feel
like letting her do this after I had installed my 1st helicoil. I took the car
to a
local automotive machine shop today. They installed a helicoil for $50
Canadian + 15%
@#$%^ sales tax (about US$40). Seems like a small price to pay for a bit of
piece of
mind. This machine shop (rebuilder) may get a bit of business as I start to do
the
mechanicals on the SI.
I never realized that this could be done with the head on. If I hadn't been in
a hurry
I'd have pulled the head, taken that in and paid the same amount for the coil,
more for a
valve job and a gasket set, all without asking for advice, I hate admitting I
don't know
everything.
Thanks again to everyone. The story has a happy ending.
Al McGregor
B9006487
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