[tkriley13]

How in the world do you fix a stripped head bolt thread?3 days until the races & the worst thing just happened to me,when torquing my heads down as I got to the torque it felt odd to say the least.Boat racer in need!!! Need to make it to MING for the finals.Thanks guy`s....Tom

 

[jrork]

Strip'd like in strip'd the threads out of the block?
If so, I've had great luck with Helicoils. Piece of cake. From what I understand there are other options besides Helicoil that supposedly work even better but I've never tried one.
Helicoils are easy to come by at most autoparts joints.

Good luck at Ming...john

 

[steveo143]

Helicoil!

 

[Hass828]

If you use the helicoil and have to do the drilling with a hand drill, use and old head gasket, slide it up the studs till its about three inches off of the head surface and put a 2x4 block under it in a couple spots to hold it there and use it for a guide to keep your drill perfectly straight, in other words pass the drill bit straight through the gasket and into the stripped hole. Do the same thing with the tap. Then everything will be nice & straight and will bolt up proper. Good luck, Hass


P.S. take a good look at the bottom couple of threads on the head studs, if they've been on this engine more than a year there's more than a good chance that the bottom couple of threads have been eaten away by the lake water. Put in a new set or you'll have several helicoils in the block before long. Nothing sucks worse than torquing the last stud and feeling it strip.st

 

[jrork]

Nothing sucks worse than torquing the last stud and feeling it strip.st

Damn Hass, I thought I was the only one that has experianced that pleasure!

 

[Hass828]

Damn Hass, I thought I was the only one that has experianced that pleasure!

I keep new studs in my deal so I've never pulled a thread in my block, but I've had plenty of buddies that didnt want to have to buy the new studs so they got to buy the helicoils, its damn sure one place that you dont want to scrimp on. I replace'em just about everytime I have my engine down, which is every year or sometimes two.

 

[Snowboat]

I have used Keen Serts with sucess. They are like a helicoil only with a smaller diameter of damage. Additionally, they bell out at the bottom so they don't pull out. For example http://mdmetric.com/prod/insert/keenserts.htm

 

[jrork]

That's the ones I was trying to remember. Someday I want to try those (but hopefully not after I just pulled the threads out of my block)

I have used Keen Serts with sucess. They are like a helicoil only with a smaller diameter of damage. Additionally, they bell out at the bottom so they don't pull out. For example http://mdmetric.com/prod/insert/keenserts.htm