Spark plug Helicoils

[Roger Blassberg 0]

This on behalf of a colleague;

Vehicle Mk.3 Golf 8v GTI; the threading in number 2 plug hole has failed. The plug is temporarily held with JB weld epoxy steel. Wish to install a helicoil and do this with head in-situ. A US site suggests this is possible providing tap is kept well charged with grease to hold chips, withdrawing frequently to replace with clean grease.

 

 

 

Has any one successfully installed a helicoil with head in-situ (i.e. not broken a ring with trapped chippings)?

 

 

 

The professional kits from Emhart and Armstrong are £60 to £80. In U.S. low cost DIY kits are available for typically $22 such as the ‘CarQUEST Sav-A-Thread’. Are similar low kits available in UK; if so how much are they and who sells them? Has anybody any experience of these low cost kits?

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[Henny 0]

for the cost of the head gasket and the fact that it's a doddle to do a head on an 8V gti, I'd just take the head off.... If you damage a ring with a trapped chipping then it's gonna cost you one hell of a lot more to sort it... :|

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'd personally use the oppurunity to remove the head, clean it up, re-guide it and totally remove any chance of swarf damaging the bores/rings.

 

But if time and cost are factors limiting that option, then all you can do is chance it.

 

On a related note, Stealth mentioned the other day, that Supercharger kits that have the sump tapped in situ rarely ever see swarf getting into the oil if the greasing procedure is adhered to.

 

EDIT: Beaten to it by the Henmeister....