Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? #2560702
10/08/18 08:03 AM
10/08/18 08:03 AM
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 636
Graz, Austria
DGS Offline OP
mopar
DGS  Offline OP
mopar

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 636
Graz, Austria
as a preventative measure against stripping threads(spark plugs, exhaust bolts, rocker shaft bolts)?
What's your opinion on this as it seems the Trick Flow heads don't have heli coil inserts as the Eddy RPMs have.

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DGS] #2560794
10/08/18 11:54 AM
10/08/18 11:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,628
Stuttgart, Arkansas
rickseeman Offline
master
rickseeman  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,628
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Forget that idea. Does a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Bugatti, Race Hemi or $100,000 Mountain Motor Pro Stock have heli coils? No.


2011 Drag Pak Challenger
Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DGS] #2560809
10/08/18 12:17 PM
10/08/18 12:17 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220
West Plains, MO
DrCharles Offline
master
DrCharles  Offline
master

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220
West Plains, MO
They might be made of better grade aluminum than a mass-produced head, though... also not rebuilt nearly as often (well, maybe not the Race Hemi), so the threads are rarely "worked" work

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DrCharles] #2560856
10/08/18 01:16 PM
10/08/18 01:16 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,305
north of coder
moparx Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"
moparx  Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"

Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,305
north of coder
just me, but i would use studs in every "bolt" application, and a dab of hi-temperature anti-seize on the plugs. your mileage may vary.
beer

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DGS] #2561009
10/08/18 06:21 PM
10/08/18 06:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,581
N/E, Michigan
RATTRAP Offline
pro stock
RATTRAP  Offline
pro stock

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,581
N/E, Michigan
Not till i had to would do that,

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DGS] #2561112
10/08/18 10:15 PM
10/08/18 10:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 294
Maryland
M
MoparMike1974 Offline
enthusiast
MoparMike1974  Offline
enthusiast
M

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 294
Maryland
Use a good anti-seize on any bolts going into aluminum and you should be fine.
However if you do decide to do them on the spark plugs, go with the solid inserts and not the spring type. Use green loc-tite(sleeve retainer) when you install them and they will never come out. If you dont loc-tite them they have a tendency to spin out eventually.

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: rickseeman] #2561121
10/08/18 10:33 PM
10/08/18 10:33 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
About to go away
Supercuda  Offline
About to go away

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Originally Posted By rickseeman
Forget that idea. Does a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Bugatti, Race Hemi or $100,000 Mountain Motor Pro Stock have heli coils? No.


Tell you what, you buy me any one of those things on your list and I promise to never put a helicoil in them.

I had to put a bunch of helicoils in a 727 when some jackwagon used the German method (goodentite) to torque the trans pan bolts and stripped a bunch.


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: Supercuda] #2561178
10/09/18 12:06 AM
10/09/18 12:06 AM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 171
Las Vegas, NV
C
chargerbr549 Offline
member
chargerbr549  Offline
member
C

Joined: May 2008
Posts: 171
Las Vegas, NV
Quality of the aluminum casting as well as if the bolt hole and threads are cut to the proper size will determine if the thread inserts are a good idea, one of the brands of race heads we deal with we have to put in time-serts right off the bat otherwise they will pull the threads, customer and or engine builder are not happy campers. Proper bolt depth is crucial in having aluminum threads survive and as said before if you can put a stud in there instead of a bolt that would be my first choice.

Re: Put thread inserts in new aluminum heads? [Re: DGS] #2562073
10/10/18 06:44 PM
10/10/18 06:44 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,067
Irving, TX
feets Offline
Senior Management
feets  Offline
Senior Management

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,067
Irving, TX
Stud it where possible. In places where that is not possible and the fastener will be removed frequently it would be a good idea to use an old school Heli-coil.

I ran a quasi-instrumented test (torque to yield and 10,000 lb tension failure) on the various types of thread inserts and the Heli-coil performed as well as or better than the other commonly found styles.


We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind.
- Stu Harmon






Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1