Rocker pedestal Heli-coils... can't get 'em out!!! 8^(

I wanted to replace all the short rocker shaft studs on my Victors with long ones last night. I'd done this on the center pedestals only on another set before and had no problem getting the old Heli-coils out. At midnight I was still struggling to get even ONE out, and was just making a mess of things.

Before I used a pointed scribe or a small screwdriver to pry the top coil out, and then small pliers to pull out the rest. That didn't work for me on the new heads. I tried drilling one out on a spare head... only managed to butcher that one (good thing it's a spare I got relatively cheap).

I tried an easy-out, but think it puts too much pressure around the entire coil and forces it against the wall because it won't turn. Online searches turned up that there are tools that look like an arrow head on a t-handle... same concept as an easy-out, only it won't put pressure on the entire coil. Anyone use something like that successfully?

Whatever I do, it's going to need to wait since I don't see such a tool available locally and I need to finish assembling the engine for its "Date with Destiny" a week from today. Guess I'll be pulling the heads back off to finish the job after the dyno session...

Did you use Loktite on them ?
If not how about using a heat gun on it first then try removing them with a pointed scribe and pliers

Bend out the first thread enough to get a good grip on it, pull lightly & turn it counter clockwise.

And if you believe in Prayer say one BEFORE you start. I hate helicoils but i removed one and installed two for my Son the other day. Like its said above a small pick or screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers. I have a set of left handed drill bits that I was thinking about trying but it didn't come to that. We used mostly keenserts in the steel mill for thread repairs.

If Edelbrock put them in with Loctite, then they have Loctite. However they didn't on the last set I did and it doesn't appear they did on these, either.

What you're all telling me to do is exactly what I'm doing (and did before successfully), but I can't manage to get behind the end of the top coil to pull it out to grab with pliers. Very frustrating...

not sure it is a good idea, but i would use the spare head to practice and apply heat with a small nozzle on the torches to bend the top portion of the helicoil with the pick. i think you could get the helicoil red without damaging the aluminum of the head. at least, something to try...

Heating them will be difficult. The aluminum head will suck the heat out just as fast as you can pour it in.





When I did my Thread Insert Deathmatch I found no benefit to using the Keensert style key locking insert. In instrumented testing that style (Recoil brand) did not perform as well as the Helicoil.
In torque testing it scored the same as Helicoil and better than the TimeSert.
When it came to the pull out resistance it began to yield about 10% lower than the Helicoil and ripped out of the test bar at 900 lbs less force (again, about 10%) too. In fact, it scored the same in this area as fresh threads in 6061 aluminum.

Here's a link to the testing video starting at the summary:
https://youtu.be/LpDduCVUy6w?t=28m39s