crooked helicoiled EM stud :-(

[Jim Green]

--- auditude at cox.net wrote:
> Putting EM studs into my MC-1 donor motor with blue
> loctite, I discovered that one of my helicoiled
> holes in the head is a little crooked.  Crap.
>
> It is an upper stud, cylinder 4, and it is angled
> down just a bit and interferes with installation of
> the EM.
>
> If I recall correctly, this is a hole that
> previously had some kind hackjob crooked stud in it
> from the PO, which broke and was a pita to get out.
> I still have the crescent-shaped piece of stud
> threads that was all that was left after I drilled
> it out and finally got it to come free.
>
> My helicoil drilling and tapping must've tracked
> that wrong hole path.  (I don't believe it was
> straight and I drilled the new hole crooked,
> resulting in that crescent, but typing that makes me
> wonder.)
>
> I'm tempted to pull the head off the motor, which is
> on a stand, and take it into a machine shop to see
> if they can bail me out.
>
> However, there may be other options.  I suppose it
> may not be impossible to use something like JB Weld
> to fill in the hole after I remove the helicoil, and
> redrill and tap that material for the new hole.
> This time I will use a bolted-on manifold as a jig.
>
> I don't want to use JB Weld if that is a hack or if
> it will pull out later.  I didn't have much luck
> with it in the past when I tried to attach a piece
> of 17mm hex inside a destroyed tranny plug I
> couldn't get out, so I don't have the best
> impression of it.  I know others have been
> successful tho'.
>
> Should I just eat the cost of the headgasket and
> machine shop work and have a professional take over?
>  Or, should I try another method?  I'm open to
> suggestions.
>
> I'm thinking if I put the crooked stud in and try to
> bend it straight, it will just end up breaking.
> They seem to problematic even when they are
> straight.

Damn I hate stuff like this!  I wouldn't even
consilder the JBweld option, just not a permanent
solution.  I'd suck it up and just have a machine shop
repair the hole for you.  It really is the only
permanent fix.  Hopefully you just have a standard HG
on there, and not a metal one, although I have heard
you can re-use them once, especially if on a new
install like yours.

One other option, if it's not to far off, I guess you
could enlarge the hole on the EM enough to get it on.
You still will probably battle loose nuts since it
will not seat properly.  God knows they need all the
help they can get.  I just had one work it's way loose
on my car, what a PITA!

HTH,

=====
Jim Green
'89 90tq 034EFI, Haltech IG5
http://www.geocities.com/jeg1976/car_home.html

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