Thread: Heli-coil help!

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I bought a used SBC intake manifold(guess where I got it,'ripoffbay',yep your right ) Well it retails for around $275 and I got it for $40 so I knew it would be in bad shape and possibly total trash. Three of the carb to manifold bolt holes look like some teeny booper learned for the first time"Righty tighty lefty loosey" and it appears it took him awhile to learn to finger tighten first before you use a wrench or ratchet,geeesh!
OK, I have a good drill press and am maniacally inclined ,who sells heli-coil inserts that are long/deep enough for carb to intake bolts or can you put 2 of them in the same hole? And it's an aluminum(Offfenhaaausssser) excuse the stuttering,I'as born that way!

On some damaged holes I've just gone to a size bigger stud and drill and tap, then use a stepped stud, 3/8" on one end, 5/16" on the other. Find the right studs (I get mine at Fastenal) and the same procedure should work on your intake.....

Thanks Dave.I hear that heli-coil works good with aluminum,,,and assume drilling/tapping would be just as easy on aluminum???

Your just holding the carb on, not the bumper .

One Heli coil will do fine. I have often used heli coils in aluminum especially if the parts are going to be removed often. The Heli coil is stainless steel and will hold well beyond the stregnth of the aluminum (plus you don't have to worry about the bolt seizing.

Make sure to remember use red locktight on the outside of the coil and to knock the tang off the end of the coil once it's installed.

heli-coils work good on aluminun and so do e-zlock keylocking insets they are solid for big holes were a heli-coil will not work. or very hi loads. i have used many heli-coils and for aluminun is much better than threaded aluminun

Thanks guys.Much appreciated.
I was at Autozone and Advance today(both within a half mile of my house) and Denny,,,the one you showed is about $10.00 cheaper at one of the stores and I started to buy it but was wondering about the length of the threaded inserts.They are shorter than the holes in the manifold and was wondering if there would be enough thread for the bolt to take hold.I would feel alot safer with a longer threaded insert but as Mike P said,it's not the bumper and the locktite may do the trick as far as securing the insert.

if it is a 5/16 bolt it needs to be 5/16 deep for full load of the bolt or stud no more thread will not make it any better

So you guys are talking from the top, or opening, down.As far as depth of insert matching bolt diameter.Well in that case,all the inserts I looked at today are that deep or deeper so as long as I use the correct length bolt as to not bottom out I should be fine with either brand.OK,thanks again.

Helicoils are much stronger than even cast iron, they work great in aluminum manifolds. No need for Loc-Tite, they grip really well, but use it if you like, won't hurt. I've used them on pulled head bolts on diesels, 250 lb. torque, no worrys. Even the short ones are stronger than the original threads in the aluminum.

Originally Posted by R Pope

Helicoils are much stronger than even cast iron, they work great in aluminum manifolds. No need for Loc-Tite, they grip really well, but use it if you like, won't hurt. I've used them on pulled head bolts on diesels, 250 lb. torque, no worrys. Even the short ones are stronger than the original threads in the aluminum.

yes the big block chevys head bolts threads do pull out and have used many on iron they work great. i think many think they are a poor fix and that is not the case at all