Subject: RE: Kapow & Helicoil
Author: Kevin Graf
Date: Mar 18, 2004, 7:21 AM
Post ID: 1716334487
Helicoils are great. Of course I would prefer not to use 'em but they make
do make a good repair. I can't believe you haven't had to use them yet. Must
be lucky.
Defiantly remove the head for this. Taking the head off will let you get
comfortable and let you take time to get a good straight angle for the
drilling and tapping. Some will say you can do this with the head still on
the bike and use the grease on the drill and tap to prevent shaving from
entering the combustion chamber, but if you don't have to do it this way,
don't.
I might be a bit worried about where the metal from the threads went. So
removing the head will also let you check out the condition of the cylinder.
I would say try to do this before you ride home as best you can but seeing
as how you already rode the rest of the way to work, whatever damage, if
any(I doubt there is) is done.
There are helicoil kits specifically for spark plug holes. Might want to
look into that. I would assume the same setup as a regular helicoil. The set
can include the dill bit, the tap, and the helicoil(s). the tap will be a
special specific size, for the helicoil, not a standard size tap.
Just drill the hole with the bit they supply, tap it with the tap they
supply and srew in the coil. I might think about red locktite on the coil.
Might not make much of a diferance with the heat though.
What caused this I wonder? Was the plug cross threaded? Wierd the threads
would just decided to give up the ghost. Loose plug vibrating around in
there?
good luck,
Kev
-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Kologiski [mailto:kkolo-@earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 9:47 AM
To: Loopfram-@topica.com
Subject: Kapow & Helicoil
While riding to work this morning, I went to pass someone who was reading
the paper while driving. I jucied the throttle and Kapow. My eldo sounded
like a sick lawnmower. Looking down at the cyclinder I noticed the plug
wire laying there with no end in it. I pulled over and noticed the
sparkplug was gone. I walked back a block and found the cap end and plug
laying in the road. Just then a car ran over it and smashed the plug end.
I got the plug and what was left of the boot. The threads in the head were
gone. The plug sliped in and out of the hole like there were no threads at
all. I was able to smash the threads on the plug and removed the compression
ring and it was just enough to get the plug to stay in the head. I rigged
the wire end to the plug and made it to work on 1.5 cyclinders. The bad
plug only fired a few times every mile. I normaly carry a set of extra
plugs, but donated them at bike week to a guy who needed a set. I am going
to nurse it home an!
d put in a helicoil. Has anyone had any good or bad experance with these
? I assume you have to take the head off to install the kit.