stripped sbc valve cover bolt hole. help

One of my 283s valve cover bolt holes is stripped out pretty bad does anyone sell a helicoil for this? Or should i just tap it out and put in a little bigger bolt? Any other fix? Jb weld?

 

Helicoil it. But you have to drill it out for the helicoil tap, just go slow and easy and don't go too deep. Put the helicoil in and don't strip it again

Pat

 

Know a place i can get a helicoil that size?

 

you could screw studs into the holes and epoxy a stud into the stripped hole.

 

Usually not enuff material available for a good helicoil fix. Re tap hole with the next larger MM size. Usually will catch enuff good material, then put a stud in that hole

 

You might also drill 1/4" deeper and bottom tap the hole or (Heli-Coil kit 55214) about $20.00

 

Ok thanks i think ill try to tap it up a size and use some locktight and put a stud in it. hopefully that will work if it dont ill have to try to helicoil it

 

Helicoil inserts are reasonably priced. The larger expense is the tap and installation tool.
I'd recommend either of these.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#helicoils/=lytmh6

https://www.walterhammond.com/store...ead+Size+=+'1/4-20+UNC'&path=Main////HELICOIL

 

Your going backwards..... Helicoil it now....

If you tap it larger there is nothing left to fix

 

You might try putting a piece of wire solder down in the hole and then try screwing it back in slowly. It may need one on each side to work. Also, putting in a stud would work as well. I put studs in my valve covers and oil pans anyway.

 

i have used a product that looks somewhat like a helicoil but it is not a wound wire. it has 4 pins that stick up. you drill and tap the inset and tap the 4 pins down to stake it into place. i have used these on aluminum intakes. the products name is cleansert or something simular to that.

 

I ordered a helicoil kit hopefully theres enough meat left to work out good ill put a stud in it after i helicoil it sound good?

 

Heck, it aint no head bolt. Fill the hole full of JB Weld, drill it and tap it to original size. It'l hold.

 

Locktight isnt going to help ya

 

Those are Keenserts, which work great but the hole for those is pretty big, depending if you use the thin or thick wall type. These are often a weapon of last-resort.

Bob

 

Yes. I did that a front cover bolt boss on the transmission of my Panhead. 15 years later when I sold it, that was still holding. Don't over think this...

Brian

 

Go metric on that one hole....or drill and tap for 5/16 bolt (been there)
I have also drill it deeper and used a bottom tap, but then I use studs.

 

In the head right? Just put a helicoil in it, it is 1/4 20 as I recall.

 

The tap drill is a 17/64", or an H drill in a letter set. Tap drills always = the clearance drill size.

http://www.carbidedepot.com/formulas-tap-helicoil.htm

Bob

 

JB and a stud.

 

The gasket surface on a SBC head is pretty narrow, so drilling out for a helicoil will probably take out the sides of the metal, and you'll need to go deeper to get a good base to install it. I'd just go the next larger 5/16" NC, or the next larger metric size.

 

x 3 or whatever on using some epoxy/JB and a stud.

 

I was telling him what size heli coil to buy, the kit comes with the correct drill and tap.

 

A metric M6 screw is slightly smaller than a 1/4" screw, and the M6 helicoil kit requires drilling with a 1/4" (or 6.3mm) drill before tapping. M6 helicoil will most likely work in a stripped 1/4" hole, and shouldn't need alot of room around the original hole size - if I remember correctly the M6 helicoil tap is 7.2mm diameter or close to that. Might be a usable solution sometimes.

 

A stray metric bolt on there would look pretty lame. And later when you forget which hole it goes in you'll have another stripped hole.

 

clean all the old threads out & epoxy a 1/4 stud in it

 

The helicoil kit is in unfortunately I have a po box so I can't get it untill Monday if there's not enough meat for it I'm just going to jb weld a stud in there.

 

Mr Schmidt:
Just a thought. Have not worked on a SBC head in awhile but before you go with the H coil consider.
Sometimes the fastener does not go into the hole to far ( 4-5 turns). There may be some good thread left in the hole that was past present fastener. You may be able to Bottom tap present hole and get the needed thread without having to go to extra measures. Just use a longer screw. I mean its just a valve cover so your not torquing it very much anyway. Set screws and nuts are great to consider for valves covers, unless theirs an appearance thing your after.
The other thing to consider is that on a SBC head theirs not much meat around the VC screw. Also the surface interface is just as cast. These will need to be considered on your fix.

I dont know if you have H coiled before so dont take this wrong. If I can be of help we can exchange numbers and talk.
Lots of people on here MF Heli coils. They are easy to mess up if your not careful.
Good luck
Luke

 

I appreciate all the help thats the first thing i checked when i took the stamped covers off to put the cal customs on i noticed the hole was oval instead of round and i had to get longer bolts for the cast cal customs anyway but it bottoms out and still no good threads unfortuatly. the bolt catches but if you just tap it with your finger its loose again im going to measure the helicoil and see if theres enough meat on it to work as soon as i can go get it if it looks like itll be to big ill jb weld a stud in witch i think will hold fine because there is still some threads left it just looks like the person i got the motor from drove the bolt in at a angle

 

The helicoil kit worked out perfect so glad now i can finally drop this thing in.