ok, about 2 years ago my starter died and when I went to pull it off I found all but one bolt would spin freely and the last one was in at an angle, so I took my Jeep in to get the bolts out and have the holes drilled and tapped.
instead of drilling and tapping they drilled and put Helicoils in, when I went to pick my Jeep up they told me I had to heat the bolts up to remove them now, the drive in my starter is starting to go so it needs to be replaced.
my question is do I really need to torch the bolts to get them off? I'd rather not have to take my Jeep to a shop because of the starter again.
Use helicoils at work all the time ande never have to heat them up unless of what ever reason they use locktite to kepp them in
heli-coil was necessary, you cant just put bigger bolts threw your starter. i say try to remove it
sounds like to me they didnt get the heli coil in right and probally just run the bolts in now there probally cross threaded in there the bolts should come out no problem
They probabley want you too heat up the bolt to expand the heli-coil from coming out with the bolt. Pretty good of them to tell you that so you wont have to pay someone to do it again.
Have faith not all mechanics are hacks.
Quote from: HockeyGuy on July 12, 2012, 01:02:26 PM
They probabley want you too heat up the bolt to expand the heli-coil from coming out with the bolt. Pretty good of them to tell you that so you wont have to pay someone to do it again.
Have faith not all mechanics are hacks.
x2 fromt he helicoils i've done i've used threadlock on them... not a whole tube but a few dabs... heating them up will break the threadlock and it'll pull out...
Theres nothin scientific about helicoils. Its just a piece of hardened wire twisted up to make threads. Ya drill the stripped out hole bigger so you can fit the coil in there and ya tap it so you can screw it in. The helicoil kit comes with an oddball size tap and a plastic handle to screw the coil in. Take ur bolts out. If the helicoil comes out with it, go buy another one and screw it in there, the hole is already tapped out to the oddball size required for the coil to be screwed in there. Heating the head of the bolt will do nothing at all but make it hot, did a million of these and sometimes they come out with the bolt, no big deal ;D