Went from Racer to Spectator at SAR in one fateful wrench turn.....

[Show&Go]

Welp some of ya know I was doing a cam swap in the white truck to get ready for SAR. WELP Cam was in. Tonight I was finishing up the install. Was working on torqueing down the rocker arms. Had one side done and was LITERALLY on the last bolt. Watching the torque wrench close. RIGHT about 18 ft lbs the wrench just goes slack. I shake my head. WHAT. Thinking surely I am trippin. Try to turn the wrench again.... spins freely. I pull the bolt back out. The threads that SHOULD of been in the head was in the threads of the bolt instead. Take the drop light to inspect damage. And its clean as a babies bottom.
I refuse to take my head off and get anything done to it and replace the bolts, gasket, etc being I was buying a new set of aftermarket heads the week after SAR as well as a complete rebuild on the motor.

[RedHeartbeat]

Put a heli-coil in it. the thread will be stronger than stock.

[txarkitekt]

Put a heli-coil in it. the thread will be stronger than stock.

+1.

[Show&Go]

What is a heli-coil and how do you put one in?

[Show&Go]

JUST from what I can tell I would need to run a larger bolt in it. I dont mean it messed the threads up. I mean it literally pulled the threads out of it. The cam I am running has a power range to 6800. I wasnt going to shift out till then. All sub-correct fixes seem like it wouldnt possibly hold. I dont know how much stress is on them but at 6800 with a 125 shot I want it to be STOUT.
Also I couldnt tell how far down the hole went. Is it all the way into the cylinder? If thats the case If tapped etc Id still need to pull the head and make sure all debris is cleaned out correct? So a helicoil would also end with me pullin the head off

[mean05]

Google and see what a heli coil is....plenty of people have stripped out those threads and put a heli coil back in and it works fine...heli coils can be picked up at a local parts house

[GasGuzzler]

Put a heli-coil in it. the thread will be stronger than stock.

+2

[WARLOCK]

I vote heli coil as well. Itll hold.

[RedHeartbeat]

helicoil is a thread wire tube insert. You tap the hole to the same size pitch but larger in diameter and then thread the coil into the larger hole. The wire takes up the difference in size. These things have been in use from like the 50s and are the preferred method the aluminum thread repair and to increase the strength of a thread in soft materials.

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[RedHeartbeat]

Unless your head is ported then the hole is a blind hole. To install the coil you drill it out to the specified size and then tap the hole with the helicoil tap and screw the new insert in. You may have to thread two of them in back to back to completely cover the length of the hole. I repair things like this all the time.