How to Helicoil the oil feed off the head without getting metal shavings inside

[Spoolin4Ever]

Stripped oil feed on the head, want to helicoil.

Does a regular size drill fir in the engine bay, or do I really need to buy a smaller or other drill?

When drilling for the helicoil, will metal flakes get pushed into the head itself, or just within the threaded area of the head?

Do I need to remove the valve cover to clean all the shavings?

Could I just turn engine over real quick after drilling and push them out with oil?

I need to know the details of preventing any damage from the metal shavings, how to clean up properly, etc. And if I need a particular sized drill to get in the engine bay.

 

[TFFC]

When you buy the helicoil it tells you which drill bit to use, and you can fit a drill in there to get to it, When you do it tho, use grease on the drill bit and the heilcoil spreader it will grab all the shaving, don't rush it slowly and alot of grease

 

[4pistons]

Be ABSOLUTELY sure you clean it out well! Even a small shaving can lodge in your oil feed line and starve the turbo of oil.

Rick - '91 GSX

 

[hhuricane]

What I did when I did mine was I took the plug out from the front of the engine and stuffed some paper towel in to block the 2 passages. I then installed the heli-coil and removed the towel making sure ALL the towel came out. I then taped a tube to the hose of my shop vac small enough that it could get inside the port and sucked anything still in there out. Sometimes a piece may not want to come out so a small screwdriver with some grease on it will allow the stubborn bits to stick and come out. Some grease on the tap and the drill bit will also minimize the chips left behind.

 

[black_gst]

get an aluminum magnet i love mine


if only it were true

 

[pj91gsx]

I had a time where a piece of sand came up threw an oil feed hole to the cam. It left grooves in the cam and head and caused the engine to seize, though i did the best i could for it and it still works. just take caution. I took all the plugs out and use a water hose and flushed it for an hour before the cam seized. now I pressure wash the heads. Nothing can escape the pressure washer.

 

[DSM_PWR]

Its honestly very very hard to get all the shavings out...

I recently did it to a bare head with no cams/valves/etc..

I was as careful as possible to remove shavings after everytime i stopped from drilling... Once i was finished, i blew air through the hole with my compressor and shavings spit out from every direction of the head. Especially through the oil holes for the cams

Took about 10min of compressor time till i finally felt i got 99% of the shavings cleared out