Club 80-90 Forums

What is/are helicoils?

I feel like such a clod for not knowing.

When a thread is damged and beyond repair they can be drilled out to a larger size, re threaded and a heli coil fitted in the larger hole, inside the heli coil is the same thread that was damged before.

Can also be used for extra strength in soft metals to increase surface area.

Oooooo OK, ta.

not a stupid question!! they look a bit like a spring. google "helicoil" im sure you`ll get some pics up.

its not a silly question at all , many people won't know about helicoils ,

this is why we have the techie forum and techie weekends so we can share information/skills , you have to remember that at some point everyone didn't know what an helicoil was.

Its better to ask than to mess it up and a little job finish up costing you ££££


I always ask questions about everything

If you change your exhaust and break a stud, you will soon find out!!!

Recoil is another name for them

LIDDERS

'heli-' from 'helissein', which means 'twist' in Ancient Greek. c.f. the spiral double helix in DNA

oh, and 'heli-'copters too, I think they also have a twist feature!

m8 a helicoil has a spurious sized thread on the outside which you tap into a pre-advised hole size which you drill out to when your current thread is goosed; and which has a thread on the inside which matches the original thread which was buggered which you drilled out.
so basically it is a tube/spring looking thing which has a strange thread on the outside surface and the required thread on the inside, which you fit with a special tool which you get with the helicoil kit