Helio-Coil install question

[jimbob200521]

I'm about to install a helio-coil in a stripped spark plug hole (k301) when I get off work this evening and have been doing a bit of research on doing it without taking the head off. From what I've found, there are two steps to do if you aren't going to remove the head. First, make sure you re-thread the hole with grease on the bit to catch all the shavings possible. Second, and this is where my question comes in, before you start, make sure your exhaust valve is in the full open position. The reason for doing this is so that when you are done, before you put the new plug in, you can blow out (or attach a vacuum to your muffler and suck out) any shavings that may have made it into your engine (which hopefully should be none). My question is how do I know my exhaust valve is open, short of sucking on the muffler?

[J-Mech]

Take the plug out and blow air in the cylinder with a blow tip on an air compressor. Roll the motor by hand till you hear it coming out the muffler. Don't blow too much air, go easy or it will roll the motor on it's own.

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Take the plug out and blow air in the cylinder with a blow tip on an air compressor. Roll the motor by hand till you hear it coming out the muffler. Don't blow too much air, go easy or it will roll the motor on it's own.

Now assuming I don't have an air compressor, I'm guessing it would also work if I hooked a vacuum up to the muffler and turned the engine by hand until I felt air being sucked into the spark plug hole?

[J-Mech]

Yep that will work

[jimbob200521]

Awesome, thank you!

On a side note, sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones I overlook and when I look back on it, I get to time how long it takes the hand print to disappear from my forehead

[Lonestarcub]

If I were you I would do the work with the head off the tractor...I was going to do the same thing your wanting to do but changed my mind and removed the head because I wanted to clean the carbon at the same time...When I cut the new threads their was alot of shavings and I doubt that a coating of grease will begin to catch very mutch of them and I didnt want to take a chance of any of that getting into the cylinder...Any way thats just my suggestion and good luck on your prodject either way you go.

Take Care,Bruce

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by Lonestarcub

If I were you I would do the work with the head off the tractor...I was going to do the same thing your wanting to do but changed my mind and removed the head because I wanted to clean the carbon at the same time...When I cut the new threads their was alot of shavings and I doubt that a coating of grease will begin to catch very mutch of them and I didnt want to take a chance of any of that getting into the cylinder...Any way thats just my suggestion and good luck on your prodject either way you go.

Take Care,Bruce

There's two reasons I'm considering doing it without taking the head off; first is time; I don't really have the time right now to drive 30 miles to pick up an in-stock gasket at a parts store and second, cleaning gaskets off of sensitive parts like that always makes me nervous, like I'm going to gouge the head or block when I'm trying to scrape the gasket off or something stupid.

On a side note, where do I find torque specs for the head bolts and re-install procedure, just in case I change my mind

Oh and would I need new head bolts if I removed the head?

[cubs-n-bxrs]

If it were me I would go with a threaded insert as a heli-coil. They make a special insert for spark plugs. You can get one of them kits at your local auto store. I would use a heli-coil as a last resort.

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by cubs-n-bxrs

If it were me I would go with a threaded insert as a heli-coil. They make a special insert for spark plugs. You can get one of them kits at your local auto store. I would use a heli-coil as a last resort.

That's what I got from O-rielies, a kit specifically for my spark plug.

[Lonestarcub]

I too used the spark plug kit from O'reilly Auto Parts and it worked pretty good.I did this same deal on my 104 and I bought new Grade 8 head bolts from TSC.For the torque specs go to the Tractor Spec section in this forum and down load your Tractors manuel... the torque specs are in there.

Take Care,Bruce