OK, as you might have seen from a couple of other threads I've posted recently I've been doing a bit of cosmetic tidying up on my SP3, specifically replacing some decidedly "furry" bolts. I eventually decided to use bright zinc plated steel instead of stainless. All went well, replacing the front axle pinch bolts and front caliper bolts and a few others, then I started on the rear caliper... Bolts come out alright, but when I went to torque them up they just turned, and turned, and turned. So, I reckon the thread in the carried has stripped. Question is, repair or replace? The carrier is obtainable from Stein-Dinse. Thanks in advance
I've used them hundreds of times, mainly on Outboard engines. If you can drill a hole squarely and accurately, and use a Tap, you'll be fine. Oh, and in case its not obvious, buy the whole kit including all the tools, not just the Helicoils themselves. You won't however get the Tap handle in the kit, just the special Tap itself, so if you don't own one you'll need that too. And fit the longest ones you can for the part you are fixing.
Thanks for the reply @Nasher , reassuring. Not sure how good I am at drilling a hole squarely - I guess you only get one attempt! I'll maybe try and find someone local to do it.
+1 on Timeserts. According to my dealer much better and higher quality " a must for a safety critical bolt"
TIME SERT are a good alternative and slightly more idiot-proof when it comes to fitting and also slightly more reliable if screw or bolt removed frequently but they do need slightly more "meat" than a helicoil or copy and a lot more expensive last I looked.
Thanks @Chris - I like the sound of "idiot-proof"! On the other hand, I don't envisage undoing the bolts securing the rear caliper that often.
don't get me wrong Andrew, I've ruined many a Heli coil insert over the years when a lot younger but it was the "go to" back then and some applications weren't able to be rescued for a number of reasons. what you are doing is straightforward and if you have mechanical sympathy it will be a doddle. if you have access to a pillar drill then could be perfect but even if not, your pilot drill will follow the existing hole anyway and I'm sure you've done similar before.
Thanks for those words of encouragement! My worry is that I guess you only get one attempt at drilling/tapping the hole... I'm still inclined to chicken out and find somewhere to repair the threads. Finding somewhere to fit Helicoils is probably easier than Time-Serts though.
Quick update... I found someone (in our village, which was handy) who could fit helicoils. I watched him fit them, looks easy when you have a fully equipped workshop - pillar drill etc. As well as the confidence to do the job, which of course comes from experience. I've also learned my lesson with stainless bolts - I'll stick to bright-plated steel, which is what the factory uses (?). I think they've stopped passivating them, so even if I bought bolts from Ducati, they wouldn't look the same as 1991-vintage OEM.
