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CostHeli Coil kits are initially cheaper, making them appealing for less critical repairs. However, repeat failures often lead to costly oversized repairs, like switching to Time Sert’s Big Sert. A customer put it best: “Cheap ain’t good, and good ain’t cheap.”Tool LengthTime Sert kits often include longer tools for deeper applications, whereas Heli Coil tools are typically designed for surface-level repairs. Extending or modifying Heli Coil tools can add complexity.Oversized RepairsIf a …

We're often reminded through the questions we receive via our contact form that certain topics, though covered years ago, remain new to some individuals. Below, we address one such inquiry and provide additional resources such as articles and videos to assist newcomers navigating similar issues.Question:  I have a 2007 Kia Sedona 3.8 liter engine. I'm putting in a salvage engine and the upper idler pulley has stripped threads. It uses an M10X1.5 bolt. Question is should I use a Heli Coil or …

Aluminum head bolt threads pulling out on Polaris engines is a fairly common problem. Installing a solid bushing-type steel insert is the best fix. Avoiding the expense of some of the larger kits designed for automotive applications is a smart way to save money and still get a quality repair. The larger Time-Sert kits, for example, are designed for doing repairs when the threads start down several inches. With threads flush or near the surface, a much less expensive kit made by Time-Sert can be …

This article is in video format at the bottom of the page! How severely can a spark plug hole in an aluminum engine head, which previously had a repair insert and has since blown out, making the hole bigger and showing signs of erosion, be damaged and still be fixable? Basically, there needs to be enough material to ream or drill out so that complete threads can be tapped to accept an oversize spark plug insert. The image above shows a spark plug hole after a Napa Fix-A-Thread insert failed, lea …

We have a short article called "Harley Davidson Spark Plug Threads - How to Fix" on spark plug thread repair kits used for first time repairs on Harley Davidson and other makes of motorcycles that has received a lot of attention lately. We've also been getting emails and phone calls on how to make a repair after a parts store insert has failed making the hole bigger. For second time repairs on M14x1.25 there's a Big Sert kit available. Big Sert is Time Sert's name for an oversize thread repair k …