Aluminium thread repair Angus area?

[skene]

Hi guys,

Just bought a Yamaha Banshee off what turned out to be a rather dishonest seller (blue b5 S4 lives in Aberdeen...) turns out it needs threads repaired in the left hand cylinder probably means helicoils.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to go? Thanks.

[tvrolet]

Buy a 'recoil' kit off the interweb. Comes with correct sized drill, tap, tool and coils. Easy DIY fix.

[skene]

tvrolet said:

Buy a 'recoil' kit off the interweb. Comes with correct sized drill, tap, tool and coils. Easy DIY fix.

I'm sure I could do it fairly easily, for my own piece of mind I'd rather get it done right though.

[tvrolet]

skene said:

I'm sure I could do it fairly easily, for my own piece of mind I'd rather get it done right though.

Yea, but 'done right' is exactly what will happen with a 'recoil' kit (assuming you don't make an erse of the drilling). It's not like there are 'pro-grade' taps, coils and fitting tools and Joe Public can only buy some lesser quality amateur stuff. The 'expert' will be using the same stuff you can buy...only if you buy the kit yourself you have it for the next time.

PS 'recoil' is just a brand name of one of the helicoil kits, but it's good stuff. There are quite a few others but I just happen to have always used the 'recoil' kits. Easily available in any size and easy to get additional inserts once you get the helicoil bug.

Maybe more importantly, my experience of threads pulling out of alloy (and I have plenty from bike engines, car engines, diffs etc) is that if one has gone then the adjacent one is sure to go when you torque it up (if it hasn't already gone). I can't think of any instance when I've had to do just a single helicoil on a head/barrels/block/diff - it's always ended up as 2 or 3 or more. A bolt/stud into a helicoil insert is stronger than the same bolt/stud direct into the alloy. The helicoil is making it stronger than the 'good' original, not weaker...so it's not like a normal 'repair'.

As to piece of mind, most things I've done (as an amateur) hold together as I take the time to make sure its right. Everything I've had break/blow-up/fall-apart/fail has been on a component built by an 'expert'...but that's another story

[skene]

Thanks tvrolet, quite confidence inspiring, where would be best to get a kit then? I have to hit Dundee this weekend so basically anywhere in the town

[tvrolet]

skene said:

Thanks tvrolet, quite confidence inspiring, where would be best to get a kit then? I have to hit Dundee this weekend so basically anywhere in the town

Not sure where in Dundee over-the-counter - I usually get them from Demon Tweeks (next day delivery if you want), but RS Components and loads of other decent tool stores. A quick google suggests Machine Mart do thread repair kits too (including genuine helicoil).

[VetteG]

tvrolet said:

A bolt/stud into a helicoil insert is stronger than the same bolt/stud direct into the alloy. The helicoil is making it stronger than the 'good' original, not weaker...so it's not like a normal 'repair'.

Agreed, helicoiling has obvious advantages, even when you have not stripped the original thread!

G