Stripped Plug Hole

[ShaneThatcher]

Hey everyone, haven't been to the site in awhile, been working on the house. I have a 1962 Buick with the 215 Aluminum V8. Went out today to do the monthly start and run and was going to change plugs and wires. As I was changing a plug on the driver side I noticed that it was a bit sloppy. So after inspecting it I see that it is stripped. I can see threads but an assumming that the peaks have been taken off. My question is can this be heli-cored or should I jsut take it to a machine shop. Any suggestions as to what a machine shop would do. Thanks. By the way if anyone have some heads for this car and would like to part with them let me know.

[shoprat]

I don't know of any reason why it shouldn't be heli coiled. The challenge is doing it without taking off the heads!

[guyopel]

You can buy a repair kit for sparkplug holes and they are soild steel inserts that match you sparkplug design these are the best way to repair this problem . You may have to remove the cyl. head or if you KNOW you can get the metal out after you install the repair insert it could be done with the cyl. head on the car .Good luck .

John

[Aaron65]

Find a reverse spark plug hole tap. You insert int into the cylinder, expand it, and tap it out backwards. It worked on my Corvair, and the threads were pretty mangled... I borrowed mine from my local Auto Parts store (but I've been going there since I was 14--same guys).

[ShaneThatcher]

Thanks guys,

I plan on taking the heads off to do the repair as I want to clean-up and inspect the inside of the heads. Do you have any resource information for the steel inserts. My concern here is with the dissimilar metals. Wont aluminum cool faster than steel and possibly cause a crack in the head. Maybe I am reaching on that since I'm sure auto shops have been using them for years.

[BigRivy]

No spark plug thread repair insert is going to crack your head. There are several methods to go about this. Any of them properly installed will work fine.

[guyopel]

The kits are at most Auto. parts stores , NAPA , Pep-boys,Auto Zone etc. HTH
John
The inserts work fine ..and remember your sparkplug is metal also and it did not crack your cyl. head .