Side cover question

Johnboy72

New member
I have a question, have a Dover FH I dropped off to have re freshened along with another motor. The shop sent it out to a machinist shop. Now not pointing any fingers but somehow I believe something was missed on the Dover. I had accidentally stripped a thread on one of the bolts on the side cover that was supposed to get a helicoil or whatever ya call it. I ran the motor a couple of races and it's leaking oil. Look down and notice the same bolt is missing. I don't want to miss out on anymore racing this year. Can I get by with some RTV and keeping the other bolts torqued? Or do I just need to send it in?
 
Go to Napa or a parts store and get a heli coil kit for that bolt size and do it yourself , if you race karts you need a heli coil kit any way .
 
Agree with Gearhead.. Get a kit fix yourself. Easy to do torque cover to 110 in# with blue Loctite on threads on all 6 bolts after fixing. I 've had to do a few and mostly exhaust and intake bolt threads mainly from running track issued restrictor plates, constant R&R of plates eventually destroys thread. Side cover bolt should be a one time fix with heli-coil.
Matt
 
The side cover bolts are the same thread as the carb and exhaust bolts 1/4-20 and you'll definitely need to helicoil several of those if you continue to race flatheads. So yea, go to NAPA or Advance Auto and buy a helicoil kit.
 
Thanks again guys. Watched one of those silly YouTube videos and realized what heck it was. Simple...thought it was some major machine work.
 
Better question....what engine shop sends the block out to a machinist to have a heli-coil installed? Just thinking out loud here, but if they are not competent at installing a heli-coil, you trust them with your engine rebuild? Is it possible that they are having the case and sidecover gasket surfaces re-cut?



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Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cuts
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
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Those automotive helicoil tool kits are fine. The tools are exactly what you need. However the helicoils are too short to repair exaust bolt holes. They do not reach the bottom of the hole. It may be a quick fix for a while. Eventually you will need a coil that reaches the entire depth of the hole. If you google machinist supplies you can find different length 1/4 20 helicoils. I think the last place I got them was MSC. I also suggest you buy a 1/4 20 tap. After you have installed your helicoil , chase the threads with the tap. This will ensure there are no burrs in the treads causing the bolt to gauld the threads . Does not always happen but eventually it can and will if you do a lot of them. Keen serts make a very nice repair also. It seems to be the current leading edge technology. Heli coils been around for a while now.
 
Helicoils in a flathead exhaust are fine for a short term fix. They will fail after a while. The longterm solution is like Petree said above, an insert.
 
I got it guys. Working fine. As far as the comment about the machine shop, think it was overlooked when I had my two motors dropped off. The motors are awesome.
 
You can stack Heli-Coils on top of each other as deep as you want.....Keen serts have been around more then 40 years; Heli-Coils are Mil-Spec Keen serts are Not..........And do not tap Heli- Coils.........Every Engine we build is Heli-Coiled double on Head bolts.
 
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