Well I need someone to please explain to me the difference between the tap and the die?
Also I see in places like autozone they have tap and die sets, then they have helicoils, and do you necessarily have to use a helicoil if you have stripped out a hole or what not???? Or cant you just use a tap and cut new threads? Someone please explain this to me?
well right now I am trying to repair the threads on a thermostat housing on a 1986 pontiac firebird. it is my roomates car, he purchased a tap from autozone, the same size as the bolt, and some helicoils. but since the bolt hole isnt that deep, the tap wont cut threads. when we stick it in the hole and run it down, it just cleans up the threads, now it is a smooth hole. We figured since the tap is tapered, that is why it isnt cutting threads.
But my original question was I just wanted to know the difference between the 2.
Helicoil need special tap which is bigger then the one you're fixing. If the thread is tapered, there is no helicoil for it. Helicoil is for straight thread only. There are threat repair compound for spark plug. Use it to fill up the threads and re-tap them.
Bolt/screw thread are straight. Fitting thread could be tapered. Make sure you got it right. Bring whatever fit the hole to get the right tap.
the bolt size of the thermostat housing is 10x1.5 so we bought a 10x1.5 tap and 10x1.5 helicoil. it came as a packaged unit (tap, helicoils,).
I am assuming that is what we need, or do we need to tap the hole a bigger size and then use a helicoil the same size as the bolt?
Now when I say tapered, I mean the tap is tapered at the end. and since the bolt hole for the thermostat housing isnt very deep, it wont cut any threads in there. when we run it in and pull it back out, it just gives the hole a smooth surface.
Last edited by Streetglower; 07-04-2006 at 01:05 PM.
Ok, you bought a M10x1.5 Helicoil kit with tap and helicoil. It should come with a drill. It'll drill and tap a bigger hole then your bolt so the helicoil will fit in. The helicoil tap is special thread which with helicoil inserted, it'll form a M10x1.5 hole. Looks like your hole is not deep enough for the tap. I don't know if you can drill the hole deeper. You can buy a bottoming helicoil tap or grind the tap down so the taper/pointy part is shorter.
Better yet, fill the hole with thread forming compound/epoxy/JB weld and form the thread again. Some you'll need to tap, some will form the thread on the bolt. Looks for spark plug thread repair kit.
There should be three types of taps/helicoil. There is a taper to start the thread, a straight tap to keep going, and a bottoming tap to finish the opposite end to the one that you started from. Have you tried all three??
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The Helicoil inside diameter is the same as the thread size you are repairing. The coil is screwed into the stripped threaded hole that has been drilled a larger size then taped to receive the coil. The coil uses an installation tool and a special tap. The Helicoil kit will call out the correct drill size to use and may not be included in the kit.
Drill the current hole oversize using the drill size specified in the kit. Then tap the hole with the kit provided tape. Screw the Helicoil over the installation tool, and install it into the hole. Once installed, break of the bottom tang of the coil with a punch, etc and remove it.
The link below explains the various types of taps and has photos.
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for the tap. I don't know if you can drill the hole deeper. You can buy a bottoming helicoil tap or grind the tap down so the taper/pointy part is shorter.
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