ok I have a quick question, but I don't really want to make a whole new thread or anything. (lazy...)
On my 350's left crank case cover (over the front sprocket, shifter etc) there's a bolt hole that's all stripped out. I drilled it out, ran the tap, and tried helicoiling it. For whatever reason, the helicoil always gets real hard to turn by the end and then snaps, with a couple threads still exposed. This is really chapping my ass because I did this three times. After the helicoil tab breaks off, I end up carefully winding the thing out and trying again. Part of the problem is that the hole is sunk 1/2" deep, because a round metal sort of dowel fits in there around the bolt (sort of, anyway) so this narrow depression all around the hole makes it impossible for me to use the little keyed metal implement that supposedly pushes on the helicoil insert and makes it go into the newly-created threads. I'm getting pissed and hoping that I don't have to just go ahead and drill it a little bigger and use a bigger bolt, like an m8 maybe. (or could I fit an m8 in the tapped threads for an m6 1.0 helicoil? M6/1.0 is the ID, but what's the OD?) I guess it wouldn't matter if I had to go up a size, because it doesn't have to match, and I have a little metal around the sides but I don't wanna overdo it and #$%* up the case.