Time-Serts vs Heli-coils

Does anyone have experience with time sert ? The service at Vey's Motorsports here in San Diego indicated that he had much better experience with them vs Heli-Coils...

My bike is running great except the valve cover is leaking oil on the left front edge & the left back edge.....I know that these two holes are bad. The bolts are new with new donuts but they won't tighten up.....indicating that the holes are bad......

So do I go with M6 X 1.0 helicoils or the M6 x 1.0 time sert.......????

http://www.timesert.com/

The Black Max is kicking butt.......running great...a big "thanks" to all who offered advice.....A Big "Thank You"

Five

 

They both work very well. One just works better than the other at certain applications.

Feel free to helicoil just about any fastener that doesnt take much torque. Valve cover bolts would be a great application.

TimeSerts are much better at repairing fasteners that require higher torque. For instance, the headbolt threads being pulled out of the block on an engine. They are also great for oil pans. Not because a drainplug requires a lot of torque, but because people for some reason feel compelled to overtorque them.

The reason is how they work. A TimeSert is literally a solid, threaded metal sleeve. A helicoil is literally a thread coil that sits and gets locked into a larger thread.

I just TimeSerted my #1 sparkplug hole after a tech at a shop the previous owner took it to decided to put the plug in crossed, then drive it home with an impact.

 

I don't see Time-Serts having a torque advantage. Most threaded fasteners used on aluminum aircraft parts are fitted with a Helicoil prior to the first assembly, and Timeserts are not certified for aircraft use. I think that says a whole lot considering that the fastener failure rate on aircraft absolutely has to be as close to 0.00% as can be achieved.

That being said, there is no reason to not use a Timesert on a motorcycle.

No matter what type of insert you use they will fail if not installed according to the manufacturers instructions.

 

So your double negative above is suggesting that timesert would be okay then. Is that right ? or are you saying to use a Heli-oil instead of a timesert...???

No sure I caught your meaning.....I like the explanation on the aircraft parts thou....

Five

 

He is saying a TimeSert would work fine, but that a HeliCoil will work fine too.

HeliCoils are cheaper and more readily available, in my experience.

 

As someone who has fought with heli-coils a lot in the past, I would say the timesert. We used heli-coils on one of our training munitions, we would sometimes spend the better part of an hour getting one set. Granted it could be the nature of the application we had, but just mentioning heli-coils gives me flash backs.

 

I like Keen Serts, they work great in aluminum and have a good lock feature. http://www.acmeindustrial.com/keensert_comparison.html

 

remember Time is working on the valve cover, the bolts go right down and hit on the head and caps. so if the timecert has a lip on top it won't work

 

Polock is correct on that. A Timesert would have to be countersunk in that application. They have a kit for countersinking the insert, but there has to be enough room in the casting without making the walls too thin at the countersink bore.

 

Timecerts are countersunk....there would be no lip sticking up on the head....anyway...I just install 3 heli-coils on the the left side......oil leak has been resolved......

The bike is running great.....vac sync'd......colortuned.....& then vac sync'd again......the Black Max is back on the road again......REO Speedwagon.....

At the top of Mt Helix...one can see all the way to the ocean and Tijuana.....