Date:         Thu, 21 Jul 2005 09:29:48 EDT
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Heli-Coil an Engine Oil Drain?
Comments: To: nhansen@DAKOTACOM.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 7/21/05 8:11:39 AM, nhansen@DAKOTACOM.NET writes:

<< You are right. Without the proper jig, drilling the hole straight would be

very difficult. >>

As I said before, enlarging a hole with a twist drill has little risk of
skewing it or changing its center.  The real problem is controlling the rate of
feed.  The expensive solution is to buy a series of straight hand reamers with
which to step the hole up from where it is to where it has to be.

Years ago, while at school, I renewed a drain plug hole in my beautiful,
almost new Triumph Bonneville (an idiot at the dealer had cross threaded it during
the first mandatory servicing, may he burn in hell) .  In order to get a
straight shot at it, I worked with the front wheel propped up on some makeshift
cribbing and the rear wheel on the front porch of the house I lived in.  I
bought a couple of hand reamers to step up the hole to the next tap size and I had
a job shop spin a new drain plug for me.  Talk about rude and crude, other
than the bikes tool kit, I had almost no tools.

With some care, this is no big deal.

George