On Jun 22, 1:52*pm, "PrecisionmachinisT"
wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in ...

wrote ...

No luck in fumbling thru with it. *I tried to twist the insert to
reduce the OD, I tried to deform the end of the insert to make it
undersize, I tried to install the insert backwards, I threaded the
insert on a short 1/4-28 SHCS to use as an install tool. * Looking
in
the McMaster catalog, I see that the installation tool for the
1/4-28
is a winder style to reduce the OD of the insert for $32+. *For
those
of you *who use these regularily and know what you are doing -
advice
please. *Obviously, I am not overly interested in spending more
money
to install one insert.

How about a 3/16" dowel with a saw slot across the end?

Or the equivalent made of metal, if you can.

Usually I'll simply grind a "notch" into a mating bolt that engages the helicoil tang , with sort of *"sloped facet" so that the tang doesn't snag and end up backing the helicoilout out when the bolt is withdrawn....

That said, most auto part supply stores will have a reasonably priced plastic insertion tool available that should work just fine so long as you're not installing thread inserts by the dozens, and so if I was heading to town to buy some helicoils anyways well then perhaps...

You guys DO realize that the original thread is like 3 years old?
Some chink spammer resurrected it.

Stan