Anyone ever remove a helicoil?

I finally got my rebuilt engine started (yay!) and let it warm up to full temperature. I had a few leaks and one weepy head bolt. During the rebuild, I had to drill out the top center exhaust stud and I ended up drilling too far and penetrated the water jacket. Not a big deal I thought, I put in the helicoil and put Permatex on the stud. The problem is, I neglected to Permatex the helicoil insert and that stud is leaking coolant -- a lot of coolant.

How do I remove the helicoil so I can seal the threads?

 

put a thick coating of sealer on the threads of the bolt/stud. It should seal up the Helicoil as well as the threads of the bolt. If you remove the insert you will most likely damage it and have to install a new one.

 

I'd leave the heli alone and use that Permatex liquid-purple-tacky-brush-in-the-can stuff to seal those threads.

 

That's the name, couldn't remember what it was called.

 

Needle nose will pull out the Heli-Coil. JB weld your boo-boo shut and the Heli-Coil threads. Pruchase a Time-Sert. By far the best thread insert made. It's a solid sleeve, not a coil of wire. Drill and tap the hole, red loctite the sleeve in. I have used them many times and never had a problem.

 

I did not remove the helicoil, I just pulled the stud, cleaned it, and added more sealant (Permatex "copper" stuff) and it seems to have worked.