funnelofdoom

Just got done scavenging what was left of some old helicoils on my front calipers and installing timeserts. Please do not use helicoils for caliper bolt thread failures. The one timesert the previous owner had installed was still flawless. I was worried all weekend while waiting for my timeserts to show up.

The installation was straighforward and pretty easy given all the warnings people give online. Just take your time and use good tools. Don't be lazy, take off your rotors and turn your steering to expose the bolt holes as much as possible. Use hand tools for tapping and inserting the threaded insert. It was extremely satisfying to see the clean new threads cut in the knuckle and tightening down the caliper bolts finally to their proper torque.

I have a very low mileage 2008 so I'm thinking some track use or power tools were involved in previous maintenance.

jayzbird

I’ve had to do a few of these too, and find the hardest part is making sure the tapping bit is perfectly square with the hole. If it is crooked the slightest bit, the caliper bolts or studs won’t screw in properly. You only get one shot at it. Really the upright should be removed and placed on a drill press so all angles are perfect. But for that effort you probably might as well replace the upright.

On the car, since it’s impossible to place a portable drill press on the limited flat area available, the best guide I could come up with is placing a deep 1/2” socket over the hole socket side down, getting it perfectly centered, then using the square hole in the socket as a guide.

By far the best approach is to install Tarett caliper studs before the uprights strip out, and never have to deal with time serts in the first place.

Petza914

+1

Have a set in the cabinet for whenever I remove my PCCB calipers for the first time. Currently at 62k miles so might be a few years yet LOL

Glyndellis

I did that on my 997 the first time that I changed the front rotors. I'd also recommend replacing the bolt holding the brake line with a stud.