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Hello, I'm Dennis Bandy, owner of Wise Auto Tools and a Master Automotive Technician with many years of hands-on experience in the shop. Over the years, I've fielded plenty of questions from mechanics and DIYers about materials for tools and repairs, and one that comes up often is whether stainless steel is basically carbon steel treated with some kind of rust-preventative coating. Let's set the record straight on this, and I'll explain why understanding the difference can make or break your thr …

CostHeli Coil kits are initially cheaper, making them appealing for less critical repairs. However, repeat failures often lead to costly oversized repairs, like switching to Time Sert’s Big Sert. A customer put it best: “Cheap ain’t good, and good ain’t cheap.”Tool LengthTime Sert kits often include longer tools for deeper applications, whereas Heli Coil tools are typically designed for surface-level repairs. Extending or modifying Heli Coil tools can add complexity.Oversized RepairsIf a …

We're often reminded through the questions we receive via our contact form that certain topics, though covered years ago, remain new to some individuals. Below, we address one such inquiry and provide additional resources such as articles and videos to assist newcomers navigating similar issues.Question:  I have a 2007 Kia Sedona 3.8 liter engine. I'm putting in a salvage engine and the upper idler pulley has stripped threads. It uses an M10X1.5 bolt. Question is should I use a Heli Coil or …

We have a short article called "Harley Davidson Spark Plug Threads - How to Fix" on spark plug thread repair kits used for first time repairs on Harley Davidson and other makes of motorcycles that has received a lot of attention lately. We've also been getting emails and phone calls on how to make a repair after a parts store insert has failed making the hole bigger. For second time repairs on M14x1.25 there's a Big Sert kit available. Big Sert is Time Sert's name for an oversize thread repair k …

All thread lockers are not created equal. Most of us know that blue thread lockers are a temporary type that are made to hold things that you want to remove later without applying heat. And that red is a permanent type that is used on things that we probably would never want to take apart again. We recently had a customer that said his mechanic was using green because it's stronger than red. But what type of thread locker is really best for a spark plug thread repair insert? How much do you appl …