He said that replacing the part is usually cheaper than using Helicoils, but that really depends. The last kit that I bought was $25 with 12 inserts. He had three stripped holes, but if you only had one, I could totally see how using Helicoils would be preferable to buying another part. Maybe even if there were three stripped holes. If you do the job right, it is stronger than the original aluminum, so this may last longer than a replacement part.
However, I have done my own repairs for years, and have only dealt with three stripped parts:
- My Subaru engine block.
- My Civic oil pan.
- My Civic cylinder head [the valve cover bolts].
I could have put a Helicoil in my oil pan. That definitely would have been easier than replacing it, even if I didn't have [ridiculously] stuck bolts.
Of course, nobody told me about bolt extractors until afterward.
The oil pan was $85. There is a cylinder head in Phoenix for $150, but is it better than the one that I would be replacing? I removed and reinstalled the head when I replaced the gasket, I would hate to redo everything to replace the head.
Twenty-five dollars seems like a bargain in comparison!