Went and got the helicoils last night, damn their awesome! Oreilly's had the kit, it was a bit pricey but totally worth it!
Lessons learned:
#1 - They are sharp (as in they'll cut the crap out of you if you're not careful)
#2 - As the instructions say, you have to turn it at least a 1/2 turn past the surface of the hole. If you don't do this and snap off the prong at the end of the spring there's no turning back
#3 - IF you do screw up and remove the prong prematurely, you can take needle nose pliers and unwind the coil from the inside of the hole. Careful, this is where it gets sharp
#4 - Snapping of the prong should be done with care. You basically have to get it right the first time otherwise it will not come off cleanly and will strip your fastener! Hit it sharply with a punch and make sure the tip of the punch is squarely on the prong before hitting it.
Some of this might sound self explanatory, but had I read this prior to messing with it I'd have one less bandaid on my fingers and plenty of extra heli-coils for my next project!
