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Greg, Are you sure those holes are 3/4? The standard size is 5/8-11 except for the early Bs which used 1/2. Possibly someone has enlarged the holes up to 3/4 in the past. A helicoil would be a great fix but yes, there would be a problem with tapping. I don't know if helicoil makes a bottoming tap or not. If they did, I would expect it to be pretty expensive. The standard kit is going to expensive enough in that size. I don't think the 1" depth is really enough for a standard helicoil taper tap to provide much full thread. But then again, you would have that same problem with any tap. In that type of hole, once you get a thread started with a regular taper tap, you'd finish up with a bottoming tap in order to maximize the thread engagement. If I were you, I'd consider drilling right on through. Drop the final drive pan and make sure the area is clear. I think it is, at least until you run into the bull gear. That way you could tap the holes properly, using the standard helicoil kit. I wouldn't be too concerned with lubricant leakage. The level is well below the holes and if you do have a problem, you can just seal the threads with some Permatex #2 sealant. The biggest problem I see is trying to drill those holes to the proper tapping size with a hand-held drill while the housing is in place on the tractor. It's an awkward location and you will likely be lying on your back or side. A wrist twisting experience should be anticipated. There are some epoxy-type thread fixes out there also (Devcon comes to mind) but I wouldn't have a lot of faith in them for that particular application. I'd want a full strength, new thread where I could torque down those bolts nice and tight without worrying about it. That would come from either an oversize tapped hole or a helicoil-style insert, which also requires a tapped hole. Rod
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