Spark Plug Blowout Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute Help: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

March 8, 2010 7:23 p.m. VWguyBruce HalfDork

Got a rescue call from a buddy on Saturday. His Ford Escape had blown the number 5 spark plug out of the head. Top 2 or 3 threads were attached to the spark plug. I was able to chase the threads with a tap but the top threads were buggered up enough that the plug won't start. So...

If any of you guys have seen the valve cover on these motors, you can't really get much of a tool down in there. We bought the tool from Advance to tap and install the insert but the socket is too big to get down the hole of the valve cover.

Question, is it really that big of a deal to do an insert on a spark plug hole? If we pull the valve cover can you actually get to the spark plug hole to do the job on these motors?
March 8, 2010 7:43 p.m. mad_machine PowerDork

can you pull the valve cover?
March 8, 2010 9:15 p.m. 93gsxturbo Reader

Get one of those tools that expands inside the cylinder and retaps the plug hole from the inside-out. They were made just for that sort of situation.
March 8, 2010 11:59 p.m. egnorant Dork

I bought an insert kit (helicoil) that has a 3/8 drive for the tap.

Yes, it has proper insert and not the coil spring looking things.

Works great on a couple of Escorts!

Bruce
March 9, 2010 9:46 a.m. VWguyBruce HalfDork

I'll have to look around for a different tool than we have. Sounds like it isn't that tough with the right tools.

Where did you guys find the tool with the 3/8's?
March 9, 2010 10:03 a.m. Raze HalfDork

be careful if you're tapping it with the head in place, if the alum is bad (brittle) there's a chance when tapping it'll flake into the CC, then you'll do wonders to your rings. I'd remove the VC and get a rag down in the CC and then vaccum the crap outta it after I was done tapping before removing the rag...
March 9, 2010 10:59 a.m. Trans_Maro HalfDork

Pack the flutes of the tap with bearing grease to catch the chips.

Vacuum / blow out whatever little bits may have fallen in.

Shawn
March 9, 2010 11:02 a.m. tuna55 HalfDork

Trans_Maro wrote:

Pack the flutes of the tap with bearing grease to catch the chips.

Vacuum / blow out whatever little bits may have fallen in.

Shawn

YAY to this - I did this with my ZX2 and a threaded insert - made a tick sound but didn't adversely affect anything else for another few thousand miles before the transmission started dying - I hated that car.
March 9, 2010 11:08 a.m. 44Dwarf HalfDork

bring the bad cyl up to tdc then continue turning untill the exhaust valve just opens, mount hose from exhaust of shop vac in tail pipe. Feel air blowing out spark plug hole? if so tap away make sure you have goggles on. Chips will be pushed out.

44
March 9, 2010 1:34 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

VWguyBruce wrote:

I'll have to look around for a different tool than we have. Sounds like it isn't that tough with the right tools.

Where did you guys find the tool with the 3/8's?

call David or Greg at AutoTech Car Care in Bowie (on 450 near 3). i was just talking to David about the tool they bought for this purpose, although i think it was for the ford 5.4 V8. tell him you're one of Patrick's friends from the Grassroots Challenge and he'll give you the info, and might even cut you a deal on the repair if it's accessible without too much gymnastics.

301-464-9200
March 9, 2010 1:34 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

44Dwarf wrote:

bring the bad cyl up to tdc then continue turning untill the exhaust valve just opens, mount hose from exhaust of shop vac in tail pipe. Feel air blowing out spark plug hole? if so tap away make sure you have goggles on. Chips will be pushed out.

44

awesome tech tip!
March 9, 2010 2:08 p.m. Raze HalfDork

AngryCorvair wrote:

44Dwarf wrote:

bring the bad cyl up to tdc then continue turning untill the exhaust valve just opens, mount hose from exhaust of shop vac in tail pipe. Feel air blowing out spark plug hole? if so tap away make sure you have goggles on. Chips will be pushed out.

44

awesome tech tip!

Yeah, I like this one alot better, you might try removing the air filter from the shop vac to get maximum (reverse) pressure...
March 9, 2010 5:59 p.m. VWguyBruce HalfDork

AngryCorvair wrote:

call David or Greg at AutoTech Car Care in Bowie (on 450 near 3). i was just talking to David about the tool they bought for this purpose, although i think it was for the ford 5.4 V8. tell him you're one of Patrick's friends from the Grassroots Challenge and he'll give you the info, and might even cut you a deal on the repair if it's accessible without too much gymnastics.

301-464-9200

Thanks man, I lost that number when my phone was stolen back in November. I was trying to remember the shop name the other day to refer someone there. I'll give them a call tomorrow.
March 9, 2010 8:18 p.m. egnorant Dork

Helicoil sav-a-thread 5334-14 If you look online it does have the hex stuff for the socket, but also the 3/8 drive hole. Around 30 bucks....unless you need a 5/8 extended shaft, reduced shanks drill bit...then add 50 bucks. If you have some threads left you don't need the bit. But if the plug snaps in half above the threads, it tends to be a little harder. On this one I removed the head as I could not keep the electrode out of the cylinder.

Bruce