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Hello Everyone, I have a 2002 C5 Z06 and I did hear an exhaust leak recently..and today I heard a loud "pop"..and a LOUD ticking sound..turns out the spark plug popped out. I read a thread about this in 2007 on this forum, and it was suspected that the block needed a helicoil..but in the end it turned out the spark plug just "wiggled" its way out because it wasnt tightened properly..so..just had to ask..what everyone thinks (as I wait for the engine to cool down)..here are pics it's the fourth (furthest) hole on the drivers side..near the alternator... this is the spark plug
based on these photos, do you think it's the hole or just not a tightened plug? thanks in advance...
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the plug is steel and the heads are aluminum so if anything got messed up it would be the threads in the head since the material is much softer... I would just put a light coat of antiseize on the plug threads and try to thread the plug back in the head and see if it goes in smoothly and is able to be tightened properly
Kind of hard to tell from the picture but I'm not seeing any threads in the head. If there are threads there then you may have gotten lucky. It's really not that hard to drill, tap and then hellicoil the aluminum head if you need to. I know a local guy that's had one done and has lasted for years now.
hi, thanks for the reply..as for the local guy..did he have to pull the head off or was was he able to get it done while still in the engine compartment?
hi, thanks for the reply..as for the local guy..did he have to pull the head off or was was he able to get it done while still in the engine compartment?
This issue is BIG on the Ford 4.6,5.4, and 6.8 Triton engines...same thing with a steel plug into an aluminum head...even happened to me on my 3.0 Escape when I had it !!...no need for the head to come off...just drill, tap, and install a helicoil !!...you can buy a kit for doing it as you can see here.
This issue is BIG on the Ford 4.6,5.4, and 6.8 Triton engines...same thing with a steel plug into an aluminum head...even happened to me on my 3.0 Escape when I had it !!...no need for the head to come off...just drill, tap, and install a helicoil !!...you can buy a kit for doing it as you can see here.
They will go into the combustion chamber but when I did my truck (luckily mine was easy one in the front-transverse engine) I coated the tap with heavy grease and most of the big stuff stayed with the tap and what was left was vacuumed out with an adapter I made with my shop vac....put my borescope in there to double check...now a few tiny chips wouldn't hurt the engine but a half inch one might !!
hi, thanks for the reply..as for the local guy..did he have to pull the head off or was was he able to get it done while still in the engine compartment?
He was able to get to it while it was still on the car. I think he used a 90 degree drill at first and then just the hand tool for the tap part. Got some good info above about taps and keeping the shavings to a minimum. Maybe check out your local parts store and see about renting a tap set and buy a helicoil for it.
I had one pop out of my 99...it is possible the plug was not tight enough and worked it's way out. I had no warning...just athe aftermath of it blowing out. We were able to screw it back in and properly torque it. I do use anitseize now and have had no issue since....
if you zoom in, you can unfortunately see that the threads are gone deeper in..so thanks for everyone's advice...I will try to either rent or buy a helicoil kit and try to install an insert...
if you zoom in, you can unfortunately see that the threads are gone deeper in..so thanks for everyone's advice...I will try to either rent or buy a helicoil kit and try to install an insert...
I bet Timesert makes a kit for this, I just recently repaired the heads on my old 95 LWB Rover after stripping a head bolt hole doing head gaskets, worked really well and seem very strong.
I can't tell how many threads or thread condition from the pic
The pic of the spark plug indicates is has been leaking for a while!!
Try threading a new plug in. See how much thread engagement you get vs another known good cylinder. (i.e. the cylinder in question gets 2 full turns vs 5 full turns or whatever it is). If it's within 70% or so, thread it in and don't worry about it. If you're lucky, the PO just put that plug in by had (1/2 turn engagement or whatever), never tightened it, and it's been that way since until it popped out.
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Originally Posted by z06801
I bet Timesert makes a kit for this, I just recently repaired the heads on my old 95 LWB Rover after stripping a head bolt hole doing head gaskets, worked really well and seem very strong.
I tend to agree with this, I would prefer a Time-Sert or a twin cert, two different brands, versus a helicoil. That is of course if they make a kit for the spark plug which I would bet they do. The trouble with a helicoil is number one, they're a little more difficult to install. But also, they are going to cut into the sealing surface that your spark plug needs to seal up. With the insert style, that shouldn't be a problem.
Fwiw, aircraft engines which are aluminum have every hole on them healicoil'ed right from the factory. So they are actually an improvement over threading into the aluminum. But of course in the case of the aircraft engine, they designed the rest of the fastener with the assumption that 1 full thread pitch worth of diameter would no longer be there. You don't get that luxury with your spark plug. That's not to say a helicoil won't work, but if somebody else makes it kit for this purpose, I would use it.
Yep, that's exactly it. Take note to the taper that all the inserts have on them. That is the sealing surface you would lose if you went to a Helicoil . Again not to say a helicoil wouldn't work but not as nice as this.
Some of those tools look like they might be a bit long but that's hard to say. You might also have to make sure that your piston is not anywhere near top dead center with the length of that tap and how far it protrudes into the combustion chamber. You wouldn't want it to hit.
I got an 01 mustang on the cheap because plug 6 blew out..no threads were left. I got a helicoil kit from autozone and had it fixed in no time. I ran it hard and it stayed in. Kid i sold it to sprayed enough Nitrous at it to send the built 4R70w into low orbit but the plug stayed in fine.
once again, here is a zoom of the spark plug hole. My other dilemma is that I am about 100 miles away from the shop that can do the work (Im in a small town in central Europe)..honest opinions out there...if I put anti-seize on the plug do you think I can make the trip to the shop..or what if I disable the injector (dont even know how to ..yet) and disconnect the wire so there is only air and no spark or fuel..or should I just have it flat-bedded the 100 miles? (kinda expensive out here)..or any other ideas??? I would prefer getting it to the shop for the helicoil/insert rather than try to work on it in the apartment parking lot where it currently sits
Last edited by stingraymarc; Jul 8, 2019 at 07:01 AM.
Reason: typo
spark plug popped out!!
