Blew a plug out this afternoon. Now, a little history to see if i am inbad shape instead of worse shape. I repalced my rear brakes today and before leaving the shop i was working in heard a ticking noise at the front of the engine and thought it was what everyone complains about with the 4.6. So i left and about a mile from home i got on it and heard it blow out. So i tried getting it back in and obviously it wouldn't go. So i went and bought a new plug since the threads on the plug weren't at all bad. It will go in about a thread and a half. Then stop.

Should i do a Heli-coil? I don't have a $1k to fix this.

Just need some opinions. I'm quite mechanically inclined but can't screw this up.

 

Wow man, I don' know what to say, other than yea, you're probably close to the 100,oooth customer..


You can try a helicoil. If it goes 100% correctly then it might cost you 30 dollars and an hour at most.


If it goes wrong, you can become my friend and I'll tell you what you need...lol

Good luck

 

if it goes wrong, won't upgrading heads and cams cost about the same if i do the install myself?

 

I would think your going to have to pull the head off touse a helicoil so all that metal after drilling dont get down in the engine. I had bad luck using a helicoil back in the days....the car was a Chevy Vega (POS) and the helicoil would'nt hold. Lot of compression in there caused it to slowly back out. Todays helicoils may be better and hold...or maybe a machine shop fixing it would be the best. IMOI would look into another head in the future.

 

Actually, when i did my helicoil, i used a vacuum with a rubber/custom attacthment nad was able to get ALL hte metal shavings that fell into the cylinder..


so technically it can be done w/o the head off the car...

but if things dont work perfectly then you'll have to do things like take the head off anyhways..

any questions, let me know

 

was it tough removing the heads? If i get new ones i will 99% do it myself. I'll probably get my buddy to help me with it who used to be a mechanic and moved on to the shipyard. What are some things i should look out for when i remove them? Anything that you did that you would do another way? Thanks for the help. I'm really Fu$king stressed right now.

 

Only hacks use Heil Coils, Either relace the head or check out a time-sert, a time sert wont come out or fail like a heil-coil, heres one spec fora 4.6

http://www.wurthusa.com/project/en/l...th=07.0451.jpg

 

I don`t know about the "hack" part, but I know two different Mustang owners who blew out plugs. One had the Time sert installed ( rather expensive )- It did not hold. The other had his head heli coiled. That one is still holding as far as I know.

 

What are the best ways to make sure you dont throw out a spark plug?

 

I think you can buy a new PI head for like $379. I'd go that route if you have the know how to change it out.