Blew out a plug
07-19-2010, 05:27 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 462
Blew out a plug
*sigh*
Whelp, apparently I blew a spark plug out of the head of my 420 rwhp 2000 Mustang GT.
Two options from the shop; either a helicoil, which will cost in the 300 range (rough) or pull off the head and replace it, which is 9 hours of labor and EXPENSIVE.
I am leaning towards the cheaper fix, especially because I only put a thousand miles a year on the car max and I am a teacher and make crap money
Anyone have any experiences with this sort of thing that might be able to offer any advice or info that might help?
Thanks!
Whelp, apparently I blew a spark plug out of the head of my 420 rwhp 2000 Mustang GT.
Two options from the shop; either a helicoil, which will cost in the 300 range (rough) or pull off the head and replace it, which is 9 hours of labor and EXPENSIVE.
I am leaning towards the cheaper fix, especially because I only put a thousand miles a year on the car max and I am a teacher and make crap money
Anyone have any experiences with this sort of thing that might be able to offer any advice or info that might help?
Thanks!
07-19-2010, 06:13 PM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: maryland
Posts: 1,327
common problem thankfully has not happened to my 02 yet. i know that the ford dealer is used to dealing with this issue. may want to check with them. then again a set of TFS twisted wedge heads...... just food for thought!
07-19-2010, 06:41 PM
#4
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Cary/Charlotte, NC
Posts: 3,791
I'd helicoil it to get you back on the road quickly without breaking the bank.
and +1 to what Cliffy said about torquing plugs properly.
If you torque one thing on your car with a torque wrench make sure that its your plugs.
IIRC its 11-15 ft/lbs depending on the year and vehicle.
I always torqued mine to 13 ft/lbs and I would put a tiny drop of diff fluid on the plugs threads, I found that works better than anti-seize.
and +1 to what Cliffy said about torquing plugs properly.
If you torque one thing on your car with a torque wrench make sure that its your plugs.
IIRC its 11-15 ft/lbs depending on the year and vehicle.
I always torqued mine to 13 ft/lbs and I would put a tiny drop of diff fluid on the plugs threads, I found that works better than anti-seize.
Last edited by defconfire; 07-19-2010 at 06:44 PM.
07-19-2010, 06:51 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 462
07-19-2010, 06:53 PM
#7
Underboss
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helaware
Posts: 20,273
Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask:
http://www.modularheadshop.com/Articles/timesert.htm
http://www.modularheadshop.com/Articles/timesert.htm
07-20-2010, 07:58 AM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,994
^^ that doesnt make me feel very good about my car anymore lol. I have never used a torque wrench on the plugs, but I did use antiseize, and was very "gentle" putting them back in. In a hypothetical situation, what would happen if he used a helicoil, and it blew out again in another year>? Is the head then not repairable? Or just not repairable with a helicoil again-now requiring it to be removed and machined?