samseed101

Well as most of you know by now, I stripped down the 96 Explorer 5.0 that I had just bought. I cleaned / painted the intake and started on the heads today. Got tie driver's side all set wioth no problems (once I broke down and bought a breaker bar.) But now I have a new problem.

I seem to have a problem with the spark plug on the passenger side. Apparently it had become pretty well rusted / stuck in the hole. I thought I had screwed it out, but what i had actually done is seperated the plug itself from the threaded metal ring. So when you look from the top down, it appears as though nothing is there (because the ring is hollow) but when looking at the valves underneath, you can clearly it there. Basically, the plug came out whole and intact with the exception of the actual metal ring that screws holds it in place. I must say, I've never seen this before.

So WTF do I do now? LoL. There's absolutely nothing there to grip, and I imagie it must be stuck in there pretty good if the plug actually gave way before it would unscrew.

Hard to explain exactly what had happened..especially since I have been up for 22 straight horus after doing some really ugly and stupid shopping at ungodly hours of the morning. I'm cold, tired. thirsty, and in pain from moving around heavy engine parts all day! LoL. So if you need, I can post pictures in the morning when I wake up.

So what are my options here? Am I pretty much screwed and will I have to take it to a machine shop to see what they can do? Or am I just too fatigued and I'm overlookin a really simple solution.

primetime5.0

take a breather and get sleep, look at it tomorrow

XSRACINGGT

penetrating oil by the threads, then see if you can get it loose.

samseed101

Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. I was gonna go after it with an Easy-out but I'm so fatugied right now that I know that im not even really thinknig straight and I dont want to risk screing something up even worse that it already is. I don;t even know why Im still up right now. I think Im just overtired .... feel like a zombie right now!

And it all started with circuit city. Waited 30 min outside in the cold in Maine waiting to get inside because the line was so long not everyone could get in. Then they were out of what i wanted when i got there so i grabbed a remote car starter for my sister for christmas. Waited 1 hour and 45 min in line to pay for the damned thing and it wasnt even on sale today! but I dodn't want to leave it because there was only just one left. And it was just downhill from there, lol. And then of course my dumbass was lifting the heads, engine block,e tc by bending over and using my back instead of bending at the knees... i should know better.

okay, i think im really going to bed now.... not thinkin straight, lol. and rambling

88gtboy

No fear, Your takeing your heads out... So you can just buy a ease out that size and It should grip it out.. I had a buddy of mine had that happen on his car, but he wasnt as lucky as you with the heads coming off... he had to do it with the heads installed and hope no metal fell in the cylinder.

just get a ease out it should grip it hard and screw right out

nmerrill

the heads he is talking about are off an explorer, tey havent been installed on his car, yet! Have faith, the harder the chase, the funner the catch. Youll get it

samseed101

Okay... I'm awake, rested, and I ate lunch so I'm okay now...although I'm still sore!

But anyway, problem solved. Used an easy-out and managed to break her loose. And the Explorer block that I have is now stripped down. I'm thinking about cleaning it up, painting it, and tossing everything back together using the old intake and heads from my Mustang. The pistons and cylinder walls are in great condition. I expected much worse from a junked 96 Explorer but there are no problems at all...except for very little carbon buildup. But that's normal.

5.0stanger

edit...didn't read