Car has had a slight misfire for months now. Changed driver side plugs and the front two plug on the passenger side. I'm paranoid of touching any plugs on the passenger side because I've blown 3 spark plugs over the years. Anyway, misfire was still there after changing 6 of the 8 plugs.
I finally got the courage to change one of the remaining two spark plugs on the passenger side (closest one to the firewall.). It has a Heli-coil insert.
As I was tightening the new plug, it just kept spinning.
Went out for a quick drive to see what would happen. Everything seemed fine, but it was only a quick 2 minute drive.
And the misfire was gone! Not sure of the exact gap on the old plug, but it was wider than .035 I've used over the years.
But, I was out today and after about 15 minutes of driving I heard the ticking sound you hear when a plug is loose. Pulled over and tightened the plug in a parking lot (it was very loose).
So, it will need a new, bigger, insert.
QUESTIONS
1. Is it worth taking the passenger side valve cover off when installing the new insert? I know they can be installed with them in place, just wondering if it's worth my time to remove it so it's easier to do.
This one is probably the hardest plug to access on the car.
Seems pretty straight forward to take the pass. valve cover off, unlike the driver side. Just not sure if it's worth the effort??
2. How do I remove the old insert so I can replace it with the bigger one? I'd rather not wait until it blows and have that be the way I get it out.
What about sacrificing a spark plug by putting green loctite on it, screwing it in, and then letting it dry. Then removing the spark plug which [hopefully] has the insert attached.
Or, not sure if it would work, since it's loose, I should be able to stick a magnet down there and twist it out I would think. Although, not sure why it didn't come up with the plug already if it's loose.
As of now I pulled the plug again today and then used the tool that comes with the kit to smack the top of the insert...which flares out the teeth at the top of the insert. Doubt it will do anything at this point though. But worth a try.
Thank you for your time.
F**king Ford and their 4 threads. :fm: These blow outs have cost me a lot of time, money, and aggravation over the years.
I finally got the courage to change one of the remaining two spark plugs on the passenger side (closest one to the firewall.). It has a Heli-coil insert.
As I was tightening the new plug, it just kept spinning.
Went out for a quick drive to see what would happen. Everything seemed fine, but it was only a quick 2 minute drive.
And the misfire was gone! Not sure of the exact gap on the old plug, but it was wider than .035 I've used over the years.
But, I was out today and after about 15 minutes of driving I heard the ticking sound you hear when a plug is loose. Pulled over and tightened the plug in a parking lot (it was very loose).
So, it will need a new, bigger, insert.
QUESTIONS
1. Is it worth taking the passenger side valve cover off when installing the new insert? I know they can be installed with them in place, just wondering if it's worth my time to remove it so it's easier to do.
This one is probably the hardest plug to access on the car.
Seems pretty straight forward to take the pass. valve cover off, unlike the driver side. Just not sure if it's worth the effort??
2. How do I remove the old insert so I can replace it with the bigger one? I'd rather not wait until it blows and have that be the way I get it out.
What about sacrificing a spark plug by putting green loctite on it, screwing it in, and then letting it dry. Then removing the spark plug which [hopefully] has the insert attached.
Or, not sure if it would work, since it's loose, I should be able to stick a magnet down there and twist it out I would think. Although, not sure why it didn't come up with the plug already if it's loose.
As of now I pulled the plug again today and then used the tool that comes with the kit to smack the top of the insert...which flares out the teeth at the top of the insert. Doubt it will do anything at this point though. But worth a try.
Thank you for your time.
F**king Ford and their 4 threads. :fm: These blow outs have cost me a lot of time, money, and aggravation over the years.
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