simplypv

well, started up truck yesterday to get it warmed up and ready to show to a potential seller. i had adjusted the carb some so it was running/starting much better, but still ran rich as hell.

gave it a little gas and it immediately blew a sparkplug out of the #4 cyl. im guesing it either backfired or dumped the #4 with a ton of fuel and preinginted. eitherway, the threads for the sparkplug are completely stripped in the head. in my panic to keep it running good for the seller, i put some thread repair compound onto a new sparkplug and shoved it in there and let it cure. turns out the guy never showed up.

so whats my option at this point? im not sure if the compound will even hold against the compression. im a bit nervous about starting it up again. it seems to me i'll have to take the head off and get the #4. cyl sparkplug port rehtreaded or swap a different head. man i just want to sell the damn thing!

thoughts/suggestions?

SEAIRESCUE

Assuming you can get the plug out......

Go to your parts store and get a Helicoil kit that will cover your plug size.

So, pull one of your plugs and head to the parts store to get the right kit. Follow the instructions to the letter and you will be up and running in an hour or two with a good fix.

No charge and my $0.02

ozziesironmanoffroad

the truck was probably royally pissed at you for tryin to sell her, so she threw a temper tantrum.

simplypv

whats the helicoil kit? never heard of it. could you explain how it works? thanks!

update, i started the truck up a bit ago and let it run for a few minutes. sparkplug seems to hold well, but man its dumping fuel like crazy. i think something got stuck inside the carb and is holding it wide open. so, since it held for a few minutes, should i just leave it and opt not to do anything farther?

rowdy235

well it depends. Personally I'd just leave it, it held decent and you're selling it anyway. But you may choose to helicoil it.

Basically IIRC to do a helicoil you drill and tap a hole bigger than the threads, then screw in the helicoil which has threads inside and out. The plug screws into the inside of the helicoil.

notanymore

is it just for my computer or is the advertising banner exactly what you need?

Godzilla

haha, nope its not just you...its a conspiracy! big brother! 9/11! Area51!

But it would be best to fix it up with the helicoil. Were the threads stripped? And will you be able to remove the plug and put in a new one for maintenance purposes without having to put more compound on the new plug?
For resale I say fix it. I wouldnt buy a vehicle for much cash if the owner told me that the plug blew out and is in by thread compound.
If fixed with helicoil, it would not bother me.

toy power

Wow i think the bigger question is why the hell it blew a spark plug out of the cylinder head... i have never seen or heard of anything like that. Either you had some previously damaged threads there or something is totally wrong with that motor... when something like this happens, it is a good idea to find out why it happened before just fixing the damage. my $.02

slosurfer

are your plugs, Bosch?

simplypv

yeah slo. they were. thats what came with the truck when i bought it. why do you ask?

07sbock

Bosch suck, I work for napa and everyone I talk to they say bosch sucks. Also helicoils are holding the world together! How could you not know what a helicoil is?

slosurfer

Most of the ones that you see blowing out of toyotas are Bosch. Bosch and toyota don't mix. Like the others said, helicoil will fix it.

sloppy85toy

i would be pissed if i bought ur truck and u tried to bandaid it just to sell it.i hope u were going to tell him what u did.and the reason it blew out was probably because whoever tightened the spark plug last over tightened it ive seen it a few times now.i have a scar on my thigh from the spartkplug in my old tote goat breakin out at full throttle.

simplypv

yes, i plan on telling them. and the option of helicoiling as well. so far the thread repair compound seems to be working ok. sadly, ive been stood up twice in a row by 2 different people. so if it doesnt sell. i most likely will just look into doing the helicoil. how do you keep metal shavings from falling into the cyl? im assuming i';d have to take the head off in order to helicoil it correct?

man what is up with bosch? that really sucks. had i known, i would of replaced them with ngk's asap. engine already runs tons better as is. its still running rich, but seems to burn a little cleaner.

edit: hadnt really messed with the truck since the orignal post. went out to start it up today(its freezing cold!), and omg, the truck fired right up first try. i know shes still running rich, but i hadnt given the engine a chance to warm up before i shut it down. i cannot believe the difference those ngk plugs made! even after the carb adjustments/seafoam treatment, she was still a hard start, would stall, sputter, and basically fight to not run until she got warmed up. at that point, she'd stall if i stomped the gas and was completely gutless.

seeing how responsive she was when i fired her up today, it just makes me wonder how drivable she really would be.... im seriously reconsidering selling the truck.. im just, amazed at how much of a difference those plugs made. thanks for your help fellas.