phorensic

I have had a long time problem with my 3vze. The spark plug on the cylinder just forward of #6 vibrates a ton and makes a very loud ticking noise. Recently it kind of sounds like an exhaust leak. Has anyone had this problem before? Cause of it?

Obviously, the repair is to change the spark plug, inspect old one, inspect threads in head, etc. Just wondering why it happened.

phorensic

Hahahahahahaha.. hahahahahaha...ha..ahem.

Well, the spark plug shot out of the frickin head this morning. Good thing it did, though, because I just realized the PO put in craptastic Bosch platinum-4's. Hopefully the head is not damaged, because there was a bit of aluminum on the threads of the plug. What a joke.

Buck01

I had one shoot out of my 22re. I thought the threads must be screwed up. I bought a thread repair kit. I went home and screwed the plug back in and tightened it down.
Now I didnt go godzilla on it or anything like that. I just snugged it down. I havent had a problems since.

Buck01

I didnt say that very well. I did not have to use the thread repair kit after all.

phorensic

I figure that over the last year it has been unscrewing. When it got to the end of the threads it either ripped off the last few threads of the soft aluminum head, or just unscrewed really fast and shot out. Hopefully the first situation did not happen. The other thing I'm worried about is that the vibration from being loose cause the hole to hog out or damage the threads.

I'm glad I'm not the only one it happened to :pat:

phorensic

Question: after inspecting the hole with a flashlight, should I try chasing the threads with a tap or try inserting a new spark plug first? Which one is potentially more damaging?

breknraj

I'd recommend just trying the spark plug, first - just dont try to force it!

There is no way in hell that you are NOT going to end up with crap in the cylinder if you try to chase the threads without removing the head (HUGE PITA on the 3.0 V6!) Be prepared, though - there is a good chance that there is aready ˟˟˟˟˟ in that hole, from whatever accumulated crap was around that plug when it blew out, and opened that hole to the elements!

Just my $.02

Good luck!

phorensic

Yeah, but the gigantic 185dB hole that was left behind should have had everything blown out of it after I drove back home for 50ft.

breknraj

I'llcross my fingers for ya!

Keep in mind that right after that blow out, you had a VERY effective vacuum, as the piston went down that bore!

phorensic

Yeah, well it's not that dirty around that spark plug hole. All the clutch and PS fluid is caked on the other side of the block Before I hit up the auto parts store, know what size fuel line I need to get a soft, low torque extension to install the plugs with?

phorensic

Well, bad news. Hole is hogged/stripped out. Spark plug bottoms out before engaging any threads.

Good news. My fabricator has done over 100 spark plug hole repairs on aluminum heads. He has all the tools to do it in a tight engine bay. And he says that any tiny aluminum shavings not blown out by cranking or shop air will just melt into little balls and fly out or burn up. He reassures me that it's not necessary to pull the head at all. Thank god.

Anybody reccommend anyone else besides TimeSert for the repair kit?

Bobakazi

A few years ago I was heading over to pick up a girl I met. It was our first date. About half a mile from her place, my truck started getting really loud. I thought "This sucks", but I really wanted to see her. I pulled into her driveway and heard what sounded like a REALLY loud backfire coming from my engine. Overwhelmed with embarressment, I left fast hoping she did not see me, yet knowing she heard me. Then realizing I had no tools with me, I sucked it up and went back. She never said if she heard or saw me pull in the first time, but I do not see how she could not have. It sounded to me like a little gnome cut off my exhaust before the cat and repiped it through my floorboards while I was driving. One of my plugs had shot out. Ya, there was a nice dent in my hood. Her bro came out and helped me put it back in, but I could tell it was not going to hold. I brought it into the shop the next day, and it was an easy fix as you said. I don't remember what it cost me, but I do know he did not pull the head and it did not take that long. Have not had a problem since.

phorensic

Well, helicoil went in kind of easy. About a 2 hour job. Fires right up and runs SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO smooooooth with the new plugs and #4 online again. It's like I have a brand new motor.

regularguy412

A plug in the same cylinder on mine did the same thing. I could see it wiggling while the engine was running. That was one of the reasons I switched out the Bosch +4 platinums. When I put the NGK's back in,,I put a little anti-sieze on the threads and didn't , as you say, 'Gorilla' the torque.

Good to go, now.

Mike in AR

phorensic

What a coincidence. I also ripped out the craptastic plat 4's. Running on some nice Denso standards now. Same as the NGK's.

ReneB64

I put in bosch plugs, on the box it said torque the plugs to 15 ft lbs, is the right, should they be tighter, seems to me they should, anyone know? (3vz)

Watrout88

I had the exact same problem. I installed some Bosch Platnum Spark Plug about a year ago. I had been hearing a ticking noise in the engine so I took it to a mechanic to have it checked out. He told me it was no big deal, and that the lifter may have had a little build up on them. His solution was to run some lifter cleaner through the engine. I misunderstood and bought some fuel injector cleaner, I could have swore that is what he told me to buy.

Anyway, five days later I was driving down the road and I heard a pop and a rattle sound . I could tell something bad happened because I lost all most all compresion in my engine. I had it towed to the mechanic, he started it up, and came to find out that one of my rear cylinder spark plugs came loose and and blew out, stripping all the threads on the enigine.

He is now trying to tell me that it was because I didn't tighten the spark plug tight enough. I had changed these plugs out about a year ago, why in the hell would it take that long for them to come loose? He is worried that some of metal from the spark plug may have gotten into the lifter seat.

His next step is to pull the head, which is going to cost about $1700, . Is there any other options to try before I have him pull the head? Maybe put a new spark plug in and check for compresion? He claims all the threads are stripped but I couldn't really tell by looking down in there. Should I have him put a helithread on there without removing the head? If the metal chunk from the plug is in the engine will he be able to find it? $1700 is a lot of freakin money for a college student, I need some advice, PLEASE.
Thanks

yota_krazy

id reccomend heli coiling the spark plug hole before wasting that kind of money. All the times that I have helped my friends do that, it works.

Watrout88

How do you keep the shavings from falling down into you piston chamber? Will I hear a piece of metal bouncing around if it is in the chamber? If so could it damage it right away?