My truck started running very rough and had been hard to start. I decided to run a compression test and found there are 3 dead cylinders (no compression) and one cylinder with 140 psi. Also though...... I find 3 spark plugs bent to the point of cracking and breaking out of the spark plug ceramic/porcelain casing and made it very hard to get the plug wires off they were so bent. I will post pics in a few minutes. Any ideas as to WTF HAPPENED? Or what may have caused any of it? Truck has no vacuum no compression in 3 cylinders and 3 busted plugs on a 35k mile motor.

 

Here is a pic of them all you can see the one "good one" is starting to do the same as the others though...

 

Someone yanking on the plug wires causing them to bend/break.

 

I put them in. They haven't been touched since they looked normal last time I saw them. This has happened over a one month period. I just checked them when I last changed my oil.

 

nothing....Nobody??? Except telling me I must have bent them myself. Obviously it isn't possible to do this myself accidentally... the internal rod of the entire spark plug is bent... I would have had to put em in a vice and yanked them with a bigass wrench or hit them with a hammer. Then I wouldn't be asking yall wtf happened. So anybody... any idea how the hell my motor can do this to the plugs? And no, my truck doesn't get super hot or over heat. So that's not it.

 

Wrong spark plug for application
Crush washer missing on threads of spark plug
To much timing/lean condition causing extremely high cylinder pressures
Foreign object inside cylinder
Rod bearings are bad causing the piston to travel to high
Bending it during install

that's all I got for you.

 

Looks to me like the top of the plug may have bottomed out in the socket when installing or removing. IMHO, it took a mechanical force that was not generated by the engine to do this.

 

^^^ that too. there's many different spark plug sockets in the world. you cannot use a regular deep socket, unless its a trail fix. just FYI.

 

The elctrode is not bent. It's outside the engine. And I am a mechanic. I have proper tools. I installed them like I do every car. Finger tight and then snug with a wrench. The plug wires pop on. Easily. I used the proper spark plugs. Any ideas besides me being a dumbass? =) think outside the box peeps. Why im here asking you all. My 15 yrs of experience and my step dad 30 yrs experience r stumped. Hes also a mastertech and works on it with me for fun.

 

Other end of the plug lol

 

Well, if you're in for thinking outside the box. I'm assuming you rebuilt the engine as well? maybe its time to go back to the drawing board... even the pro's make mistakes.

I gave you a couple reasons above, might want to start there.

Never personally done plugs on a 22re. but 3vzs, sure. and I've never had anything like this on any of my vehicles.

 

Pretty much leaves you then. Install another set drive some then see if they break like the ones you posted.

 

Yes we built the motor. It drove perfect for 35k miles. I replaced these plugs at 25k. So they are fairly new. And buying new plugs to see if it does it again.... I don't really like wasting money before finding causes of problems. Id prefer to not test dummy it and get left stranded either.

 

One thing I just thought of. Post few weeks the alternator has been spiking. If I go over 4krpms it jumps up by the 18 on the battery gauge thing. And my lights would get really bright. Maybe its powersurging the plugs causing then to over heat??

 

Possible the extra voltage is the culprit. Fix the alternator/voltage regulator and replace the plugs and go from there.

 

I'm going with angry wife, jealous boyfriend or someone checking to see if a 20R exhaust manifold would fit a 22R head. If the electrodes are not damaged there is no way the PSI in a 22R could cause this damage on 3 plugs.

 

Carbon tracking (google it) can cause the ceramic to crack, but it typically leaves a black of carbon behind - your plugs don't have any carbon residue. I'm leaning more toward too much heat. What do your wires look like? If it got hot enough to soften the metal and bend then the boots on your wires should be toast. What does the other end of the plugs look like?