Spat spark plug out @ 4k rpm.

[saxova]

As above, driving home last night at 2 am. Pulls out onto a 50mph road, and gave it a toe through second gear. BANG, no power, sounds like a tank..

Comes to it this morning, and checked plugs, and number 3 comes out with the coilpack.

So today i changed all the plugs.. 30-40 miles later does the same thing. Checked it, number 3 came out with coilpack again..

So the thread in number 3 is funked.

Any personal experience of how to get round this? or suggestions?

So far i've thought of 3;

Re-tap the hole using the next size up of plug available. (but would this be possible with the block in one peice? mate said if tapped, then abit of oil poured into hole, turn engine over... spit the oil (and the shards of metal) out..

or is there any type of heat proof thread tape? like the stuff plumbers use?

or exhaust putty on thread, stick it it, and get a new head/16v when the plugs need changing lol.

Any help would be appreciated,

Brett

[Ryanp]

helicoil in there

[saxova]

Thanks, i didn't know they existed till just now. just read up on them, and gathered this info;

Drill hole out first,
tap hole,
insert helicoil

However you have to snap the end of the helicoil off with a punch tool, therefore wouldn't that be bad to go into the head?

Although saying that, the end of the spark plug had snapped off when it got blown out, therefore that'll probably be in the head somewhere :s.

Cheers!

[Ryanp]

Had a helicoil job done on my 8v head when it shot the plug out, ran fine since.

Infact it still does when i turn the engine over when im bored

[taz9126]

same as ryan posted, helicoil it ! not sure but i thought the tool itself snapped the extra bit off the helicoil. But not 100% sure

[Olly]

Put grease on your drill/taps.... will catch most of the metal debris.

[sparky771]

the helicoil tool should snap the bit off when the helicoil runs out of thread to go on, we had to do it a college not long ago not to a head tho but to an axle casing they are good things

[saxova]

that's what i mean, the little piece would then fall into the head.

Ryan, did you get it done while the head was on the block? As i don't fancy forking out for a gasket set and skim. I could do other things, that would give me gains for slightly more.

Thanks for inputs!

[Ryanp]

I didnt do it, I had a garage do it.

Park car up leave it for a day come back, drive home

[saxova]

in that case, rough cost?

I prefer getting parts at trade price, and giving it ago myself tho.

[saxo-parts]

you can get some helicoil type thread insert that don't have a tang that breaks off,they just wind in but can't for the life of me remember the name, will have a look today as we have used them to do this kind of repair in the past with good results

[saxova]

thank-you very much .

[Krys_23]

You can buy the heli coil kit off ebay for £20, and pretty straight forward to do yourself i've experienced it.

[saxova]

sound, ill just have to do it with the head in place. Then pour oil down sparkplug hole, and turn her over, to hopefully spit all the oil and the snapped helicoil thing out.

Sax-p saves the day again, cheers lads .

[nickwillyhams]

i wouldnt risk anything falling in the head tbh it could damage the valve seats/valve get wedged in between the piston an score the barrel, damage rings or cause u a whole load of problems, head needs to come off if you want it to be done properly

[saxova]

that means a 80 quid gasket set, and possibly a skim.

Whats involved to get a xsi or raylle head onto my block? and could i wire up the xsi/rallye ecu so i get the 7200rpm limiter?

Then its worth the gasket set and skim .