I think I might have cross threaded my spark plug

[BDShort]

I have a 99 v6 SOHC explorer I was pulling plugs and wires and the passenger side plug 4 closest to the headlight will not screw in all the way. I got all the wires and plugs in on all the others but this one is making me extremely frustrated.

Should I force it in on the old threads? What if I turn it to its max and drive it to a shop? Would one miss firing plug matter or cause real damage? I don't har a drill so what can I do? My car is sitting on jacks in the parking lot and I was planning a trip to the beach today.

 

[BDShort]

Sorry for my misspelling an poor English, I'm typing on my iPhone and this thing is hell to sound the least bit intelligent.

 

[BDShort]

Can anybody help? It's getting cold out here lol

 

[swshawaii]

No guarantee but a 14mm spark plug thread "chaser" may help. Important
to grease the hole so aluminum head shavings don't fall into the chamber.
Worst case would be removing the head, re-tapping and using a Heli-Coil
thread repair insert. Be careful, aluminum is very soft. Keep us posted. GL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...9oCAAQ&usg=AFQjCNG5VkZPobH7ig0N_8ia-90sVwP4Aw

 

[Hank McGee]

No guarantee but a 14mm spark plug thread "chaser" may help. Important
to grease the hole so aluminum head shavings don't fall into the chamber.
Worst case would be removing the head, re-tapping and using a Heli-Coil
thread repair insert. Be careful, aluminum is very soft. Keep us posted. GL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...9oCAAQ&usg=AFQjCNG5VkZPobH7ig0N_8ia-90sVwP4Aw

That is pretty much what we do at our shop. I do coat the threads with bearing grease also. After you run the tap all the way in and remove it, do not put the plug back in, then crank the vehical up so if any shavings got down in the cylinder you may blow them out with the compression.

 

[BDShort]

So running it halfway in wouldn't damage it in short term length?

I'm headed to oriellys now to put up a chaser. Gonna give it a go tomorrow

 

[BDShort]

Also, how does the chaser help with the threading at all? Wouldn't force turning the plug in do the same thing?

 

[griz700rocket]

Thread chasers are meant to straighten/clean up the threads. If you try to force the plug in it will just make them worse.

 

[BDShort]

Took her to the shop, she's in right now and if it requires head removal im looking at 260 for the damage. I rethreaded the hole and put the plug in but the engine was about to stall and I could smell fumes so I drove her to a shop about 2 miles away.

Guess ill learn from my mistakes. Leave plugs and wires to the pros or you'll face a heavy charge, or maybe im just incompetent lol.Rethreading kit was 35 dollars too. Just the price you pay for a car

 

[BDShort]

Worst part is, they might not even get to it today and I have work tomorrow.

 

[1998Exp]

No, you don't have to leave plugs and wires to the pros; this is one of the simplest jobs a beginner can do. You just need to have a bit of patience, willingness to follow instructions (always start by hand, then torque to spec), and the right tools (a torque wrench, proper socket and extensions, plug gapping tool and gauge).

Guess ill learn from my mistakes. Leave plugs and wires to the pros or you'll face a heavy charge, or maybe im just incompetent lol.Rethreading kit was 35 dollars too. Just the price you pay for a car

 

[BDShort]

I started throwing words around and did rush through it a bit mainly because I wanted to leave to the beach already haha.

If there is a next time ill definitely double check wiring and take my time, this car is worth holding on to. Thanks for the help you guys

 

[Hank McGee]

For future use, my shop is in Horneytown, not to far at all down 311/85 from you. If you need any help, just give me a buzz.

Hank
336-442-5286

My shop number is
336-869-244

Feel free to call and ask for Hank.

 

[BDShort]

Thanks for the offer, I actually work a couple miles away from kernersville. When I delve into a project over my head I'll be sure to give you a call before I do.

I have a tendency to fix things that aren't broken. It's only a matter of time...


Noticed one thing while I was down there lubricating and breaking stuff, was this. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3125601#post3125601

 

[swshawaii]

I have a tendency to fix things that aren't broken. It's only a matter of time...

Done correctly it's something known as "preventative maintenance".

It's what makes a vehicle reliable, and keeps you and others safe.

 

[BDShort]

Keywords, "done correctly"

Got the car back from the shop a few hours ago. They did absolutely nothing, they retreaded the hole best they could and fixed one of the pins on the wire that I bent as well as put in that I didn't push on all the way. I didn't hear a click with the wires so I assumed they were on.


Another thing is I didn't set the plugs to the width required, I assumed they were spaced from factory considering its year and model specific. Could this cause any problems to arise?

 

[swshawaii]

I didn't hear a click with the wires so I assumed they were on.

Another thing is I didn't set the plugs to the width required, I assumed they were spaced from factory considering its year and model specific.

I'm aware of what I'm getting in to but I think ill leave it to the pros, under the assumption that if they replace the control arm an joints they'll align it free as well.

I was assuming they'd align it after changing instead of adding an alignment fee to the originally parts and labor.

You need to LOSE that word in your vocabulary. Don't assume anything when someone else is working on your vehicle.
As for your spark plugs, these engines tend to be very finicky when not gapped to .054 spec. All it takes is a slight drop on the snout during shipping or handling and those "pre-gapped" replacement plugs will change or close completely.

 

[BDShort]

I do use that word a lot. Mainly because I'm a self-taught google mechanic and I'm using an iPhone on every post. I certainly appreciate the advice and will no longer rely on assumption when referencing to the betterment of my vehicle.

I should google more too