lost a spark plug....

[XonDubs]

i was driving then all the sudden my ex started sounding like a combat fighter helicopter, so i pulled over and checked out what was the deal, popped the hood and saw the white park of the spark plug came apart from the threads and was dangling there....tryed to get the threads out but a socket wont get it(part of the nut is missing or something on the threads) so im left with drilling it out and doing something with heliafoil(?) or pulling the head out and taking it in to get done, right? is there any other cheaper way??? someone told me this always happens with the 4.0....
so am i screwed or is there another way to do this? ide hate to do a thousand dollar job for a 99 cent spark plug...
any help would be appreciated, thanks guys

 

[boominXplorer]

have you thought about gettign it towed to a shop? sometimes thay can drill and use a reverse thread screw and get it out. Some shops do that then use a little magnet to get all the shavings out. Might want to call around

 

[XonDubs]

is it not good to drive it like that? i been calling around, itll be like 125$ to get it out....IF the head dont get ruined

 

[marragtop]

Which plug is it? If it's the passenger side, make sure you come in thru the wheel well. You should be able to get a straight shot on it. Are the threads stripped, or is the head of the plug rounded, or gone?

 

[Blee1099]

You can try using a screw extractor on it but you have to be careful you don't put any metal filings in the head otherwise you'll kill your motor. You might want to take off your heads off to get better access to it and to prevent any metal filings enter the combustion chamber.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

For $125 I might just let the shop do it - if they are successful, it will be well worth it. Pulling the head is a rather large project. Trust me - I just did head gaskets in my garage!

 

[Robb]

I can't picture how the "hex" portion of the plug seperated from the threaded portion.

 

[SVO]

I can't picture how the "hex" portion of the plug seperated from the threaded portion.

I agree, how about taking a picture for us, I bet it's not near as bad as you might think.

Helicoil is what your talking about.

Still take a picture!!!!!



*subscribed*

 

[XonDubs]

*update* i got it out....the porcelin looks like it slid out of the thread portion, and there was so much debrie and corrosion around where it was it looked like there was no hex part for the socket to get onto so i got rid of the debris with a pick and tried a socket but stripped the hex, so i went and got a reverse thread tool(easy out) and got it out in 2 minutes.... so its all fixed now, but i will take pics when i get back home, i saved the whole thing...
only other problem now is all the other spark plugs have the same problem with the debris around them, afraid to strip those also, and ideas or suggestions guys???also the auto parts store told me the gap on the plugs should be at 54....is that right?

 

[rfuree11]

i definitely need to see pics, thats weird

 

[JPA1982]

glad to hear u got it out, same thing happened to me when i was going from NE missouri to kansas to go wheeling in April, was 15 mins from where i was going and POP!, sounded like an old lawnmower, gross, well looked around and the plug was just hanging there with the part of the spark plug(bosch plat.) in it, finished the 8 miles i had to go, and with the help of ryan(lifted94XLT) lil toying, got it out, met up with the rest of his crew and wheeled for the day.