spark plug shot out while driving

[xplorernewb]

So as the title says.. i was driving like normal and pop goes the spark plug. Its dark and i cant do much so im going to expect the worst and assume the threads within the head is stripped, hopefully not but probably.. is there a spark plug/head repair method/quick fix for this? Selling asap so i don't want to swap heads if i don't need to.

 

[Number4]

Did you change the plugs recently? I'd find it hard to believe the threads in the heads could have blown out.

 

[2stroke]

Its uncommon for these to blow plugs, but not impossible. Anti-seize on the threads certainly might by either helping it back out, or allow over-tightening to the point of failure. They make spark plug hole thread repair kits, and many of them can last a long time. Unless you do it wrong and get metal shavings in the engine, I would fix it, and not sell it. Don't be one of those guys, nobody likes those kinds of people. At least be totally honest if you sell it.

 

[xplorernewb]

I changed the plugs a couple weeks ago, thought i tightened them the way i have been for the last 20 years but mistakes do happen. I am planning on selling this in the next couple weeks anyway, buying a new ford. Just need this one gone. Id be honest with the buyer and give it to them if i have to. Anyway hopefully i can just plug this in and go. How much would a shop charge to fix this if the threads are bad?

 

[Number4]

In leaning toward it didn't get torqued properly and wiggled it's way out. Unless you had resistance putting it in, indicating the threads got stripped.

 

[2stroke]

You wouldn't be the first person to make that mistake, not by far. If the plug just worked loose, you might be able to just thread it in and go about your business. I would check the other 5 for tightness. If not, I would try and do it yourself. The kit comes with everything, a heli-coil, a tap, and the tool. The only thing that is kind of scary is the tapping, because you will get metal shavings in the engine. Grease on the tap wont catch them all. A trick Scotty Kilmer uses is to actually start the engine before you put the heli-coil in, and the piston blows all the shavings out. Then you just thread the heli-coil in, and finally the spark plug. Just pray it isn't cylinder 3.

 

[xplorernewb]

Right on thanks. It was the #2 cylinder and after looking at the plug a little closer it looks like the threads weren't damaged so you're right its probably fine and my ratchet probably just got hung up.

Its raining and snowing here at the moment so im a little hesitant on going out there right now, bleh

 

[vq5speed]

There quite a bit revolution turns to screw out a spark plug. I have had spark plugs get loose but never more then just finger tight. If it even got close to almost falling off your engine would of been running really terrible first you would of been hearing popping sound of the compression coming out. For it to just unscrew out all sudden not likely. Maybe when you were putting them in you only gave that plug couple turns. The socket fell off to the ground then you got distracted and moved on to the next plug forgetting to tighten that one down...

 

[Wolfie_85]

Must be common. When I first got my Explorer, I didn't need a wrench to remove one of the plugs.

 

[xlt1993]

Besides my explorer I also have a 79 f250 with the 300-6. I did a tune up on it last August when I replaced the engine and you should hear cylinder #4 lol. Has a really bad ticking at idle and when driving and a sporadic miss under a heavy load. Looked for the cause a while ago and upon checking the plugs I found the #4 plug was seats tight to the head but the porcelain had actually released itself from the metal portion of the plug. Needless to say dont buy autolites unless you're broke or if its just a roadside fix to get u home or if you're selling soon lol. Next time I'm goin with Bosch. Have used them for years and always had good luck with them. I know this is unrelated to the topic but just a heads up for everyone who reads this thread. You get what you pay for. The plug hasn't blown out yet and has been ticking for the past 4 months I just haven't fixed it due to the lack of time.

 

[swshawaii]

Needless to say dont buy autolites unless you're broke or if its just a roadside fix to get u home or if you're selling soon lol. Next time I'm goin with Bosch. Have used them for years and always had good luck with them. I know this is unrelated to the topic but just a heads up for everyone who reads this thread. You get what you pay for.

May want to research Bosch spark plugs on this forum. Motorcraft and Autolite are almost always the preferred
plugs here and on other Ford forums. Of all the spark plug choices, Bosch is usually on the very bottom of the list.
Sounds like you got a defective or damaged plug, or cracked the porcelain during installation. Search "Bosch Spark
Plugs" on the top of the page, lot's of feedback. Here's the first one that came up.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290992

 

[swshawaii]

BTW, Bosch is the OEM for many Ford parts. First ones that come to mind are brakes, injectors, fuel pumps, and numerous sensors.

High quality parts, unfortunately their plugs seldom perform well in these engines and are often removed soon after
they were installed.

 

[2stroke]

I'm certain the OP's issue had nothing to do with plug choice. It was a simple case of user error, we have all been there. The real strange thing with the "picky" ford spark plug debate is everyone praises Motorcraft plugs, while Autolite (who makes motorcraft) has taken a huge nosedive in quality. Off the top of my head, I've run Motorcraft, Bosch, NGK, Champion, even AC delco, and the engine ran fine on all of them. I think the bigger problem is people being careless, or forgetting to set the proper gap. In my entire life I've only had a few cases where a spark plug was actually bad from the factory, twice was Champion, and once was Autolite. Neither was a car spark plug. Since I've had a couple of Champion issues (and lost confidence in them), the rest are Chinese made crap, so I run all NGK. Is it a better plug? No, but I have yet to have a single problem. Moral of the story, brand doesn't matter if you select the right one, and use it right.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Well said 2stroke, couldn't have said it better and it reflects my experiences as well.

 

[free4thinkin]

Did you change the plugs recently? I'd find it hard to believe the threads in the heads could have blown out.

Actually the same thing just happened to me and I been driving it daily for a year and never replaced the plugs

 

[BKennedy]

If you have a 2003, its a much more common issue. They make kits to repair the threads, which are what fails with your generation vehicle. The post previous to yours was five years ago and it was with a 1st generation Explorer, a very rare incident.

 

[1sicbronconut]

I've repaired many in that era 4.6, 5.4, and the 6.8 V10 but never on a 4.0L SOHC engine I've always used a repair kit that Snap On tools makes.

 

[massacre]

The aluminum heads tend to be the worst offenders, over cast iron in my experience

 

[Centaurious]

So as the title says.. i was driving like normal and pop goes the spark plug. Its dark and i cant do much so im going to expect the worst and assume the threads within the head is stripped, hopefully not but probably.. is there a spark plug/head repair method/quick fix for this? Selling asap so i don't want to swap heads if i don't need to.

If you jam the socket all the way in while tightening the plugs the socket can bottom out on the head and the plug can bind inside the socket, making you think it is threaded all the way in. I pull the socket back about 1/8" and check the torque before going to the next plug.

 

[X-LION]

If you jam the socket all the way in while tightening the plugs the socket can bottom out on the head and the plug can bind inside the socket, making you think it is threaded all the way in. I pull the socket back about 1/8" and check the torque before going to the next plug.

I used the Calvan 38900 for my 2004 4.6 Ford Explorer Limited. I had three plugs blew out another one was the way to blow because Ford did not put enough threads on these heads. Everytime you hear ticking under the hood. A sparkplug will blow soon because its loose in the well. The Calvan 38900 is a permanent fix and there is YouTube videos on it. It fixes all kinds of Ford engines because the plugs is common thing.