Stripped a spark plug holder

[ATiredExplorer]

Me and my Dad were working on it then we ended up stripping the front right spark plug holder. Anyone know of a tool to fix this or should/does it have to be taken in a shop?

 

[Blee1099]

Go to the parts store and ask for a heli-coil for your truck.

 

[mrboyle]

Go to the parts store and ask for a heli-coil for your truck.

Its a little more involved than that! If you just messed up the threads it is possible to chase the threads using a spark plug tap (you should be able to find one at any parts store), but if you actually stripped the threads out of the head the only way to properly repair it is to remove the head and heli-coil it on the work bench. Attempting to properly heli-coil a cylinder head while on the vehicle is EXTREEMLY difficult and even more of a risk. It would be soo heay to get a peice of metal inside the cylinder that could cause catastrophic damage that I personally would never risk attempting the repair.

 

[Blee1099]

Yeah your right.. Its been a long weekend for me so my attention span is pretty short. Definately not a DIY for most people. Since often times if the plug has snapped inside, drilling out the plug, tapping or even trying to use a screw extractor (I've seen people attempt this) is not something most people feel comfortable doing. Having any sorts of metal filings/shavings inside the engine would be death.. I bet the magnet would love it though if it had a personality.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Sometimes the thread gets a little messed up, but it isn't always necessary to use a Helicoil repair kit. They sell a special tap in the auto parts stores which could repair the thread. You only have to worry about a lot of metal shavings if you are drilling out the head to a larger size. A tap which is the same size thread isn't going to make a lot of shavings.

 

[gijoecam]

As mentioned, it depends on the damage that was done to the threads on the head. It *may* be repairable without too much difficulty, or it may merit a replacement. Making that call over the internet without even a picture is an impossible call to make.

Sometimes a heli-coil will work, other times it won't. I'm a fan of the TimeSert Big-Sert. It's a bit more expensive, but works extremely well on the 5.4L engines that tend to blow plugs pretty regularly. They have a great video on their web site too.

-Joe

 

[BrooklynBay]

Could you post a link with that video, and some pictures? How is that insert different than the Helicoil?

 

[gijoecam]

Heli-coil:

Timesert:

The heli-coil is held in place by either an insert on the wire, or the friction caused by the pre-load. There is no guarantee of a seal, or that it won't loosen up.

The timesert is held in place by roll-forming the last couple of internal threads at the bottom up against the external threads, locking it to the piece it's been inserted in.

Main site:
http://www.timesert.com/

Ford-triton engine-specific:
http://www.timesert.com/html/ford.html

The video is specific to the Ford kit, but for all intents and purposes, it's the same for all of them.
http://www.timesert.com/video/Ford-sparkplug.wmv

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for posting this information!