2001 4.6L 2 Valve or 3 Valve, helicoil insert.
#11
Any debris in the vicinity of the plug hole got sucked in and blasted away in the seconds after the plug failure. Me I unplug the injector and drive it home where I timesert the hole. Dont heilicoil, Timesert or ford locknstitch
#13
Update: so I did the job Saturday as planned. Careful to grease the bit and tap, also blew out the cylinder and rotated the crank to drop the piston out of the way. Even counted the threads on the insert. Then somehow lost track of the rotations and when all done, I didn’t want to crank it in any farther than the torque Suggested (28 ft lbs) I had a slight hiss of exhaust I could feel blowing by. So on Sunday I figured I’d try to back it out and pay better attention to the insert getting all the way down. Turns out the head had a bit of a misshaped hole, not quite round, a little oblong defect probably from the blow by shown on the plug. I dunno,
Anyway, I was lucky that’s the insert came out and this time counted the threads and figured/hoped that I could get the insert turned in until the lip at top sealed the blow by hole. I was able to get it down and seated this time and so far so good.
Now I am gonna do a full set of motorcraft plugs at .045” gap (I think that the autolites in it are at .060” per Advance auto computer).
Anyway, thanks for the advice and recommendations. Confidence is a big deal when operation outside your comfort zone and I appreciate y’all elevating mine.
I will try to get a pic up of the oblong plug hole. I might want to dump this truck before it rears it’s head again in cyl 2. But I do have another 7 inserts and the tool in case it happens elsewhere.
Photo demonstrating the off-round hole.
Anyway, I was lucky that’s the insert came out and this time counted the threads and figured/hoped that I could get the insert turned in until the lip at top sealed the blow by hole. I was able to get it down and seated this time and so far so good.
Now I am gonna do a full set of motorcraft plugs at .045” gap (I think that the autolites in it are at .060” per Advance auto computer).
Anyway, thanks for the advice and recommendations. Confidence is a big deal when operation outside your comfort zone and I appreciate y’all elevating mine.
I will try to get a pic up of the oblong plug hole. I might want to dump this truck before it rears it’s head again in cyl 2. But I do have another 7 inserts and the tool in case it happens elsewhere.
Photo demonstrating the off-round hole.
Last edited by 2001Screwball; 02-18-2018 at 09:55 AM. Reason: Added a photo
#15
Senior Member
What kit did you use? I think the Cal-Van kit would fix that as well?
#16
#17
Senior Member
Was this picture you posted before or after the insert? I'm assuming before? LOL.
#18
Senior Member
Before ...I hope. Strange looking pick though lol.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
#19
Before ...I hope. Strange looking pick though lol.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
#20
Before ...I hope. Strange looking pick though lol.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
The others won't blow, IF they have all been torqued down to 28' lbs. The ONLY reason they blow is because the plugs aren't torqued enough in the first place.
It use to be CalVan was the alternative to Timesert....well, that or lock and stitch if you could afford it. But even the CalVan was pricey at one time. Today there's cheaper little kits you can buy, some are good.
Regarding the Timesert. I am not sure that the Timesert would have been a wide enough bore since its a replacement of a previous insert. But I watched the vid and I can see how it could have been a solution had it been a first attempt insert.