Is there any simple way to fix a stripped plug in the Blackwood?

Jim

 

no. but i think that auto zone sells something to fix them. not sure if it actually works. if i was you i would put a new thread about this in the engine forum. you'll get more help.

good luck

 

There is a kit that is called Timecert that is the best way, but is expensive. There was a member on here that rented a kit out. Some have been successful using a helio coil kit. Do a search on the subjects using the advanced search. You should find lots of reading.

 

I did, and after much research I hired a local shop to do the job as they were experienced at it and had the tools. Had them replace and torque the rest of the plugs at the same time. It has held up fine so far as I can tell. That seems to be one of the flaws in this truck. Hard to imagine what they were thinking. But, I'm now approaching 100,000 miles and still running almost like new (the idle is a little rough) so I don't feel too bad about it. The miles have softened the harsh suspension and it's now a very comfortable truck, with good looks and a very dated gps. Has anybody tried to retrofit something newer?

Jim

 

wow glad to hear that after a year it worked out

 

Yeah, sorry for the delay. I had it fixed that same week, actually just a couple days if I remember right. The repair was a 1/2 day affair. I'd have to recommend that type fix based on my experience.

Jim

 

Hi Jim.

I was under the impression that only the 2 valve heads had that problem... but, it's good to know, just to be extra careful when swapping the spark plugs.

 

anything can be crossthreaded

 

True, but it wasn't crossthreaded. I researched the problem pretty thoroughly before the fix and apparently one of the robots that installed the spark plugs went out of spec for a period of time before anyone noticed it wasn't meeting torque. Well when you only have 4 threads and you don't get the plug tight it's only a matter of time. Ford didn't really acknowledge the problem, but at least a relatively cheap fix was developed.

Jim

 

Um... on second thought if you have this problem you might want to go to extra pains to see that it is repaired right, like maybe do it yourself. How do you mess this up? You got me, it's a straight in shot. But somehow they mangled the insert to the point that it broke the ground electrode off the plug and screwed up the plug threads, especially at the tip. This resulted in all kinds of other problems which I don't want to go into right now, but much more expensive than just the thread fix. During plug change trying to solve those problems a second plug was mangled, after which I ran a tap through the insert to clean up the threads. It must have taken great ingenuity or uncommonly bad luck combined with total idiocy to pull this off but somehow it did happen. I'm simply slack jawed in amazement.

JB

 

I encountered a rough idle just a few weeks ago, consulted my Blackwood workshop manual, & the first thing the manual suggested checking first, was looking for vacumm leaks. It was my air intake going to the throttle body that was not tightly torqed down. Problem solved!

 

I guess there is no simple way to post photos. Too bad, I've got some real zingers. First there are two spark plugs, one is the Motorcraft plug that was installed in #6 several months back. No ground electrode, end threads mangled, all carboned up and blackened. The there is the new Bosch platinum plug that went in 2000 miles back. No ground electrode, end threads mangled, and blackened beyond belief. Can't even see the center electrode.

I ran a tap through the insert and met very little resistance, but after that the plug from #7 went in smoothly. No compression though, which seems to be a problem. My brother's theory is that they seated the insert too deep and the piston tagged the insert. So far that's the most sensible theory I've heard but I don't think it accounts for everything.

Pulled the top of the intake and the #6 throat is a noticeably lighter color than the others and there are bits of something that looks like small chunks of metal sitting around the lip of the gasket. Don't think that should be in there, but where did it come from and why?

Pulled the valve cover and one of the cam followers was laying in the bottom of the head. I think it's the forward exhaust valve for #6. Well that's not good but it wouldn't account for zero compression I don't think. Didn't fall out on assembly though, it has some wear marks. So how and why is it there?

I could see tan looking down the spark plug hole. Nothing to indicate a holed piston. Hate to pull the head off but that's the way this is going.

JB

 

upload the pics to an album on your profile, then you can right click on the pic, copy properties url and use the icon upper right, looks like a mountain in yellow.

 

The plug on the left is the older (about a year) Motorcraft plug, on the right is the 2000 mile Bosch platinum.


Motorcraft


Bosch


Runners:


Metal:


Missing cam follower:


Cam follower:


JB

 

That is a real puzzle. Some strange things going on.