Heli-coil troubles
 

2001 4.6 #5 plug shot out about 80k miles ago. I went and replaced the plugs the other week and when i did #5 i put a new insert on the plug and threaded it in and was on my way.

Well now I'm having problems, I thought i had a exhaust leak, but found out that #5 cylinder is having blow-by and the compression is going up through the spark plug insert and making the coil boot flap around on the cop.

I somehow must have tightened it too tight, because now i can't get a spark plug socket to catch the hex head on the spark plug to remove it. I tried to get some needle nose pliers down in there to get it going, but no luck.

I've used a few different 5/8" sockets but none are working. the hex end must be flush with the beginning of the spark plug boss.

Any tips or pointers on how to get the plug to unscrew a little bit?

Why did you use a Helicoil? All the posts you have on this board and you didnt know Helicoils dont work?
Maybe you could try grinding an old plug socket down on the out side some so it might fit down.. Or just wait and the plug will eject on its own. Then you can fix it right with a timesert.

Does it catch at all? Luckily its the number 5 cylinder. I would try very hard to see if I could get it to catch and then tap it with a hammer while turning the wrench (like an impact wrench). Otherwise you'll have to pull the heads :(. If you end up pulling the head then take that crap heli-coil out and use a timesert. Not too many options here...squeeze a pair of pliers real tight? GL

Don't tell me you put the insert on the plug and threaded it in... Or did you just word that wrong? I can't figure out why a plug wrench would not fit over the plug because it has an insert. If you put it on with a socket, a socket should remove it. Maybe the blow by has built up crap around it? Speaking of, you would think if it were getting that much blow by to effect the cop boot that it would just spit the plug out. Wha happan meng

it seems the helicoil left a tail sticking up blocking the socket from grabbing the hex on the plug....

if you can see down in the well and locate the tail ....then index the socket to the hex and tail and grind a notch out of the socket....

i had the truck repaired at a shop when it happened, which was before i signed up on here. I took it to a independent shop and they took care of it and 2 days later i was on my way. It's held up well since i've put close to 100k miles on it. just whenever i decided to change the plugs, it started giving me problems.

i can't catch anything with any deep 5/8" socket i have, it just spins because the plug is far down in the chamber and the socket is just not grabbing the hex on the plug.

the truck is still driveable and everything, just if i hit a bump or something, it wiggles that insert and plug and it starts to have all that blow-by noise going on, similar to an exhaust leak.

i don't know what to do about it really. either take it to a shop and see if they can get it out without pulling the head, or just pull the head and remove it and then have that cylinder timeserted.

or silicon around the plug...........no thanks.

i'm highly considering just putting the built engine in and not having to deal with little crap like this all the time with a high mileage engine.

Would this be possible? Break off the top of the plug. Chip away the porcelain, clean it out. Get it down far enough that you can get an ease out started and then back it out with the ease out. Once out, pull the helicoil if it did not come out, and Big Timesert it.

There's another thread around here where I just helped a guy fix his truck after tapping the hole for a heli-coil prior to learning about a TimeSert. Easy fix...if you can get the plug out.

I'm not too sure about that
Link?
If I can get the plug out, I'm good, its just the matter of the plug being far down and not having a way to get a socket or anything around it to extract it.

I don't see how you're good (even if you get the plug out) if you plan on sticking another one back in there with a heli-coil that way. Only a matter of time before it leaves you somewhere.

i'm good meaning i'll do the timesert bigsert

sorry i posted this on two different forums and am going back and forth on it.


since i can't get a socket on the hex of the plug at all, i came up with using epoxy i can put in a spark plug socket and let it bond to the plug and try and get the plug out that way.

i haven't done it yet cause it's been raining off and on today and i rather not try working on a crappy situation in crappy weather.

i know this is no help, but i took some pictures of the chamber because people said that i may have some crud down in the chamber that was preventing a socket to go on. so here are some pictures just in case yall see something i haven't.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6...3be17575_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6...ed696fd4_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6...46e9d25f_b.jpg

It looks pretty far down there to me.

Is your plug socket beveled on the inside? Sometimes they are and that'll keep it from grabbing at the very tip of the socket.

yeah, 2 of mine were, but i found 2 others that weren't and they didn't do anything either.

i'm seriously thinking about some epoxy in one of the sockets i have and letting it bond to the tip and see if i can get anything out of that.

try to get an old sparkplug socket, grind down the outside of it until it's thin enough to fit it the space, looks like it may work. I'd try that before epoxy