I'm seeking opinions and educated guesses. I've read that when u hear ticking and start having misses that u could have a loose plug that is letting air go by threads as plug jingles in hole .causing the treads in head to deteriorate and blow past plug and collect on base of plug and bottom of plug boot that looks like aluminum crust .When people say loose plug do they mean loose ?? I've got a ticking number 3 with crust on top of plug. Plug came out normal and went back in finger tight and torqued at 28 lbs should I intisipate a blow out ?

 

i think you went over board.. 13lb is max on torq

 

Yes.

Way too much.

^^^This.

12 to 14ft lbs of torque on a cold engine.

Stewart

 

buy yourself a mechanic's stethoscope

use it to check the plugs every few months by simply touching it to the coils on top of the plugs

if the plug below is loose you WILL know it and which one(s) instantly

through the scope you will hear one hell of a racket when the plug is loose compared to the nice faint tick of a tight plug

I keep mine in the bag it came in in the glovebox (lol along with a spare coil)

 

That's a nice tip! Reps!

Stewart

 

thanks , I'm not planing on paying 300 bucks for a thread repair , twice

 

The plugs do like to work loose on a regular basis.

I haven't had this happen yet, but I'm thinking seriously that, when it starts, of hauling off and helicoiling the threads and being done with the problem.

 

hellicoils DO NOT WORK in this application
rather you have to use what's called a threadsert

the issue is twofold , first there are only 4 threads in the plug hole in the head .. not much thread engagement there
you DEFINATELY do not want to overtighten only four threads coils..

and secondly, the plug and hole design is screwed up to start with
the shoulder of the plug is chamfered as is the plug hole

this provides ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to resist the plug backing out from heat cycles like a square shouldered plug with a compression washer and a square shouldered hole

also access to the engine is limited as it's sutffed under the cowel thus the plug holes are not easy to get at

here in Toronto the threadsert cost me 300 to have done
having the rest of the plugs swaped for new ones at the same time , + the coil that had to be replaced as it broke the bolt tab off when the plug blew out cost another 500 bucks

like I said above get a mechanic's stethoscope and check the plugs every couple of months

AND , IF your motor sounds like it has a bad lifter ticking away ... CHECK IT NOW

 

Don't use helicoil, use an aluminum threaded insert like Time-Sert or Lock-N-Stich that locks into the aluminum head.

Stewart

 

Heh, looks like we posted the same info at the same time.

Or if it sounds like an exhaust leak.

Stewart

 

I think you did too much. 12 to 14ft lbs would be max..

 

I used to post the same info, but I haven't kept up on the plug issue since my primary ride became a diesel and I've learned the optimum recommended plug torque values have changed the past few years.

Stewart