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In the process of changing out the spark plugs. Did the driver side top, all went smoothly.
Started on the bottom driver side front and unscrewed the plug. It was more difficult to remove and I did it as carefully as possible. Once I got the plug out I can see there is damage on the thread. These are original plugs.
When I try to thread the new plug, it goes in a bit, but then basically cannot insert any further by hand. Seems the threads are damaged a bit. Very frustrating as this is from the factory as the plugs are original.
I am not a pro mechanic, so what do I do now? I have put a little anti seize on the threads but still cannot get it anywhere near all the way by hand, and don't want to force it.
To make things more interesting, me and the truck are in Argentina.
Only issue is I am in Argentina and finding one of these is unlikely. I have the correct tap now, that I could fine here.
My concern is this hole is blind and I cannot see what I am doing. Makes me nervous to say the least trying to run the tap through the hole while not knowing if I am straight on or not.
What about slowly, over and over again, using an old (good) sparkplug. Slowly pushing it a bit further with a rachet, then pulling it back out and cleaning it, and repeating over and over again....??
Thanks for any advice, as this way not a situation I accounted for since these plugs were installed by the factory.
The tap would be far best however in a pinch Ive taken bolts of like size/thread and cut a groove in it lengthwise of the threaded portion. The cleaner the cut so the edges are sharp the better as it acts like the flutes of a tap. But if you can thread a plug in by hand a bunch you should be able to do the same with the tap enough to know your in straight, yes?
A bunch is perhaps a stretch of what I can thread a plug in. Enough so it stays in place, but not sure how far in it actually is. Maybe 2-3 threads if I had to guess. Going to get an extension made for the tap I have so I can use a rachet on it. Is a bit too short as-is to get it in the recess for the plug/hole with any certainty. I put the tap in a little turning very gently, stopped and took it back out, and it had some metal on it. So it was starting to cut, which makes be a bit nervous as I was not really into the hole far at all.
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