Hello i am a and i am sorry if this question has been asked before but i have looked through 20+plus pages on this.

This past weekend we took a trip out to Glamis sand dunes from los Angeles 60 miles from Glamis the X shot a spark plug and was sounding like a popcorn machine .So i disconnected the the fuel injecter from shooting gas to a sparkplug less cylinder and finished the trip and got there do you guys or gals think i damaged something?It was that or either staying in the middle of nowere with the nearest gas station 60 miles out.Next day went to napa and got a recoil kit and did surgery on the threads and the mighty x got us home .

Question is what whould you guys or gals do get the heads rethreaded or replace them with new ones?

Or replace it with a new crate engine?

Ive asked at local auto parts stores and they told me that the heads are made of aluminum ?and that I wasent the first asking about the x heads shooting out spark plugs.Has this happened to any one on here?

By the way its a 03 v 10

This is my ladys X and she loves this suv i told here that ill help to get a newer one but she wants to keep this one somthing "like it has (sp)>centimental value"so im not going to try and debate of weather we should keep it or not you guys know how that goes So i just need info on getting the x back to 100%

Thank you for your time
DoubleR

 

You may have some damage from gas blowback. Others with more experience will need to chime in on this.

As far as the spark plug is concerned, Certain earlier year triton engines, 4.6, 5.4, and 6.8 Liter engines all had a problem that there were not enough threads in the spark plug hole to hold the plug sufficiently. This was rectified in later models. Like year 2002 and above, I believe. Common enough problem, expensive solutions.

The fact that yours is a 2003 is a concern. You need to have someone with a flexible borescope inspect the threads in the hole. If the threads are stripped, then you have problems.

Most solutions for the stripped threads. range from replacing the heads, ($1000's) to putting a Helicoil insert in. (Many hundreds and won't last long) .

The best and I believe the only proper way to fix this is with a sleeve insert in the spark plug hole. Luckily, a company called Time-sert has this all set up for you in a kit. It does not require removal of the heads or other components, but it does require diligence, strong familiarity with proper shop practices,, and beeing good with tools. Each plug takes between 2 to 3 hours to do. A decent mechanic can do the labor for you if you buy the kit.

That said, The kit is about $400, and will do all of the cylinders of the engine (Just buy enough inserts). The repair is permanent, and will outlast the engine.

I have used this kit on a total of 4 engines now, and not a single problem. Just labor intensive.

The best thing to do to get a kit kit is to call the company direct. They are great to work with. Kit description and full instructions are at their website.

http://www.timesert.com/

The page for the Ford kit is:

http://www.timesert.com/html/ford.html

 

Mine spits spark plugs too, but it is usually out of the tail pipe because they are undigestible. I get better fuel milage on hondas but I think it likes the chevys best. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Wes

 

OK - I've been hearing a lot about the infamous blowout. I've had my 01 X for about 3 months now and I really don't know what has been done to it in the past - is this something I need to be worried about? What can I do to prevent it?

 

Pretty common problem with the aluminum Ford heads, there are a lot of them out there driving around with Helicoils in. You should be fine for a long time as long as the helicoil was installed correctly.

 

Doubler, here's some info for your reading pleasure. It's a VERY common problem. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...k_engines.html

Also, listen to housedad. He hit the nail on the head. Helicoils will almost certainly fail over time. Timeserts won't.

On the Lightning boards, there have been a few reported instances of helicoils failing. But a properly installed Timesert is money in the bank.

My Lightning spit a plug almost two years ago. Since that time, I always check my plugs every six months to make sure they are still tight. Last month it was time to check the plugs again and I found three that were only finger tight.

Stewart

 

I'm not sure why you think he'd have problems if the threads are stripped out. The threads are almost always stripped out when the plug launches. The inserts rectify that problem.

When my plug launched, I had no threads left at all. The insert took care of my problem lickity-split.

Stewart

 

True.

It all depends on if the threads actually failed, or if the spark plug just unscrewed out of the hole. Either way, the threads would be irreparably damaged.

 

Heh heh heh...nevermind. I know what you're saying now.

I thought you were saying if his threads were toast, he'd have problems fixing the heads with an insert. {sheepish grin}

Stewart

 

Thank you Housedad and all who have replyed looked into the inserts I think im going to take that route ....Hopefully this is done before thanksgiving because i dont see myself traveling 8 hours in a 2 door civic with 2 kids no dvd player and 3 Chihuahuas ...


Thanks Doubler

 

the plug spiting problem has happened since we started useing alloy heads ,it's not just ford but every copmpany, i was always working for or with VW and they were spitting plugs back in the 50;s and 60's. alloy head, steel plug. different heat exchange of the metals.

with a alloy part it was found that the threads must be deeper and longer then in cast iron. if not so a larger amount of or a more proper torque can not be applied to the part, in ford's case it 11 foot pounds in a alloy head vers 27 in a cast iron head. 11 is not a lot . that means rechecking offten.

trick to a early non pi engined ford , really any alloy headed engine. is when this happens. replace every thread with a insert from timesert company, or fulltorque, useing the latter full lengh threaded insert and matching plug. rechecking the torque about every 30k. i really mean it when i say i have seen every brand out there puke a plug from time to time. not just ford. even little motor like a 3.5 hp briggs on a lawn mower and a 50cc weed trimer.it happens.

tell tale sign that one is loose and in need of a retorque is a ticking sound like a exhaust leak comeing from the engine and guys i may have retired last year but my thread reapir kits from timesert and full torque companies still sits in my tool box and i have a good stock of the different inserts. even for the new ford 3 valve 16 mm plug that like to seize into the head. steel into alloy has always been a problem untill recent tech that came out with coatings to help stop the problems we face in day to day repair shop life.

a word of old fart advise, never ever use a spring thread repair for a spark plug they have a very big problem. they fail!. but if and when time sert and fulltorque both make a double over size plug to repair the problem and save the cylinder head, so heres my way of repair. on the car use timesert. off the car and on a bench i use the hardened alloy insert from full torque.
i also use full torque's block stiching tools and plugs to repair a cracked engine block or head. both have helped me sve many many oldie car motors back to being numbers matching drivers.

 

Just wondering how the repair went. Did you get it done?