Blew spark plug out...

[black86gn]

So I ran the car last night at the track and was running some decent times. 11.80 at 113 was my best run and worst was a 12.07 at 111. I was going down the track and at about the 1000ft mark I heard a pop, saw 10 degrees of knock on the laptop and let off the gas. The engine was making a very loud ticking noise...like an exhaust leak but really loud. Popped the hood to find the number 6 spark plug wire off. The metal case of the plug was still tight in the head. some new spark plugs in it fired it up and runs fine...crazy stuff. The reason why it knocked is b/c I am running 26 inch tires now and have to shift into 4th and left it in 3rd just to take it up to 5700 rpms. It was a mistake that could have really costed me but I lucked out. Enjoy the pictures.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

What make plug is it?
Yea you really blew the spark plug out!

Chuck

 

[pajo]

+

it must have been cracked when you installed it ..

 

[black86gn]

A/C delco CR44s....doubt it was cracked, had them installed for quit a while now. Not sure exactly the cause still. Engine does not seem to be hurt at all.

 

[GNRick]

Same thing happened to me. Was showing off for a friend and heard a loud pop. Only got up to about 10 psi boost. I had the Autolite 23's in my car at the time. When I changed them I found one where the white part was lose and ready to break. I didn't know AC/Delco's break too.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Same thing happened to me. Was showing off for a friend and heard a loud pop. Only got up to about 10 psi boost. I had the Autolite 23's in my car at the time. When I changed them I found one where the white part was lose and ready to break. I didn't know AC/Delco's break too.

I would expect that from autolite but ac's, whats the world coming too?

 

[turbo39151]

That's not too bad... You should try owning a Ford 5.4L with the aluminum heads... In the past year it literally shot out 2 plugs destroying the coil on plug as well. And this past weekend it decided th shoot out the 3rd one in my driveway when I simply started the car! Luckily it's an easy fix.

 

[TrAb]

Yeah this is the first car i have used AC's on since it was the preffered plug for these cars. Also the first time i have ever cracked a plug when taking it out. Im thinking maybe these arent to great. Never cracked a plug when i used NGK's

 

[ijames]

44's are the stock heat range, most guys run 43's or even 42's when they start going quicker. The CR43 is a commercial rated plug with a wider ground strap that will hold up longer.

 

[charlief1]

Just to help you some. NGK is the current manufacturer of AC plugs.

 

[novaderrik]

AC plugs have been known to do stuff like this for a while now. i had one come apart when i was driving nice about a week after i put it in. this was in my Nova back in '03 or so. put another AC plug in it- that car used R44ltsm plugs- and didn't have any problems for the next 2 summers.

 

[Nick Micale]

AC plugs have been known to do stuff like this for a while now. ..........

I quit using any AC plugs years ago when they would blow out, or just blow by the ceramic insulator even at 24-25 psi.

On street cars, we also had lots of mis-fire problems with AC plugs.

Have yet to see an Autolite racing plug with a problem, and have used hundreds of them.

The NGK plugs for the street have also proved very reliable.

 

[BlownV6]

I have tore up a lot of stuff over the years but that has not happened to me yet!! I also use NGK plugs with no problems. Mike

 

[Black3]

That's not too bad... You should try owning a Ford 5.4L with the aluminum heads... In the past year it literally shot out 2 plugs destroying the coil on plug as well. And this past weekend it decided th shoot out the 3rd one in my driveway when I simply started the car! Luckily it's an easy fix.

Beat me to it. The modular Fords are keeping helicoil in business.

 

[MCH86GN]

That's not too bad... You should try owning a Ford 5.4L with the aluminum heads... In the past year it literally shot out 2 plugs destroying the coil on plug as well. And this past weekend it decided th shoot out the 3rd one in my driveway when I simply started the car! Luckily it's an easy fix.

I have a 2002 Explorer, 4.6L with the same alloy as the 5.4L heads. I have blown 5 of 8 plugs out. So I have 5 helicoiled sparkplug threads

 

[S10xGN]

I have a 2002 Explorer, 4.6L with the same alloy as the 5.4L heads. I have blown 5 of 8 plugs out. So I have 5 helicoiled sparkplug threads

Poor design, only 3 threads total engagement...

 

[pacecarta]

dont like the helicoil , timesert works better but is costly
there's a quick cheap fix that can even be done on the road if needed with a kit from HELP
goes for about 30 bucks
its a painless fix using a special screw in self tap insert (coat threads with red loktite) and includes a special long tip spark plug ,and a shorter boot and spring

 

[MCH86GN]

dont like the helicoil , timesert works better but is costly
there's a quick cheap fix that can even be done on the road if needed with a kit from HELP
goes for about 30 bucks
its a painless fix using a special screw in self tap insert (coat threads with red loktite) and includes a special long tip spark plug ,and a shorter boot and spring

I am not 100% they are all helicoil, two different shops "fixed" them. Believe it or not I was out of the country 3 of the 5 times it happened. I am concerned about the ones that have already been repaired once, what happens if one of those come out? Would I need a new head? This is why I will never buy another Ford again, I bought an Eddie Bauer Explorer, sticker price $38k. After incentives and the A plan, because I worked at Ford at the time, it was $31k. However we financed it at 0%. What makes me angry is that Ford would take no responsibility for the inferior quality or poor design, not just of the spark plug threads, but the rear wheel bearings failed at 50k miles, the front hubs had to replaced at 39k miles, the plastic cracking right down the center on the rear hatch, all of the door ajar switches, the window regulates in the rear passengers seats and the AC going out after owning it 3 years. The first wheel bearing that failed, I was on my way home from my mother's funeral and it failed on US 23 North in Ohio and even though I was only going 55 I had a heck of a time controlling the vehicle. When the flat bed was loading my Explorer, the driver's side rear wheel fell off. $1200 in damage, two weeks later the other side failed. It was only about $300, because no damage was done to the control arm and other parts. It's either GM or foreign for me.