<VV> Plug problems

Sethracer at aol.com Sethracer at aol.com
Mon Mar 14 16:38:48 EDT 2011


 
 
In a message dated 3/14/2011 12:26:03 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
hennerfeind_joe at yahoo.com writes:

I  was planning on pulling the motor for a reseal anyways, so should i just 
wait  and pull the head and take it to a machine shop?  Or maybe just find 
a  good used one?  Is there any chance of getting it out while the motor is  
still in the car - I was in the middle of assessing the motor to see if it 
is  still good (I got 120-130 lb readings with the compression tester in the 
rest  of the cylinders and this was the last
cylinder).
Thanks,  Joe





Depending on the leaks, I am not sure removal is the best plan for a  
re-seal. But anyway, on the plug issue, it depends on what you have left to work  
with. If all that is left is the threaded shell of the threads down in the 
head,  I would try the easy out, after again using the penetrating oil. If 
that refuses  to work, you could try drilling out the inner part to the 
threads, Try to get  the drill bit centered. Eventually - a "bit" at a time, you 
get out to  the minor diameter of the threads in the plug. At that point, 
you may be able to  extract the remaining thread pieces. Is the remaining part 
of the plug part of  the way out?  
 
Don't worry too much about the crap that falls into the chamber, you will  
be able to vacuum most of that out, the rest will burn up in the first 
firings.  It's not like it is going into the oil sump.
 
If the threads are still there but messed up, fist try a thread chaser,  
sort of a semi-tap. That may clean up the threads enough to use with a  
replacement plug. Even if they are too bad to use as is, you can use the  
remaining threads as a lead to put in an insert. The Clarks insert and tool  works 
great. I just did a pair of heads (Out of the car) and I am very pleased  
with the results. Tougher to do in the car, but still quite possible.
 
Seth Emerson
 


Seth Emerson

C's the Day! -  Corvair, Camaro, Corvette
San Jose, CA





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