Is this real bad or what?

[Kumba]

I really want to just wing it and pull it out but that has the risk of immobilizing me for a long time, and I also want to just skip it and give er hell but that has its own risks as well.

A catastrophic failure is usually not cheaper then a planned repair. Take the time to fix it now instead of when the engine blows up.

TimeSert's are the way to go. A dab of red loctite and they are there for life and stronger then the original threads. Helicoils are more for two mating pieces/flanges where it doesn't get unscrewed a lot. Like you would helicoil a thread in the back of the block that the tranny bolts to.

You will need to call a real mechanic or a machine shop to see if they have the tools to do an on-vehicle spark plug repair. Since I doubt they have a Lincoln LS listed in their cheat sheet you can try telling them it's an Autolite 3924 Plug. If that still means nothing then you will want to tell them it's an M14x1.25x19 gasket plug. If they still seem confused go somewhere else. This is a pretty common plug style with imports so I am sure a machine shop or real mechanic somewhere has the tools and experience to get it done.

The actual TimeSert's themselves are only $5 or less, so you are looking mostly at his labor to install it. Assuming his tools can get in there, it's a half hour or so to install one. If he can't get his tools in there, then you will more then likely have to pull the valve cover off so he can tap it. Might even be able to talk him into driving by to do it.

 

[ATPJOE]

Okay....I cleaned it up as much as I could with my can of air and at least 75 Q-tips and one iron maiden shirt. Nothing seemed to fall into the cylinder...i hope.

I got the plug out... it threaded out HOWEVER there was a ring that was leftover at the bottom. I took a crafty iphone picture for you guys. Is this just a ring that goes on the plug? How should I get it out as well without losing it in the hole or something.

So after I get a new plug and if it threads in nicely and such... what do we think is the reasoning for the weirdness? It DID threat out normally. Some PB blaster penetrated behind the spark plug as well...hopefully that just burns out of the cylinder or something -____- might as well just change all my plugs while im in here. the VCG will have to wait a couple weeks. but my new coil is warrantied so if it poops out in that timeframe ill just clean it real good and get a new one.

 

[dinky1981]

This happen to me, but on,cylinder 4(passenger side) really tight spot. It was misfiring, alittle shaking when I start the car up. Engine light came on, checked it with the scanner...sure enough it was cylinder 4. Being that I just change the coils and plugs a few months back, I knew something was wrong. I remove the cover and saw some brown stuff, pulled out the coil and it was corroded and brown, it had alittle water in it, don't know how water got in, but I cleaned around it with a clamp scissors and q-tip, but I didn't remove the plug, I just change the coil for now

 

[G-RELL]

Pulling the valve cover is only going to get you a small amount down the hole for the spark plug, and not much more to see. Why run the risk of any of that junk getting around the cams and lifters.

Pulling the vc was more to make sure there was no other damage from whatever this issue is.

 

[Kumba]

I took a crafty iphone picture for you guys. Is this just a ring that goes on the plug? How should I get it out as well without losing it in the hole or something.

That's the plug gasket. Just bend a small hook in the end of your coat hangar and fish it out. The new ones will have a new gasket.

 

[ATPJOE]

That's the plug gasket. Just bend a small hook in the end of your coat hangar and fish it out. The new ones will have a new gasket.

Thanks, I bought one of those extender magnet things. Best $3 ever haha.

New plug (threaded in perfectly) and coil is in, no more misfires....for now. VCG's are on my to do list. Thanks for all the help and opinions everyone. Glad to see my first thread on this site got so much attention!

 

[nelliott500]

Really happy to see this turned out well for you. :lol:

 

[marcredd]

Very glad that it worked out. And many props for sticking with it and not letting things go by the wayside.

 

[TooManyToys]

If you have any oil in the plug wells at all you will need new valve cover gaskets anyway so this is a good idea.

AFTER the garbage and plug are out.


Glad this worked out.

 

[dinky1981]

Ok, so i when to autozone and got the duster in the can for $3.26 to blow out any debris thats in the chamber, then spray some wd-40 to help clear away the rust, and some shop rags will do. i also open the other side(driver) so see if any water was in there as well, but it was dry, thank God. Anyway, once the coil goes bad you have to repalce the plugs also, i just need to replace #4. Now my ? is how did water get in there in the first place....hmmm, well i notice while i had the hood open, the BLACK plastic shield that has about 8round clips that also holds the AC filter along the front windshield, two of the round clips where missing..thats how the water got in if the clip is missing water will get into the hole and go right into the valve cover that protect the coils and spark plugs. SO please check to make sure all the clips are in place, if you can't get one, use silicone or black tape to cover the hole...I was my car at least once every 2weeks, plus rain, so i know for sure thats how it got there, being the #4 is the closest to the firewall it makes sense to me. Goodluck.

 

[dinky1981]

This happen to me, but on,cylinder 4(passenger side) really tight spot. It was misfiring, alittle shaking when I start the car up. Engine light came on, checked it with the scanner...sure enough it was cylinder 4. Being that I just change the coils and plugs a few months back, I knew something was wrong. I remove the cover and saw some brown stuff, pulled out the coil and it was corroded and brown, it had alittle water in it, don't know how water got in, but I cleaned around it with a clamp scissors and q-tip, but I didn't remove the plug, I just change the coil for now

Ok, so i when to autozone and got the duster in the can for $3.26 to blow out any debris thats in the chamber, then spray some wd-40 to help clear away the rust, and some shop rags will do. i also open the other side(driver) so see if any water was in there as well, but it was dry, thank God. Anyway, once the coil goes bad you have to repalce the plugs also, i just need to replace #4. Now my ? is how did water get in there in the first place....hmmm, well i notice while i had the hood open, the BLACK plastic shield that has about 8round clips that also holds the AC filter along the front windshield, two of the round clips where missing..thats how the water got in if the clip is missing water will get into the hole and go right into the valve cover that protect the coils and spark plugs. SO please check to make sure all the clips are in place, if you can't get one, use silicone or black tape to cover the hole...I was my car at least once every 2weeks, plus rain, so i know for sure thats how it got there, being the #4 is the closest to the firewall it makes sense to me. Goodluck.

 

[RCodePaul]

Exactly

Very glad that it worked out. And many props for sticking with it and not letting things go by the wayside.

Yes, great job sticking with it - glad it wasn't epoxy and a stripped plug. That would have sucked.
Still, that first pic is completely a mystery. What the frack was that stuff?

 

[G-RELL]

it needs to be sent in for analyses... Gil Grissom or Horatio Caine when you need them

 

[ATPJOE]

Yes, great job sticking with it - glad it wasn't epoxy and a stripped plug. That would have sucked.
Still, that first pic is completely a mystery. What the frack was that stuff?

After it was saturated in PB Blaster it turned into a gritty oil looking substance. The plugs in the motor are the factory plugs if I had to guess. So perhaps this coil has been toast for 50k miles or something and nobody bothered to deal with it. It could be thousands of miles of gunk that just super heated and formed a soot.

Who knows lol. I will check the plastic piece below the windshield for any sign of leakage.

 

[Shredicus]

After it was saturated in PB Blaster it turned into a gritty oil looking substance. The plugs in the motor are the factory plugs if I had to guess. So perhaps this coil has been toast for 50k miles or something and nobody bothered to deal with it. It could be thousands of miles of gunk that just super heated and formed a soot.

Who knows lol. I will check the plastic piece below the windshield for any sign of leakage.

Hmm if that coil has been bad for 50k the cats would probably be pretty much wiped out from the latent fuel detonation. Any o2 sensor codes?

 

[ATPJOE]

Nope. 50k may have been an exaggeration haha but you know what I mean. Only codes were the P0308 Cylinder 8 Misfire and the EVAP Large Leak Detected. I had the codes cleared and so far none have popped back up. I expect the EVAP one to pop up again because I didn't touch that.

 

[dinky1981]

After it was saturated in PB Blaster it turned into a gritty oil looking substance. The plugs in the motor are the factory plugs if I had to guess. So perhaps this coil has been toast for 50k miles or something and nobody bothered to deal with it. It could be thousands of miles of gunk that just super heated and formed a soot.

Who knows lol. I will check the plastic piece below the windshield for any sign of leakage.

Also, get a cup of water and pour it down your windshield while your hood is open, to see if water is seeping through the Black shield with the round clips are. thats how water got into mines. i got some silver aluminum tape(home depot)used for heating ducts and taped around the area. thats a very strong tape. I changed my #4 coil and plugs. car is running real smooth.

 

[dinky1981]

Okay....I cleaned it up as much as I could with my can of air and at least 75 Q-tips and one iron maiden shirt. Nothing seemed to fall into the cylinder...i hope.

I got the plug out... it threaded out HOWEVER there was a ring that was leftover at the bottom. I took a crafty iphone picture for you guys. Is this just a ring that goes on the plug? How should I get it out as well without losing it in the hole or something.

So after I get a new plug and if it threads in nicely and such... what do we think is the reasoning for the weirdness? It DID threat out normally. Some PB blaster penetrated behind the spark plug as well...hopefully that just burns out of the cylinder or something -____- might as well just change all my plugs while im in here. the VCG will have to wait a couple weeks. but my new coil is warrantied so if it poops out in that timeframe ill just clean it real good and get a new one.

Did you get that ring out? i also used an antenna magnet down there to pick up any debris

 

[ecarlcl]

I think that ring is too big to fit through the hole. I would go after it with a pair of needle nose pliers. That's what I use to get my plugs out. Glad to see that it wasn't a bigger problem.

 

[TooManyToys]

Message 81 stated he got the new plug in and it's running, so he got the gasket out.


I don't remember the production line plugs being labeled as Motorcraft, the service line parts. The plug may have already been changed due to the oil fouling, but then due to that work it left open the situation where water got in.

 

[nelliott500]

The plugs I pulled out were Motorcraft and I can easily assume they're original with only 64k miles.

 

[TooManyToys]

Good. Couldn't remember about the OEs other then the NGK notation.

 

[LS4me]

Message 81 stated he got the new plug in and it's running, so he got the gasket out.


I don't remember the production line plugs being labeled as Motorcraft, the service line parts. The plug may have already been changed due to the oil fouling, but then due to that work it left open the situation where water got in.

The plugs I pulled out were Motorcraft and I can easily assume they're original with only 64k miles.

I bought one of our '06s new and the other with ~32K miles. I know the plugs on the one were from the factory and the other I can assume were factory with so few miles. Some of the plugs were Motorcraft and some were NGK. I guess it depends on which ones the installer grabs from the bin.

 

[msgtusmc]

Maybe plug blew out and someone sealed it back in with JB Weld?

 

[msgtusmc]

FYI. I purchased the tap & timeserts per the size spec stated and did all mine. I have the thread chaser for all the plugs in all my vehicles to ensure good seal. I always put anti-sieze on plugs B 4 installing and silicone inside/outside of boots. No problems last several years! Autozone had the tap and thread chasers. CarQuest had a good supply of timeserts. There is a kit used to install & set the timesert in place.