On 2009-07-29, Mark G7#9 > wrote:
> On Jul 29, 1:22*am, Brent > wrote:
>> On 2009-07-29, Mark G7#9 > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Jul 28, 9:42*pm, Brent > wrote:
>> >> On 2009-07-29, GILL > wrote:
>>
>> >> > Mark G7#9 wrote:
>> >> >> If any of you gents have a minute, can you look at the below vid
>> >> >> please :
>>
>> >> >>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdbbLLgud6Q
>>
>> >> >> Car was fine on the ride home, but right before pulling into the
>> >> >> garage, something happened (it started shaking, making a tractor sound
>> >> >> and stalled).
>>
>> >> >> All fluids are ok. Belts look fine. Can't see any leaks. No Service
>> >> >> Engine indication.
>> >> >> Car has 105K and the only thing ever changed was the clutch.
>>
>> >> >> The car starts ok but makes a horrible noise, shakes a bit and stalls
>> >> >> after 45 seconds (see vid).
>>
>> >> >> Thanks
>> >> >> Mark
>> >> > Sounds like you popped a spark plug. Pull the coils off, see if one is
>> >> > not loose.
>>
>> >> I was going to say the same thing without even listening... sure enough
>> >> that's exactly what it sounds like. That a plug has ejected itself.
>>
>> >> There are a number of kits on the market specifically for the 4.6 to
>> >> restore the thread with the head on the car. I used the helicoil one on
>> >> a '99 GT. No drilling required with that kit (the tap is designed to
>> >> remove the minimum amount of material). Just went slow and easy
>> >> with lubricant on the tap, taking it out frequently to clean off chips
>> >> so they didn't fall inside the cylinder. Once tapped a vacuum cleaner
>> >> with a small hose attached to it (homemade attachment) did a good job of
>> >> sucking out the few chips that did fall in. Turning over the engine
>> >> with the coils upluged was another step to eject anything that may have
>> >> been left out the open spark plug hole.
>>
>> >> The downside is that the kit is $200. But the tool and the tap is
>> >> specially designed to get down the deep spark plug wells.
>>
>> >> Those with superchargers and such might want to consider one of the kits
>> >> with more robust inserts. But those require drilling the hole larger,
>> >> which means more chips, etc and so on.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> >> - Show quoted text -
>> > If so, why is there no ODB code set. I would imagine a misfire would
>> > be detected by the computer.
>>
>> It takes awhile for the code to show up. On that '99 it didn't show up
>> right away. When a coolant was shorting one of the plugs on my '97 it
>> took miles of driving and purposely accelerating hard enough to make it
>> happen before the MIL came on.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I've Googled this issue and some say that rethreading is only
> temporary. Called the local Ford dealer and he also said that usually
> they replace the head (a couple of grand he told me).
>
> Is replacing the head something I can do in the garage? How much will
> it cost for 2K GT?
> I don't want to junk it just yet since I just had a new clutch kit put
> in and new tires as well :-(

I put a regular sparkplug helicoil in an '89 MX-6 GT (that's a turbo
charged car), and was fine for the rest of the car's life.