Broken spark plug

[Gr1m]

Nah if you take that head to any decent machine shop they can get those out and either rethread it or throw a helicoil in there. Thats the cheaper way then having to get a new head.

If you have orange liquid leaking it is most likely the stock coolant (DEX-COOL) and your head gasket is shot so you will need to take the head off anyway to fix that.


Either way your going to have to spend the couple hundred $$ to do an engine overhaul with all new gaskets and head bolts.

[sleepyalero]

Originally Posted by Gr1m

Nah if you take that head to any decent machine shop they can get those out and either rethread it or throw a helicoil in there. Thats the cheaper way then having to get a new head.

If you have orange liquid leaking it is most likely the stock coolant (DEX-COOL) and your head gasket is shot so you will need to take the head off anyway to fix that.


Either way your going to have to spend the couple hundred $$ to do an engine overhaul with all new gaskets and head bolts.

yeah i agree with gr1m. its unfortunate but its gotta be done.

[a.graham52]

its not that the threads "fell in". the threads are still threaded into the end...

[guiguilandry]

holy eff.... well gotta remove the head you absolutely can't do it another way... get the head resurfaced

[spc2125]

so i dont need a new head correct?

And how much are we looking at? For parts (if any)? For labor?

[Papa Rad17]

With the junk yard hadent f*cked up and taken my car. I would have let let everything go cheap.

[spc2125]

Ive been searching for how to's on this and i cant really find any with pics.
But from what ive read, its fairly simple, just time consuming. What I think I could do is, go down to a junkyard and practice on one of those

[spc2125]

Not done with this thing yet. Since Im gong to have to bring it to a shop anyways why not try all the ridiculous things i can think of to try and get these out.

It seems as though all the spark plugs left the threads down there. So im going to throw some pb blaster down there. and try and find an extra long pair of needle nose pliers

[billytheman1188]

Lesson here...when the first one gives you issues....dont keep taking off the other ones. Spray PB in the other ones, let it sit for a while...spray a little more....then try and work them off. Never seize works wonders, put some on the threads next time and you wont have this problem.

[sleepyalero]

Originally Posted by billytheman1188

Lesson here...when the first one gives you issues....dont keep taking off the other ones. Spray PB in the other ones, let it sit for a while...spray a little more....then try and work them off. Never seize works wonders, put some on the threads next time and you wont have this problem.

pb blaster usually does its job in about 5 mins. but yes, soak atleast twice. and i also agree billy!

[Goodman]

Originally Posted by spc2125

Well i decided to take a look at my spark plugs to see if that was the cause of my bad gas mileage.

I tried loosening them with a ratchet but they wouldnt budge. I put previous ones in and i dont remember tightening them this tight.

I think you did tight them to much... (4 of them...)
Usually you put it in & turn it by hand until you have to use the ratchet to tight them & when you tight them you give about 1/8 to 1/4 turn max. no more otherwise you'll break it next time you remove it as it happen to you.
Lesson learned?

Anyways do as Gr1m said in his post

[03glgold]

Originally Posted by Goodman

I think you did tight them to much... (4 of them...)
Usually you put it in & turn it by hand until you have to use the ratchet to tight them & when you tight them you give about 1/8 to 1/4 turn max. no more otherwise you'll break it next time you remove it as it happen to you.
Lesson learned?

Anyways do as Gr1m said in his post

on the ecotec you can't get to the spark plugs by hand it takes a long extension to even reach them with a spark plug socket.

[a.graham52]

Originally Posted by 03glgold

on the ecotec you can't get to the spark plugs by hand it takes a long extension to even reach them with a spark plug socket.

turn the extension by hand....

[a.graham52]

also fyi... dont suck up gas with a vac... yoru asking for trubble.

[lonnie]

Originally Posted by spc2125

welll!!!!!! looks like i wont have to be spending 4-$500 just yet!

i fished it out using super glue, a piece of a clay bar, and a screwdriver



Now i just have to take out the last spark plug and try and figure out why fluid came up

Now that is some Macgyver shit right there....lol

[a.graham52]

I just had an idea. worse case (and you already know this) the heads got to come off. you could fill the cylinder (with it at TDC) with shaving cream and try to drill out the old spark plug threads with left handed bits (and if your lucky it will pull the threads of the spark plug out without actualy having to do much drilling). then take a vaccume cleaner with some brake line as an adapter and suck the shaving cream out of the clylinder (the shaving cream keeps the metal shavings on top. could work. like i said worse case you have to pul lthe head anyways.

[spc2125]

im wondering if there are some needle nose pliers that are long even and thin enough to fit down there

[zzyzzx]

Mine are still the original vintage 1999 spark plugs. Should I remove them and regap in reinstall with no seize? I've only got 31K on it. After seeing this, I wonder if it might be to hard to do if I let it go another 30K miles.

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by spc2125

welll!!!!!! looks like i wont have to be spending 4-$500 just yet!

i fished it out using super glue, a piece of a clay bar, and a screwdriver

Now i just have to take out the last spark plug and try and figure out why fluid came up

That's totally awesome!



I'm not completely sure if the problem is the same but this might have worked as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-LIS65600.../dp/B00267PZUK

[a.graham52]

leave them be. your good to 100k unless one carbon tracs.