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Motor Mount Swap and Stripped Spark Plug Thread...


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I’m just lucky this all happened over the holiday break!  Felt here would be a safe place to vent.

 

A few months ago, my 3rd spark plug popped loose, destroying the coil and nearly left me stranded on the side of the road I thought.  But I managed to putter home the last 5 miles on 3 cylinders and almost no compression.  I inspected the cylinder head, no debris got in, the spark plug threaded back in just fine...or so I thought, and no problems for a couple months.  I was experiencing some vibration not long after, but I figured it was something related and that I’d have to get it looked at soon.  Took it to my normal repair shop, they couldn’t think of any reason why it should be vibrating, so no charge on the inspection.

 

Then, a couple weeks ago the spark plug  popped out again, this time I could tell that it had completely stripped out and there was no such luck in simply screwing it back in.  Took the van to a local machinist who was able to insert a new threaded sleeve (at my own risk, as he says it can be chancy, but has always worked out great in his 40 years experience).  So, I have 4 cylinders again...but the vibration is still present.  Like really bad.  Between 1000 & 2000 RPM it’s especially gnarly.

Thought it could maybe be a muffler, as when I listened below the car, that’s where I heard the majority of the noise.  Took it to a muffler shop, they said nope, not the muffler, definitely a bad motor mount.

 

Did a little online research, turns out it’s something really simple to do on my own!  Saw a bunch of how-to videos, ultimately followed this Dad’s video considering he had the same tools at his disposal.  

 

I only did the passenger side shock absorbing mount.  Researched the correct torque settings for mounting it back in, and away I went on the road test.  What a world of difference, I hadn’t had such a smooth drive in a while.   Makes me wonder for how long it had been busted, only recently with the horrific vibration!

 

Anyway, thought I’d share, in case anyone here comes across the same issues.

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local machinist who was able to insert a new threaded sleeve

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For anyone else who has a spark plug shoot out, there are videos, articles,and kits.  A lot of us will be able to do this at home in the driveway.  Parts cost is low enough that you can really save a lot by doing it yourself.

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Edited by Fifty150
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6 hours ago, Fifty150 said:

Parts cost is low enough that you can really save a lot by doing it yourself.

Correct, On the TC the job is fairly straight forward and not too difficult.  On the other hand the same job on the rear plugs on an F-150 with the Triton V-8 is another job completely!

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10 hours ago, G B L said:

an F-150 with the Triton V-8

 

Those trucks turned into 1 hard to fix repair, after another.  Not just the engines.  Bumper to bumper headaches.  

 

How can it be, that for almost 20 years, Ford continues to make engines with spark plugs that shoot out?  It's like the poor quality multifunction switches, door latch handles, HVAC blend doors, and other Ford parts which consistently fail and they keep using in every car.  I can remember the same HVAC blend door actuator being bad in Taurus and Tempo cars from 30 years ago.....all the way up to when Ford sold the 500, then sold the Taurus again.  Now that same part is still being used in F-150, Explorer, Edge, Mustang.......the exact same part.  Same problems.  It's stuck on cold air, I can't get any heat.  It only blows out the dash, I can't get heat from floor vents or the defroster.  It's stuck on hot air, and I can't get any air conditioning.  Recirculated air door won't switch, outside air comes in, and my AC isn't keeping car cool.  1 little part.  The same part.  Failing for decades.  And they keep using it.  Easy for the parts counter guy at the dealership.  He must sell hundreds of them every year.  And you spend hours taking the dash apart, for 4 minutes of actually replacing the 1 bad part.  Last time I did one of those,  I worked on the car for literally 2 hours of taking apart the dashboard and reassembling.  2 hours of labor for a $12 part.

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Good to know abou the thread kits!  I don’t feel too great about the heli-coil aspect, but if it’s been mostly good reports, why not!

Luckily the quote on the rethread work was honestly quite reasonable as well, somethings at this point in my knowledge of engines, I’d rather leave to the mechanic!

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