Right out of the engine. (In a 1 ton van, my family wagon)
Turns out, it took the little coil with it. This was on Friday. Wife is sort of moody, and we took all the kids with us, to locate a copy of Windows 7, (BTW nobody has it) And, to get a knock of tilly hat, at Atwoods (A farm supply) before winter stuff is all put away. I got a "Dorfman Pacific". Love the hat.
Whipped into a used car lot, due to the motor sounding like a Harley. Salesman tells me about a repairman about 10 blocks away. We drive the "dragon" down there, huffing spitting and spluttering. Auto repair guy takes charge, says to wait "a few minutes" which turned into an hour. (Supposedly he had ordered parts) He said "Maybe we get lucky, and a new plug will screw in, or else it will need the head removed". While he welded a new exhaust into a truck. I gave up, drove it to auto zone, bought some tools, and had it apart, and figured out that the threads were completely stripped. Drove it home, like a dragon, 30 miles. On 7 cylinders. (keeping it between 15 mph and 45 mph).
Got home, looked it up on internet. (Still running XP) found parts, and repair kit. 350.00. Then I called a local wrecker, and he was familiar with it. He has the repair kit, and has done a few of these. So, Yesterday, I drive the dragon over there, (He wants a cold engine to work on) and it is supposed to get fixed maybe today.
So, now I have to order online, Windows 7, and get all changed over. Work is pouring in.
Now, congress needs a raise, as apparently they don't have enough money! He he he!
Right now I feel like running the sawmill, and working on a garden.
O, and I got lost in Tyler Texas last wk, and bought a GARMIN navigator. That thing is cool. It will get you around in a city. But it is pretty stupid in the country. IT thinks logging roads are open and drive-able.
Kids are learning to tan hides.
Hey, life goes on!
🙂
Nate
Such is life in most parts.
Spark plug probably needed replaced anyway...right?
These are my goto computer parts wizards
Those Ford plugs are bad about appearing to be tightened and vibrating until that happens. My previous motor head had JBWeld threads on one cylinder.
😉
OK, the dragon is fixed. Mechanic says that the plug actually sticks down into the combustion chamber, gets carbon build up on the threads, and when folks try to change the plug, they take the threads out with the old plug. Says ALWAYS change plugs with perfectly cold engine. He put sort of heli coil on it. It more resembles a piece of pipe, with threads inside, and out. Locktite on outside, and anti seize on the inside. I sure hope I don't have to fix another of these. It is unnerving to blow a plug!
But, the "15 passenger Harley" is fixed. (Kids promptly renamed the vehicle)
Just picked it up. OK, now to windows 7.....
N
I have had "bad plugs" twice on my Ford, it cost me $225 to get the first one replaced, a little less the 2nd time as I didn't go to the dealer. These haden't blown out just stopped working but it really messed me up as the catalytic converter light comes on as you drive (it gets too hot) and makes a ton of noise pluse you aren't suppose to go over 15mph. So much for high tech stuff. I hope none of mine blow out, I had them all changed about 25,000 miles ago.
T.W.
Make sure your existing computer is Win 7 compatible. There is a program you can download for free on MS's website that will tell you if you are good to go, or not.
I have an old XT Laptop for student use. LSU no longer allows XT to logon to the University computer system. It is too old and too slow to accept WIN 7. It's going to State Surplus, I guess ...
A spark plug and threads blew out of my 2005 Honda (150k miles). Destroyed the coil too and made a dent in the firewall.
Towed to a repair shop. I didn't have the guts to drive it like you did.
$400 later at a repair shop and all is well. The guy said it would have been cheaper but the plug was on the back side of the engine and took longer.
I blew the plug out of the left bank on a BSA one day on the way home from work...at an idle, at an intersection. I immediately knew something was amiss. I thought I had blown a head gasket (one of several on that bewitched machine). Still running on one cylinder I nursed it into a parking lot. The plug AND half the plug wire were missing.
A fella in a pickup drove around the block to pull in and tell me something came off my bike and hit the top of his truck. He was in the cross traffic side of the intersection, probably a hundred feet away.
After I accessed the situation I realized I was bleeding out of small hole in my jeans at the top inside of my left knee. That plug shot past my knee and grazed it enough to tear denim and bring blood. I guess I'm lucky it didn't hit my knee square.
PS - Blake, that scooter should look vaguely familiar to you.
The last BSA I saw up-close and personal, was a 650 Lightning, one lunger. About 45 years ago.
B-)
This a very famous problem with most of the older 5.4L Ford engines. So much so that they where sued to try and force them to issue a recall. We had to change the heads on a couple of our Fords. It is sad that car makers get away with this.
