Spark plug shot out

[81_chevy_4x4]

Last saturday i sold my K5 so i have been driving my sister in laws 2000 S10 with a 2.2 inline 4. Yesterday morning I was driving to town and heard a what i thought was a blown exhaust pipe so i pulled over and shut it off. when I pulled over i opened the hood and saw the number 2 spark plug was out of the head still in the plug wire. When I looked closer i saw the spark lug hole in the head was completely smooth no threads left. my question is what causes that and what is the easiest way to fix it.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Usually the cause is from a plug that is left loose and then it starts to work the threads until they rip out of the head and shoot the plug whichever way it wants.

The BEST method of repair is a time-sert (similar in theory to a heli-coil but a permanent repair). Here is their website. http://www.threadkits.com/timeserts/timeserts_sparkplug.html

 

[supersize75k5]

Last saturday i sold my K5 so i have been driving my sister in laws 2000 S10 with a 2.2 inline 4. Yesterday morning I was driving to town and heard a what i thought was a blown exhaust pipe so i pulled over and shut it off. when I pulled over i opened the hood and saw the number 2 spark plug was out of the head still in the plug wire. When I looked closer i saw the spark lug hole in the head was completely smooth no threads left. my question is what causes that and what is the easiest way to fix it.

really common on fords, never heard of it on a chevy though.. heli coil

 

[81_chevy_4x4]

how long will a heli coil last and would it be best to take the head off or could i do it on th etruck

 

[lectric80]

If you use the one that 4x4high listed it should last the life of the engine. No reason to take the head off, since it is designed to repair it while in the vehicle.

 

[TerryD]

really common on fords, never heard of it on a chevy though.. heli coil

I have a friend with a 2.2L in a Cavalier. All 4 plugs in his motor are held in with heli-coils. One by one, they all shot out of the head over about a 2 years time. It's anyone's guess as to why his did this, but he is by no means a regular service kinda guy...

 

[4X4HIGH]

how long will a heli coil last and would it be best to take the head off or could i do it on th etruck

With spark plugs the heli coil usually ends up coming out with the plug when you remove the plugs. The Time-Sert is a solid bushing that uses a forming tool to form the last couple threads and lock the insert into the head so that it will never come out.

 

[NV_K5]

Stupid question but, last time I used a Helicoil it had a little tab on the end where the tool to insert it connected. What the hell happens to the little tab when you drive a spark plug into it and it bottoms out on that tab or your piston continuously makes contact with the tab?

 

[4X4HIGH]

Stupid question but, last time I used a Helicoil it had a little tab on the end where the tool to insert it connected. What the hell happens to the little tab when you drive a spark plug into it and it bottoms out on that tab or your piston continuously makes contact with the tab?

You are always supposed to remove that tab after installing a heli coil no matter where it is used. Those tabs have a small relief cut so they are supposed to break off easily. When using a heli coil in a spark plug application you need to make sure that tab does not stay in the cylinder or bad things could happen.