what does this mean. im talking alot of oil half-way up the socket

 

closest to bumper:



2nd closest:



3rd:



furthest:



the last was very difficult to get out and is covered in metal shavings. As i look closer except for the last there is almost no oil on the thread its all on the top.

 

If it the valve cover gasket fails, then there shouldn't be oil on the threads and the electrodes.

that's my first guess. Otherwise looks like bad rings.


btw fwiw icydk, next time you take upclose shots, don't use a flash :gay:

 

Yea i realized that after i upladed the pictures.

I just put the valve cover on with a new gasket, i dont know if the old one was blown or not. Should i just put it all back together and do a compression test?

What would the metal shaving indicate?

 

Unless there's so much oil in the well that it runs down the plug and onto the threads. IYAM all your plugs look like victims of a leaking cam cover gasket.

 

sounds like you might have multiple problems. You dont need a compression test, just a new gasket. What's this talk about shavings?

 

The new valve cover gasket is on already, i have not yet ran the car. The last spark plug had metal shavings on it.

 

right- agree^ - you have multiple problems. But the oil on your plugs looks like it's from the previous gasket leak since it's mostly on the outer and upper parts of the plugs. "Difficult to get out" and "metal shavings" indicate a seized plug to me.

 

what causes a seized plug?

 

Since its an aluminum head supposedly the plugs will seize if you do not use anti-seize lube. I think the steel spark plug reacts to the aluminum head and heat speeds the process up. Something like electrolysis when you mix copper and steel pipes in your house plumbing. That is just an educated guess though. Rip me a new one if I am wrong.

On that note I've run plugs for years in aluminum heads without anti-seize without problems, and I have done so in my Miata too. I have never had a plug seize. I generally now use anti-seize because its a few bucks for a tube. Added insurance you know.

 

I've had a few problems with seizing so thats why I always put some anti-seize on spark plugs and lug nuts.

Instead of the tube, I bought a bottle ~8-10oz. Will probably last me a lifetime. It's cheap insurance.

 

I've never had a problem, but then maybe that's cuz I do the anti-seize

 

IMO, it's more likely that plug #4 was cross threaded than seized.
You may need to helicoil the cylinder. Which isn't hard to do. Use a dab of anti seize on each of the new plugs. Aluminum-aluminum and aluminum to stainless are more likely to seize, aluminum-steel is not. But it's one of those ounce of prevention things.

B

 

how do i helicoil the cylinder

 

google that **** you lazy bitch.

you'll need a helicoil kit, it's good stuff.

 

Wow Ben.... having a bad day... or are the ninja noobs attacking you again in your sleep?

 

doing a hexicoil on a spark plug thread is well documented, i think google would be best in this situation.

 

how can i be sure that this is a necessary measure

 

see if the spark plug will go back into its hole normally. But first clean out any shavings out of the spark plug hole and look down thurr with a light to see if the threads look ok or not.

 

it depends on the extent of the damage done to the head. anytime you grind steel against aluminum, the aluminum is going to loose. those little bits of metal shavings on your plug were little bits of thread from the head.

I would first try to clean out the metal shavings that were already there. Compressed air up the exhaust should do it. You'd have to rotate the crank with a wrench until you felt the compressed air shoot out. Then I would apply a small dab of anti seize to a new plug and try to thread it in. If it goes in really easily without any resistance, then you are fine. But if it is tough to turn in, or scratchy, or really if it offers any resistance, the threads in the head are stripped and need to be repaired. If they are only slightly damaged, you could run a tap down the bore. But if they're stripped out, you'll have to install the helicoil. Which is much scarier sounding to talk about, than it is to install. The procedure is really pretty straight forward. Get a helicoil kit, it will come with everything you need. You tap the head for the helicoil, and screw the helicoil in with a tool that comes with the kit. Then you remove the tool, and snap off the barb that the tool grabs. That's it, done. Thread the plug into the helicoil.

The other option would be to get a new head.

B