"Frogwatch" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK, you talked me into having work done on my old truck by somebody
else. They couldnt figger out the problem with it "missing" so I told
em to replace the plugs. Aluminum head right, you are s'posed to put
penetrating oil down into the plug well for a while before trying,
they didnt, STRIPPED ONE OUT the fu*&^%ng morons. They told me they
were waiting for an "insert" to put in it (goes from smaller threads
to bigger ones). I thought there was something wrong with this so I
used their calipers to measure the stripped hole and the plug.
Stripped hole is .063, plug is .055, hmm. By the time I got home I
remembered "Helicoils" although I have never used em.
Today, I went to NAPA and a cute girl told me all about them so I went
back to the shop and asked em why they didnt use them and they told me
they had no experience with em. I told them that if they couldnt get
it done by this afternoon to tow it to my place and I would fix it.


Actually you are the idiot. You are supposed to put anti siezing grease on
the plugs when you put them in. The idiots at the shop probably tried to
remove the plugs with the engine hot. Penetrating oil will not get down
completely into the spark plug threads.

http://www.2carpros.com/topics/sparkpl.htm

" Install a small amount of anti seize lubricant on the spark plug mounting
threads and reinstall."

"Question: 1996 Pontiac Sunbird mileage: 132,000. I changed the spark plugs
at 55.000 miles and had difficulty removing the old plugs. I think carbon
built up on the internal threads that exposed to the cylinder made removal
difficult. On one plug the threads in the aluminum head were somewhat
damaged but I was able to install the new plug. The car is running rough and
I expect the plugs are the problem but I am afraid of making things worse so
I am looking for advice before attempting to change the plugs. Should I
change the plugs? Are there some tricks to prevent thread damage?

Answer: Always remove the spark plugs from an aluminum head when the
engine is cold. Try backing the spark plug with the damaged threads out a
quarter a turn and then spray a light penetrating oil on the threads. There
are repair kits available for damaged spark plug threads. "



Usually threads are damaged by putting the plug in incorrectly. If the plug
was put in correctly, how could the threads be damaged upon taking the plug
out?



http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...e/1272191.html

"If you're reinstalling the old plugs, put a very small dab of antiseize on
the threads near the tip. New plugs have a coating that will lubricate the
threads on the way in and prevent the plug from seizing on their next
removal, but it's only good for one stab. "

"Start with a warm engine. Clean the plug hole recesses with compressed air,
crack all the plugs loose one-quarter turn, and let the engine cool.
Removing plugs from a hot cylinder head can damage the threads."



It was probably missing because who ever installed the "stripped" plug
messed it up in the first place.