[WickedSnake00]

Just my luck, as things are coming together I hit another snag. I was torquing all the sparkplugs down and putting the COP's on, and I get to the #2 cylinder. The sparkplug tightens, tightens, loosens. I try again, same result. Fuck. I can tell the threads are there, but they're just stripped enough to let it slip before being fully torqued.

So it looks like I'll need to get some sort of threaded insert. Given the fact it's a boosted application I'm assuming timesert is a better idea, but helocoils aren't ruled out.

But first I've got a few concerns.
1.) The timeserts have a lip, will this fit in the spark plug bore?
2.) Steel or aluminum? Steel is stronger, but could cause galvanic corrosion with the aluminum cylinder heads.
3.) How do you prevent metal shavings in the cylinder? I recall some people saying they've even done it in a parking lot.
4.) How the hell do you get that far down into the bore? Drill bit extensions?

And last but not least, where's the best place to get them? I'd like to get them fast and cheap. I got my last timeserts from a place online, but it took 2 weeks, eff that.

[Cabikejumper]

I had some shavings fall down into the cylinder. Used a shop vac and sucked them all out. Well 99.998% of the shavings. Bump started the car and the tint tiny specs blew out of cylinder.

[GreyWarrior07]

Heres the directions http://www.timesert.com/html/triton_repair.html

The timesert kit includes everything, all you need is a ratchet, grease and a shop vac.

They have a tapered lip.

I believe there Carbon Steel

When i did it i used a FUCK ton of grease to pack in the flutes of the taps to hold the chips when tapping, then i used a shop vac with a piece of snowmobile fuel line duck taped to the end of the shopvac hose so i could shove it down into the cylinder and get any chips that fell on top of the piston.

[codycat91]

Are your heads the ones with the 4 thread or 9 thread?


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[GreyWarrior07]

Are you 2v or 4v ??? I forget

[codycat91]

Originally Posted by GreyWarrior07 Are you 2v or 4v ??? I forget

Srsly? "Secondhand Snake" Snake as in Cobra. Cobra as in Cobra. 4v...


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[GreyWarrior07]

Originally Posted by codycat91 Srsly? "Secondhand Snake" Snake as in Cobra. Cobra as in Cobra. 4v...

I know I know, but i believe that kit only works for the 2 valve head. So i wanted to make sure so he doesnt buy it and be like what the fuck im out 400 dollars

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by GreyWarrior07 Heres the directions ++ Ford Spark plug Repair ++, ford spark plug blow outs, blow out spark plug ejection blow out, blown out sparkplugs, ford stripped spark plug, ford sparkplug blow outs, ford spark plug blowouts, ford defects, ford spark plug repair ford, ford spark The timesert kit includes everything, all you need is a ratchet, grease and a shop vac. They have a tapered lip. I believe there Carbon Steel When i did it i used a FUCK ton of grease to pack in the flutes of the taps to hold the chips when tapping, then i used a shop vac with a piece of snowmobile fuel line duck taped to the end of the shopvac hose so i could shove it down into the cylinder and get any chips that fell on top of the piston.

I didn't know they made one specifically for the motor, I just looked at the generic M14 spark plug inserts, which are offered in both carbon steel and aluminum.

Catching chips with the tap is the easy part. I'll have to figure out a way to run a shopvac without any power where I'm working.

Also, unfortunately I have the stock 03 heads, which means 4 thread.

And fucking $400? The fuck? The M12 kit I got was like $85.

I might have to go see what they recommend over at SVTP. Helicoils might be the way to go due to the tight bore, the only hard part is knowing when it's in deep enough, and knocking out the tang.

[WickedSnake00]

Question: Can I use the standard Timesert "Bigsert" kit, or do I have to use the specialty deep bore Triton insert kit?

If I can get away with the bigsert kit, that would be great, seeing as it's $50 as opposed to $450.

[GreyWarrior07]

Originally Posted by WickedSnake00 Question: Can I use the standard Timesert "Bigsert" kit, or do I have to use the specialty deep bore Triton insert kit? If I can get away with the bigsert kit, that would be great, seeing as it's $50 as opposed to $450.

Im sure you could, the only thing i see the difference is the Triton kit has a guide that helps keep the tap and drills and stuff parallel and cant move in the head when going through the processes... PM Casper, Larry was a huge help to me when i did this.

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by GreyWarrior07 Im sure you could, the only thing i see the difference is the Triton kit has a guide that helps keep the tap and drills and stuff parallel and cant move in the head when going through the processes... PM Casper, Larry was a huge help to me when i did this.

Reps. I'm going to send him a PM.

And after pouring over the Cobra-specific material I can use the 5141E kit instead of the Triton. So that's $300 vs $450. Better, but still makes me want to punt a kitten off a roof.

Any ideas which length insert I'd need?

[termi_GT]

Definately keep with going the timesert route. The heli-coils usually work for a short time but they do eventually pull back out when you go to change plugs. With a boosted application you tend to change plugs more often as well so that won't help with longevity on them. Then you will end up back where you are at, wishing you had done the timecert.

A friend of mine rented a kit from a guy either on SVTP or the Mach 1 registry when he had to fix one of his on his 03' Mach. You may consider that route. Much cheaper then buying the kit.

[jivepepper]

They triton time sert kit especially designed for modular motors because I own one. I good bit more expensive but far the best. It's what companys like fox lake and Patriot heads use when you order heads with reinfored steel threads.

Originally Posted by GreyWarrior07 The only thing i see the difference is the Triton kit has a guide that helps keep the tap and drills and stuff parallel and cant move in the head

Which is the most important part.

[blkfordsedan]

You may check around with some of the better local machine shops. I have a local guy that has the special kit and will perform the service on location for $75. My brother had him do 2 plugs on his 5.4L F250. Only took the guy an hour. He said that after he did 10 or 12 of them and aquired the "feel" for it, he got to be pretty fast at it. Granted, it wasn't a 4V, but there may be someone similar in your area. Much cheaper than buying the kit yourself.

[WickedSnake00]

I'm going to try calling around to see if I can find one, and I see there's a guy on the F150 boards that rents out his Triton kit.

I'll try my luck with them first, and if all else fails, I'll get the kit and rent it out. Judging by the number of rental requests the guy on the F150 boards has gotten (and the modular motor's tendancy to blow out plugs) I'd say that kit has more than paid for itself for him.

[codycat91]

For any comparison, I'm having a bolt in my head edm'd out and helicoiled for $125


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[03_StangGuy]

Search is your friend.
Spark plug blowout

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by 03_StangGuy Search is your friend. Spark plug blowout

I did, and my specific questions were not answered/referenced in those threads. That was more "How do I fix this spark plug blowout" and mine was related to nuances of both the Helicoil/Timesert kits, what P/N to use, and where to source them. Not to mention I've got the nasty deep bores of the DOHC heads.

[blkfordsedan]

I wonder if the 4V would at least be easier to get at? I watched the guy fix the rear-most passenger side plug on my Bro's 5.4L 2V F250 4X4...while we sat on the patio in the shade and drank a cold beer. It was the best 75.00 he ever spent, LOL

[WickedSnake00]

Nooooooooooooo.

The 4v heads are more convenient because the bore is perpendicular to the piston top in the middle of the head, but less convenient in the fact that the bore is 6-8" deep.