He Sounds like a Right ... !

Evodad · Unread post by **Evodad** » 18 Mar 2006, 11:35

I'm embarrassed a little to post this, but, what the heck!

I've dropped onto the M1 J24 on my way home from work. Suddenly there's a deep throbbing noise & a lose of power!
Pull over to the hard shoulder & lift the bonnet; there he is, no.2 spark plug's popped out the head!!!
With no spark plug socket with me, decide to drive the last eight miles home as it is, thinking stripped thread, head off, heli-coil etc.

When the engine's cooled I carefully screw the plug back in. It screws tight no problem! Starts the engine, no problem.

I put new plugs in 4k miles ago (171k miles Xantia).

With spark plugs, I'm always carefull with fitting, I've struggled in the past sometimes getting them out, heard of people cross threading, overtightening & stripping the thread etc.
I must have put it in without screwing it down to the sealing washer & it just undid itself!

Lesson learned? Check a few days later.

Humble pie has already been eaten!

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 18 Mar 2006, 11:43

I don't get the connection with the post and the title? It's a bit offensive, whoever you may be talking about... I believe that choosing ur post title carefully would get more people reading them, then your experience would be shared more gracefully. Just my thoughts, don't take offence yea.

Evodad · Unread post by **Evodad** » 18 Mar 2006, 11:56

I'm sorry if I've offended. I'm talking about myself!
I'm thinking the post title might be in some people's thoughts when they read the post.

I don't consider myself to be an incompetent DIY mechanic, but in this case I was.

Stewart(oily) · Unread post by **Stewart(oily)** » 18 Mar 2006, 12:47

We always live in fear of cross threading plugs and injectors and go carefully in those areas, I have seen an engine where some moron tried to put an injector in using a windy gun, it cross threaded but bozo must have kept on going finally managing to remove a lot of alloy in the process, you were probably being sensibly cautious

Stewart

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 18 Mar 2006, 13:16

Next time try go by the torque setting using a torque wrench. Even the cheapo torque wrenches around will do a very fair job - until you sort of get the feeling in your hand.
Certainly is a lot easier re-fitting the plug - than do with a re-thread job ...

PS : sorted the post title for you

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 18 Mar 2006, 14:45

Evodad wrote:I'm sorry if I've offended. I'm talking about myself!
I'm thinking the post title might be in some people's thoughts when they read the post.

I don't consider myself to be an incompetent DIY mechanic, but in this case I was.

No worries, no offence, it's a humorous post, which allows others to see your sense of humour, and it shows that you realised what the problem was rectified it, and the outcome was O.K.

I suppose the measure twice, cut once saying used by carpenters works here but in a different form. I.E. Do the work carefully, and methodically, but check it, and make sure it's O.K. and be your own quality control tester. Do it once, check it twice.

I think you are entitled to kick yourself, or be sarcastic about yourself even in public if you want to, it's up to you. It's when it's about others that it can possibly cause a problem.

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 18 Mar 2006, 15:44

yes fitting plugs to the 16v Xantia is not much fun, but a good socket helps

dnsey · Unread post by **dnsey** » 18 Mar 2006, 17:45

You're not alone - I did the same a few years ago!
A few hundred miles after changing plugs - loud bang then severe misfire - I thought it had dropped a valve or something

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 18 Mar 2006, 18:03

don't get me wrong, i'm not boss or admin guy, i just know that culturarily some people do get offended by swear words, not me though (i'm open minded as are most people on here), i myself don't know what you can and can't get away with on these forums, so i was just doing the good citizen thing, i did find the funny side too, just some people might not...

anyway...
try using a piece of garden hose to manouverve the plug into place to start the first few turns if it's a bit deep down, again being careful, you should still be able to feel the thread cross threading, as the hose should move on the plug itself and not move the plug in the thread.

hope thats easy to understand.

deian

zzf00l · Unread post by **zzf00l** » 18 Mar 2006, 18:44

deian wrote:I don't get the connection with the post and the title? It's a bit offensive, whoever you may be talking about... I believe that choosing ur post title carefully would get more people reading them, then your experience would be shared more gracefully. Just my thoughts, don't take offence yea.

OK will someone please explain...... I don't understand the problem!

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 18 Mar 2006, 19:04

well before he edited the title he put the word 'dick' after 'right...', thats all, no big deal really, i wouldn't have cared if he left the word in, it shows good character, straight to the point kind of guy.

evodad, change it back, go on i dare u too!

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 18 Mar 2006, 20:43

Ahmm guys :

AndersDK wrote:... do with a re-thread job ...

PS : sorted the post title for you

zzf00l · Unread post by **zzf00l** » 18 Mar 2006, 23:43