i need more info on helicoils

[ebbtide176]

i just finally got my old truck going again. i had a spark plug blowout on the road, and i ended up somehow getting the plug to stay in there long enough to drive it home. 93 toyota pickup. when i got it home, i pulled the plug and yep it was stripped where i'd finally got it screwed in.<br /><br />this happened once before, and i saw a turn of the old helicoil sticking up out of the hole. but with no extra tools, and my emergency tool delivery person/wife not willing to tow my truck with a chain, i just figured i would get it threaded somehow. it went in. the 93 degree weather on the side of the freeway didn't help my patience either.<br /><br />so the 1st time this happened i figured i didn't thread it in hard enough. i have that fear of stripping a bolt. so it was maybe 3 yrs ago i did this on the front plug, and then it happened to blow it out again. the only helicoil in this good ole truck.<br /><br />well, i got off work luckily, and got it home. then i got the old helicoil out with longnose pliers, after numerous tries. and i got another helicoil in place. but when i rapped the tang that the tool holds to thread it in, it disappeared into the hole...and my magnet wouldn't fit in the hole either.<br /><br />so i said a nice prayer, turned the engine over. nothing. put all the other plug wires back on, turned it over. it popped like before the freeway pullover, but nothing else. put the last plug in the helicoil, hooked up plugwire and fired it up. it sounded fine. let it idle to wait for the big bang - nope sounds normal.<br /><br />so, i can't decide whether the tang off the helicoil is something the cylinder can just ingest with no problems, or if it somehow popped out of the sparkplug hole when i turned the engine over before installing the plug. although i heard no pings, or anything unusual.<br /><br />i'm hoping to drive the 22mi to the metro gridlock in the morning. i wonder what my chances are, as far as the engine being ok?<br /><br />BTW if you're curious, the 22re has 306k on it now, so i guess i'm beyond lucky.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

Maybe, just maybe....... it blew out past the exhaust valve.<br /><br />Fingers crossed for ya

 

[rwise]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

I think I would pull the head (and replace it) to make sure its not eating the top of the piston. Some time back my now X SIL came over with his truck when he got there he said it just started knocking. Pulled the breather off and the choke butterfly had came apart. Pulled the heads of (V8) found the parts all in one cylinder, new gaskets etc. My son now owns the truck and all is well. Just my $0.02

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

I know the tang you're talking about.<br />It's probably long gone and the worst that might happen is it will just inbed itself into the top of the piston causeing no problems.

 

[Grant S]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

As you've had it running, the major risk has been (successfully) taken. Keep on trucking,. Good luck.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

cool <br />i haven't been able to reply til now, have been busy with relatives visiting. but so far, so good...

 

[KRS]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

Next time, use the product available from Time-Sert, much better product.

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

If you ever pull the head I would bet you will find that piece embedded in the piston. It will probably not cause any problems.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: i need more info on helicoils

Its either stuck in the carbon on the piston, or blown out the exhaust a long time ago. Worst case its stuck on the side, and will gouge a line in the cylinder wall, and it will start smoking a little. A simple compression check will show that. I woudn't sweat it....