PLEASE HELP...BANG, PUFF OF SMOKE FROM ENGINE..car in front of starbucks

[hotstang_46]

dammit....took my lady to starbucks...when she came out with coffee I tried to start her up. Right when i turned her on BANG (pretty damn loud) from the engine compartment and a puff of smoke from there too. I did not try to re fire her and to make matters worse I can't find a tow to my house today that can accomodate a lowered car.

I don't know if I should try to re fire her or not. I've had the car for 200 miles and in that time I've replaced the air filter, fuel pump, fuel filter, and plugs. She obviously has fresh oil and filter as well. Just took it to emissions yesterday and passed with flying colors.

I've come across on here an engine shooting a plug.....I did a very quick visual inspection under the hood before taking a cab home but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Only other thing i can mention is I had a tick that seemed to start about 75 miles ago.

waiting for some responses.....I'd like to take another car back to her to see if we can get her up and going....

any suggestions?? thanks

 

[the98stang]

dammit....took my lady to starbucks...when she came out with coffee I tried to start her up. Right when i turned her on BANG (pretty damn loud) from the engine compartment and a puff of smoke from there too. I did not try to re fire her and to make matters worse I can't find a tow to my house today that can accomodate a lowered car.

I don't know if I should try to re fire her or not. I've had the car for 200 miles and in that time I've replaced the air filter, fuel pump, fuel filter, and plugs. She obviously has fresh oil and filter as well. Just took it to emissions yesterday and passed with flying colors.

I've come across on here an engine shooting a plug.....I did a very quick visual inspection under the hood before taking a cab home but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Only other thing i can mention is I had a tick that seemed to start about 75 miles ago.

waiting for some responses.....I'd like to take another car back to her to see if we can get her up and going....

any suggestions?? thanks

Sh1t man, the ticking was most likely the plug(s) backing out of the head. You need to check every cylinder, and see if any of them blew out. If so, it can be easily fixed, with out having to replace the entire head. A shop can retap the threads (I forgot what special method you can use, but other's will chime in). BTW, what color was the smoke that you saw?

 

[Dusstbuster]

Pull each COP and check, you probably blew a plug.

The tool for fixing it is called a Timesert.

 

[the98stang]

The tool for fixing it is called a Timesert.

That was it lol. I couldn't think of the damn name!

 

[hotstang_46]

dang.........I'll be heading back today in about 5 or 6 hours so i can check her out good after all the stores where she's parked are closed. If i find it is a plug is this something i can fix on the spot?

I'm going to do some googling on timesert, auto parts stores carry em?

i can still use any and all suggestions....thanks guys.

 

[hotstang_46]

smoke was whitish grey

 

[the98stang]

dang.........I'll be heading back today in about 5 or 6 hours so i can check her out good after all the stores where she's parked are closed. If i find it is a plug is this something i can fix on the spot?

I'm going to do some googling on timesert, auto parts stores carry em?

i can still use any and all suggestions....thanks guys.

There is nothing you can do to make her run right now. DO NOT RUN IT. Have a shop use the timesert to fix the threads.

 

[hotstang_46]

maybe I'm not understanding this thoroughly......you guys are suggesting that the plug blew out and destroyed threads....but if the ticking was the plug backing out wouldn't it have blown out a few threads leaving the bulk of the threads ok?

 

[the98stang]

maybe I'm not understanding this thoroughly......you guys are suggesting that the plug blew out and destroyed threads....but if the ticking was the plug backing out wouldn't it have blown out a few threads leaving the bulk of the threads ok?

It doesn't need to back out much before it can blow. This is a common problem with modular engines. There aren't that many threads in the heads, and the stock plugs (on older modulars) were short on threads as well. If you don't use the timesert, it'll just do it again.

 

[bdcardinal]

there are only about 4 thread on the head holding the plugs in. the only 2 fixes are a timesert or a new head.

 

[Shiroelex]

maybe I'm not understanding this thoroughly......you guys are suggesting that the plug blew out and destroyed threads....but if the ticking was the plug backing out wouldn't it have blown out a few threads leaving the bulk of the threads ok?

In a perfect world, yes. It of course never happens that way. This same exact thing happened to some guy in my apartment complex two days ago. I went down to look, and his cylinder 5 was toast. At least it was a convenient one for him. Make sure you get the revised spark plug design, that has threads all the way down the plug base, not just at the tip.

 

[hotmustang331]

Yep dont drive it...pices of metal are probably down in that cylinder...that wouldnt be good. BUT if you can get access to an air hose and can blow out the cyclinder, I se no reason then why you cant drive it home....just make sure you unplug the injector clip so it wont get power. And keep the RPMs low.

 

[hotstang_46]

only 4 threads???

what a disgrace....I can't imagine that.. bad engineering.


well....I guess I'm working off an assumption that the plug is my problem...I'm interested to get back there this evening when the shops close to check her out..

doesn't sound like it's good......Been searching and searching now for the last hour on here now and had some good reading on this subject....

don't really see why i would have it "timeserved" just to have the same potential problem in the future with another cylinder.

Someone mentioned to someone else who was asking about getting sometype of P51 heads and that from summit and an intake. I'm reasonably mechanically inclined but haven't dove into that stuff personally before. Sounds like I can get some extra ponies and have a set up where i can avoid this in the future. what type of parts would i need ......i think i read heads and an intake?? (again, no education on the subject but I'm going to start doing some searches) are heads and intake something that if i take my time I can do by myself?

this sux

 

[steveb24]

u cant just "fix" it on the spot. and the timesert kit is around $400. find a performance shop or somebody who already has the tool. I got mine done for $100 bux, no need to buy a new head. And yes, the ticking was the plug, im 100% positive, esp after a poor pluyg change. Sucks man, ive been there.. exept mine happened a year and a half after the plugs were changed.. so yeah.. very bad engineering

just read your post... no, if u dont want new heads and everything dont get them. Just fix the problem and tighten down the plugs very good. itl turn a $2 plug into a $2,000 project. i know how much it feels like wasted money, but its really not that serious. and the "new" heads are just ford ported and polished heads, so its still the same # of threads anyways, unless somebodys got smart

 

[the98stang]

only 4 threads???

what a disgrace....I can't imagine that.. bad engineering.


well....I guess I'm working off an assumption that the plug is my problem...I'm interested to get back there this evening when the shops close to check her out..

doesn't sound like it's good......Been searching and searching now for the last hour on here now and had some good reading on this subject....

don't really see why i would have it "timeserved" just to have the same potential problem in the future with another cylinder.

Someone mentioned to someone else who was asking about getting sometype of P51 heads and that from summit and an intake. I'm reasonably mechanically inclined but haven't dove into that stuff personally before. Sounds like I can get some extra ponies and have a set up where i can avoid this in the future. what type of parts would i need ......i think i read heads and an intake?? (again, no education on the subject but I'm going to start doing some searches) are heads and intake something that if i take my time I can do by myself?

this sux

New heads are not cheap my friend. Were talking at least $1200, plus labor (unless you can do it yourself, which would take some automotive knowledge). So, unless your pockets are deep, your better off with the timesert. It should hold just fine.

 

[the98stang]

This is exactly why we need to torque to 13 lbs with very little antiseize. Why in the HELL is there no sticky for this subject? People need to check their plugs every oil change, or this sh1t is going to keep happening. PLEASE mods, make this is sticky, or start one.

 

[hotstang_46]

UPDATE....ok, car was towed and it's sitting in my driveway. I did find a loose plug.....about 2-3 full rotations from being tight....I tightened it pretty firm and it seemed to hold just fine. All the other plugs look and feel good when i put the socket to them.....

could that loose plug be what caused the problem?

should i try to fire her up?

waiting for your guys opinions b4 i do anything..... thanks again!

 

[the98stang]

UPDATE....ok, car was towed and it's sitting in my driveway. I did find a loose plug.....about 2-3 full rotations from being tight....I tightened it pretty firm and it seemed to hold just fine. All the other plugs look and feel good when i put the socket to them.....

could that loose plug be what caused the problem?

should i try to fire her up?

waiting for your guys opinions b4 i do anything..... thanks again!

Hmm...maybe you didn't strip the threads. You might have lucked out. Does the plug look damaged? Can you screw it in hand tight? If you can screw it in hand tight, I think you are fine. If that's the case, buy new motorcraft plugs and torque them to 13 lbs.

 

[hotstang_46]

here's a pic of the plug in question and one another i pulled for comparison.....my worry is that maybe I'm possibly missing a thread or two and delaying the inevatible????? it will hand tighten.....should i get a new plug, some loctite and try to fire her up???

 

[the98stang]

I think if you can hand tighten the threads, you are good. Because the plug only backed out a few, it wasn't completely loose/blown out. If any of the threads were stripped in the head, the plug would not be able to go all the way in, using just your fingers. I would buy new plugs, and torque them all to 13 lbs. DO NOT use loctite, or anything else on the threads. If you insist, put a very,very light coat of antiseize on the threads of the plug. Fire her up and see what chances. I think you caught her just in knick of time