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Blew out a spark plug. Options?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Downs
  • Start date Start date
D

Downs

Guest
Was pulling away from a stop sign on the old GS1000 and heard a loud POP followed by the sound of compressed air. Crap. Looked down and saw the #3 spark plug hanging down by the side of the engine.

Tried to thread back in but won't tighten down.

So I'm guessing my options are basically replace the head or helicoil/thread repair kit. Is there enough room between the spark plug hole and valves for such a repair?

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There are a few different methods to fix stripped threads like that. I'm not sure which is best exactly but a Timesert would be in contention.
 
image.jpg
I successfully used a kit that had a 14mm tap that turned into a cutter and then a larger tap for the insert.(all one tool) It also contained a punch that expanded the top of the insert to lock it in place plus three inserts of different lengths. I used the longest insert. One bit of advice is to have the piston at bottom dead center of the power stroke. That way the valves are both closed and an air blower can easily blow out the aluminum shavings. If the piston is bottom dead center on the intake stroke, the tap will get hung on the valve and will cause some very nasty language. Good luck!!!
 
I did this on a Polaris 330 just three weeks ago. The 14mm spark plug kit comes with coils of different depths or reach, so you can find the proper coil.
 
Gumpster said:
View attachment 53966
I successfully used a kit that had a 14mm tap that turned into a cutter and then a larger tap for the insert.(all one tool) It also contained a punch that expanded the top of the insert to lock it in place plus three inserts of different lengths. I used the longest insert. One bit of advice is to have the piston at bottom dead center of the power stroke. That way the valves are both closed and an air blower can easily blow out the aluminum shavings. If the piston is bottom dead center on the intake stroke, the tap will get hung on the valve and will cause some very nasty language. Good luck!!!
Click to expand...
If you apply bearing grease in the flutes, it catches the debris.
 
Grease will catch "some" of the chips but not a 100% guarantee. I use a piece of 1/2 inch ID tubing and stick it into the hose of my shop vac and seal it with duct tape. Youre making a small suction tube much like when the dentist is suctioning spit and chips up when doing dental work.

Use suction alongside the tap as you go and it will suck up a great number of chips. Once the tap is through theres a nice hole to stick the suction tube down to the piston. Dance the tube around the top of the piston and around the barrel walls and suck anything loose up that way.

Secondly, i use some super high temp red loctite on the insert. If there is grease in the tap threads the loctite wont bond. My Maroon 1000C has been going years with the Save a Thread kit.
 
Last edited:
Steve..I would suspect any chips from the blowout already got ejected out the hole while it was still running.
 
Sorry I sent a text back and didn't think that it could have been a land line or the like.

Repair went smoothly but I didn't have a chance to ride the bike since the cure time of the sealant. I used a Spark Plug specific kit that had a solid insert and was also staked into to the new cut threads instead of lock tited in. It easily took a properly torqued spark plug.
 
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