Reason why a spark plug almost took off UT's head? Someone before him failed to learn about proper torqueing.

Most definitely. The lad bought the car in that condition. (for $500.)

I actually bought a torque wrench when I did my first plug change. I didn't want to mess around.

What surprised me is that they can now re-thread the hole. That's not something I would want to do under a shade tree though.

Too tight lug nuts? A cross wrench on the nut with the other end on a jack stand, and a two ft pipe on the arm with me bouncing on the end of the pipe. Reamed that inspector a new asshole. I don't know how he didn't break the lug, but I had to replace them because they were certainly stretched which weakens them. Grrrr

Installing a heli-coil to repair the thread isn't hard but doing it without getting any metal chips or crap inside the motor is very tricky. The best method I've heard of is snaking an air tube down the intake through an open intake valve, with the piston at top dead center, to create an air flow out the sparkplug hole. The safest is taking the head off, but that's no fun.

My father taught me a LOT about mechanics. Mostly by insisting I buy, as my first car, a 1977 Ford LTD Broughm (sp?). On the way home, the inside retaining bolt for the radiator broke free, went into the fan and was bent 90 deg and thrown back THROUGH the radiator.

I limped it into the driveway and he just shook his head and began teaching me how to replace a radiator. Not too long after, it was oil changes, belt changes, brake jobs (drum and disc), lights, water pumps, alternators, radios (I did this one on my own as he saw no need for 300 watts), tune ups, starters and universal joints.

At the time, I cursed both his name and that of his ancestry for making me buy that Ford instead of the Camaro I really wanted. Now that I'm older and wiser, I thank him. Now I'm not afraid to get dirty and fix whatever is wrong. My beloved also makes me fix all the other jalopies in the family. Sigh. But still I know my limits. Mostly these are lack of proper workspace and tools. So when these kinds of jobs arise, I take the thing to an appropriate professional.

The only kind of problem I won't tackle is anything other than a minor electrical fault. I hate trying to chase wires in odd places.

Like now for instance. My Cougar sat for six months through the winter. It ran fine when I parked it. Now it won't start.

No, it is NOT the battery. That was new last summer and it's still charged. I put a charger on it anyway and noted that the lights didn't come on. Rats. I checked all the cable connections and they are clean and tight. Double rats. Must be a fusible link or something. All the wires are bundled and wrapped. I hate that. I'm going to try a meter and see if I can find anything. If not, it's off to the mechanic.

I need this car to be operational within two weeks.

Anyone have any ideas?

Brian

Does it turn over? If it does it has to be lack of fuel, lack of spark or the timing. No matter how big, small, exotic or simple, the engine is, from a one cylinder lawnmower to a V-16 Caddy, the basic needs are the same for a gasoline engine.

Of course finding out the basic problem, is quite often way easier than finding why, especially lack of spark.

I'm assuming it's getting air, ie no Armadillos in the air cleaner.

Figured it out.

I had TWO problems. One was a dead battery, which is not surprising since it has sat outside through the winter with nary a start to refresh it.

The other took me a while. When I attached the battery charger, NOTHING happened. It was humming away but the car didn't respond. I figured it had to be a short or a blown fusible link. Took a meter to it. Chased down every connection that could remotely cause no power. Nothing. Finally the immortal words of Sherlock Holmes came to me... "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth".

Put the meter to the charger. Read .19 VDC. AHA!

So I took the charger apart, tracked down the fault and jumpered it out so that I could charge the battery. I need a new charger of course since this one has no safety features left, but at least the car runs now.

It seems so obvious in retrospect. Of course there was no response from the car...there was STILL no power. DOH!

Forehead smack moment.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts.

Brian

I learned this holy trinity as fuel air and fire. And yes, it is a package deal.

BrianR: Congratulations Sherlock! I love solving the mystery as much as fixing the problem. And I have relied on Mr Holmes counter intuitive wisdom more than once myself. "It *can't* be _______." Right. Better check it. ;)

Have always done my own basic work: points, plugs, oil changes, brakes, tires, belts, hoses, and gaskets. But times change. We now have computers and no longer do tune-ups. My Corvette doesn't even have a spare tire. I once had an '84 Olds that I could change the oil in, in 10 minutes WITHOUT getting under the car! Today some of the simplest stuff is almost inaccessable. There's one model where you need to pull the engine to change the plugs. More and more goes in the shop and at very high costs.

I drive a 2001 Integra. I may know how to change the oil, and I may even know where the oil filter is, but that doesn't mean I can reach it, much less remove it.

this is a work in progress
Attachment 12782
not a fan of ford - chevy my fav
but it still looks good!

Such a shame to waste that paint and chrome on a Ford.

sweet bruce - what's it sittin in?

i'm partial to 66 nova - 72 chevelle

Chebby.

slick:cool: i haven't seen a grille & bumper like that on a '57(right)

the ford is actually what the spouse is workin on - he does that for a livin - it is in a '65 convertible mustang.

huh. I thought this thread was about putting in trees. Stupid me.