I'll just *snap* BUGGER!!!

[scaryoldcortina]

Autofive's cortina has been sulking recently, I had been giving advice via email but after a few days and all the obvious stuff checked I went over on friday to take a "quick look" at it.

 

Everything seemed ok, the carb is "new" (5 years old, fitted by previous owner, still shiny) and the points/condenser had just been changed - all looked ok, but no attempt to fire. I decided to whip the spark plugs out to have a look at them, and of course snapped one clean in half which meant the job just got a load bigger. Stripped the head off, dumped it in the boot of the sierra and came home.

 

Saturday morning, off to the garage.

The shovel and gloves are because of the weather, honest....

 

First try - oxy torch and an easyout.

Got it lovely and hot, wound a big easyout into the hole in the middle of the plug... no dice. Still stuck fast. So I took it out again rather than risk snapping it.

 

Second try - mig welder and a bolt

This worked much better - the plug remains came out straight away with the impact wrench

BUT

the thread in the head is completely mullered. Crappity crap crap.

 

LUCKILY....

There is a pile of pintos in the corner.

 

So....

Cam and followers built up into a different head

 

Back over to Autofive's gaff with it, plonked it on the block and realized I'd left the head bolt tool in the garage.

Oh well, it's getting dark anyway, and we need a rocker gasket and some new plugs.

 

Sunday was DAY_OFF

 

Today I returned (with gasket, plugs and head bolt tool) flung it all back together as quick as possible (due to extreme cold) and soon (without too much cranking) it did this

 

 

And as far as I know it's still working

[VWPowered]

well done on getting it fixed, ive scrapped 'em for less

[ashmicro]

Bloody good show! Well done that man, good drills.

[scaryoldcortina]

Bloody good show! Well done that man, good drills.

 

*stands to attention and salutes* Thank you, sir. Can I fall out and go have a wash now, sir?

 

I don't think scrapping it was an option (he only taxed and tested it last month and the scimitar has no clutch....) and besides it was an easy job. Give me 10 pinto heads to change in the street or 1 renault scenic DCi in a fully equipped heated workshop and I'll see you when all 10 pintos are running (and you are on the phone to renault)

[Angrydicky]

I tried that "weld a bolt to a broken spark plug" trick on a 1098 Minor head, whatever I tried, the weld just wouldn't take, one turn of the spanner and it broke straight off. I wondered if the plug was made of a kind of alloy you couldn't weld to? Ended up scrapping the head. More likely my welder's crap though tbh.

[scaryoldcortina]

I've never seen a non-ferrous spark plug, trick with the weld on a bolt trick is to turn the welder up to maximum and properly burn the shite out of it. That way you get a good penetration between bolt and plug and get some bonus heat into the thread at the same time. Having said that A series engines are proper bastards with fine threaded long plugs, I have failed to extract them too. Only thing worse is a fiesta valencia/hcs engine.

[M'coli]

Great stuff there Scary, it's nice to be reminded of what an idling pinto sounds like too!

[autofive]

well done SOC

 

superstar in the pinto repair firmament

 

cortina is now running better than before

[Split_Pin]

Excellent work. Good to know that there are still people about who have your attitude. Also hats off to you for never throwing short engines away, they have clearly come in very handy in this instance

[dieselnutjob]

I have owned my 604 for a few years now and never taken the plugs out.

I think it's about time.

It's an alloy head.

Better to remove them with the engine hot or cold?

I think I might spray oil down the recess and let it soak for a few days before I try though.

[scaryoldcortina]

Plugs are easiest to remove on a warm engine but wait for it to cool down before you refit them.

[dollywobbler]

Wish I hadn't snapped off the exhaust manifold stud on the 2CV. My hopes of having it running for an event this weekend are looking very dashed.

[scaryoldcortina]

Wish I hadn't snapped off the exhaust manifold stud on the 2CV. My hopes of having it running for an event this weekend are looking very dashed.

 

 

Did it snap flush with the casting, or is there a bit sticking up? You could always weld a nut over the remains and try to wind the stud out....

 

Oh, just to make you feel better, if you look at the pictures, I had to swap 5 exhaust studs over between the heads too

[dollywobbler]

It snapped below, so no chance of rescue. Tried drilling it out but that just unleashed an entire new world of pain (involving many snapped drill bits). Swapped the head, then managed to destroy the pushrod tubes on the other side of the engine when reassemblying. I R FAIL.

[Polystratus]

It snapped below, so no chance of rescue. Tried drilling it out but that just unleashed an entire new world of pain (involving many snapped drill bits). Swapped the head, then managed to destroy the pushrod tubes on the other side of the engine when reassemblying. I R FAIL.

 

Now can see the reason why in the Grumpy thread