spark plug blew up

[talonkid93]

ok so i have some really bad news. while i was driving my sparkplug exploded and melted the plug cable at the same time. there are chunks of it everywhere incliding in the motor too because i can hear them clanking around while i was pulling over. what i need to know is what am i gonna have to do to fix it my self and what i will need to buy.

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

I'm speechless. I have never heard of a spark plug exploding, but these are dsm's and they never cease to amaze me. Tell us a little more about what happened. Are you saying that the spark plug boot is melted and you can't get to the spark plug to get it out? Or are you saying you can get to the spark plug, but it has blown apart and there is nothing for your spark plug socket to grab ahold of to get the spark plug out. As far as I can tell though, it sounds like you just need to get the spark plug out and take a look down inside on top of that piston and see if there are any pieces sitting on top of the piston.

 

[talonkid93]

no the spark plug isnt in its socket its gone it blew up the plug wire poped off and melted. there are pieces of the plug inside the motor now.

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

Ohhhh noooooooo. Where is the car now? You could try to get the debris out with a magnet or better yet use a vaccuum cleaner with a small piece of hose and try to suck out the debris. Then replace the plugs and wires and fire her up and hope for the best. The only other safe way to avoid further damage is to tear it down.

 

[talonkid93]

yea im gonna take the head off. i need someone here to explain to me what im gonna need and what i have to change besides the headgasket since its not metal.

 

[iluvmy4g63]

MAN. i would just pray that piston is ok. and spark plug hole is not stripped. i would suggest a new timming kit sence the head is comming off. also. some ARP head bolts. it would be a crime not too.

 

[kenamond]

Just be aware that the ceramic from the plug WILL (given the opportunity) score the cylinder walls. Pull off the head and see what happened to that cylinder. So what happened to the rest of the plug (metal parts don't explode like ceramics)? Is there anything still threaded into the head? I'm not sure how big the pieces of the plug might be, but if they were large enough, the piston crown, head, and/or valves could be damaged from smashing large pieces of plug shrapnel against the head and valves. Pictures would be helpful when you get the head off.

 

[talonkid93]

i have a good feeling im done with the car till i just get my 6bolt motor instead of fixing this one since it has 154k miles on it. whats your opinion should i even bother fixin it?

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

Now would be the time to do a 6-bolt swap.

 

[kenamond]

i have a good feeling im done with the car till i just get my 6bolt motor instead of fixing this one since it has 154k miles on it. whats your opinion should i even bother fixin it?

Pull the head and see. A 6-bolt is nice, but I'd love the opportunity to tear my 7-bolt apart (never had to). If the car is dead for now, what else do you have to do with it ?

 

[mitch26753]

i' m kind of interested to see why the blow "exploded"? did you have the plug out lately? do you think that maybe it wasn't in all the way, maybe just scrweded in one thread or something? also, a magnet isn't going to take out that ceremic. i think that you should just take off the head and she whats up, cermic+piston+cylinder wall=bad. I see where you said you were doing a six bolt swap? if so, and if you already have it ready or have another car to drive while it is down, then go ahead and do the swap. Why would you want to put anymore money into the 7 bolt when your just getting ready to drop in a six bolt, hopefully built six bolt?

 

[talonkid93]

i didnt buy the 6bolt yet im still saving money. When i do get it all i really think im gonna do is put a hks metal headgasket and arp headstuds. And of course change every seal and hose so that i dont have any leakage problems. i only wanna run about 16-20 psi with the small 16g turbo i have.

 

[mitch26753]

to be honest if you only looking for 20 pounds with a 16g. Then just go and get some 95 pistons and the 1g rods. Use the MLSG you were talking about and the studs and that will be enough for what you want. You dont need to do anything crazy or spend alot of money. also, are you sure that the noise you are hearing is the spark plug bouncing around in the chamber? Do you think there is any chance you jumped time and thats why the plug "blew" up? if so that noise your hearing could be the head of a valve bouncing around. Now that is a worst case scenario, let hope that didn't happen. either way if you dont have the motor or have the money for it, i would go ahead and take that head off and see whats up.you can have it off pretty quick.

 

[talonkid93]

thank you im probably gonna pull it off sometime this week ill get some pics and post them

 

[91 Turbo Mitsu]

I have a friend who put brand new plugs in his rig and two days later she blew the whole porcelain assembly clean out of the steel body. It can happen. I would use the vacuum method and see if you can get the pieces out. I have done it and it works. Just rig up something to a straw and seal it well to the vacuum hose and suck away. If you can get the chunks out see how beat up they are and it might give you and idea of wether or not it can be salvaged. If you can get all the chunks out I would slap a new plug in and go for it seeing as how you want to do a 6 bolt swap anyway why waste extra money on your motor that can be used to save and buy your 6 bolt. Good luck and let us know

 

[FatalDreams]

I'm in favor of pulling the head... btw how were you driving when it go "POP"? (under boost or normal driving?)

 

[talonkid93]

I'm in favor of pulling the head... btw how were you driving when it go "POP"? (under boost or normal driving?)

i was in vac just driving normally on the highway

 

[98EclipseTurbo]

Could that be a manufatuers defect ? High temperatures-pressure, first you got to find out why it happened so that is does not happen to your current or future engine again, or what would be the purpose of the swap ?

 

[marioortiz69]

I had the same thing happen on my 90 TSI and I just used a vacuum and sucked out the porcelain. Put new plugs and wires and she ran better than ever.

 

[talonkid93]

I had the same thing happen on my 90 TSI and I just used a vacuum and sucked out the porcelain. Put new plugs and wires and she ran better than ever.

yea but say i do vacuum it what if my cylinder walls are scratched?

 

[crensinivon]

Then you will burn a little bit of oil until you can get your 6 bolt. If you really are looking at doing a 6 bolt swap what difference does it make to you what the cylinder walls look like?

 

[Jrgunn5150]

yea but say i do vacuum it what if my cylinder walls are scratched?

Cry? Lol, that's not alot you can do, except rebuild.

 

[16gpoweredgsx]

What brand/type of plug were you using?

 

[kenamond]

I've read threads about folks breaking a spark plug and ruining the cylinders. If you have any oil in the cylinders or if ceramic is wedged between the side of the piston and cylinder, I wouldn't trust a vaccuum cleaner to get them out. It's your motor, so you make the call. Maybe it'll work just fine.

 

[Matrixhunter]

I would be interested in knowing what brand of spark plugs you were using? and how old they were. It probably happened because of extremely high internal temp. It possibly the engine was running really lean and overheated the plug. Eitherway goodluck and pull the head off to be safe.