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Spark Plugs blew off...

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by asn13oy, Jun 5, 2006.

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    asn13oy Stepping Stones

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    Spark Plugs blew off...

    This is a mechanical failure post but it has nothing to do with the Corolla. I'm asking for help with this so mods can move it to appropriate section if they feel it is necessary.

    It's a 5th Gen. with what I believe is the H22. Today, she calls me up at work to come pick her up because her car has lost a lot of power and is making a rattling sound. She barely made it off the freeway and into a McDonald's parking lot.

    When I get there she already has the hood up and is sitting in her car waiting. I walk directly to the engine and see that part of the plastic cover has broken off. Somehow the entire spark plug has been forced out of the valve cover. I checked the actual plug only to find that there is no more gap. I really don't know how to explain this so here are some pictures I took with my phone.

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    Any ideas as to what might have happened?
    asn13oy, Jun 5, 2006
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    fineline cc fo life

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    Plug must have been loose, surprised it was running properly at all
    fineline, Jun 5, 2006
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    jtweezy New Member

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    lose plug
    jtweezy, Jun 5, 2006
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    JspeXAE102 Well-Known Member

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    must be that 3rd gear vtek
    JspeXAE102, Jun 5, 2006
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    vortex Well-Known Member

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    hmmm wow...

    1) make sure thats the right plug for that engine, some engines need different thread lengths to ensure you keep clearance

    2) if they were the right length, possibly a loose plug was the issue

    i'd try getting new plugs, put em in and crank it up --- if there is a problem in the cylinder, well, haha the damage is already done and that honda is pwn3d! otherwise it should crank right up and be okay... *shrug* (at least in theory)
    vortex, Jun 5, 2006
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    1337Rolla oh my

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    yeah I'll vote for plug length issue.. seems like a possibility
    1337Rolla, Jun 5, 2006
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    rolla02 Corollalcholic

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    Yea I will have to go with wrong plug length
    rolla02, Jun 5, 2006
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    JLee TD05 3SGTE

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    The plug may have worked itself loose -- happened on my Taco, but I caught it before it blew out. It makes a distictive clatter-ish sound that varies with RPM.

    The threads may have to be cleaned up. Try handthreading a new plug in and see how it feels.

    Unless the threads are stripped..in which case the plug will blow right back out.
    JLee, Jun 6, 2006
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    toyotaspeed90 New Member

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    first thing i would do is see if the threads are still in the head..... because if she drove it for a few blocks (lengthwise) like that and the threads had broken out, they may have gone elsewhere (ie, off of the plug, leaving the plugs threads looking *ok*)

    my first instinct would be that there was a timing belt failure.... possibly slipped a tooth or 2? reason i say that is the plug looks pretty dark.... and if she felt an instant change in power, that means the plug was previously working, and then it came out and that crushing of the electrode happened all at once..... i couldn't forsee the electrode being in contact with the tip and still having a spark large enough to ignite.....

    lastly it's possible that the plug wasn't tight enough, worked its way loose.... and when it came loose the pistons upward pressure caused the plug to shoot up (obviously breaking the spark plug valley cover) and the plug hit the tube wall and got crushed in there....
    toyotaspeed90, Jun 6, 2006
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    vortex Well-Known Member

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    you can tell by the spacing of the lines in the picture of the plug that this didnt happen (however blurry it is, its uniform) --- if they *are* stripped, then it'd be a shock to me.

    stripped threads would no look that good in a pic. (not that the plug looks that pretty, lol)
    vortex, Jun 6, 2006
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    Barnacules 100101101011011

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    I just think your engine has badass compression :D Take it as a compliment hehe.
    Barnacules, Jun 6, 2006
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    asn13oy Stepping Stones

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    Re-reading my post I see that it makes no sense...sorry I forgot to explain that this is my sister's car.
    asn13oy, Jun 6, 2006
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