Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Maintenance Stripped Spark Plug Threads

Last Saturday my wife's 98.5 SE Duratec spit out a spark plug on the bank closest to the firewall. The threads in the head are completely gone -- no metal chips were found on anything. As we've only had this car for 10K miles of its 70K life, I suspect someone along the way changed the plugs when the engine was hot or didn't use anti-seize (or both!).

Local shops estimate $1200-1400 to remove the cylinder head and install new threads. I have the tools (+hoist) to pull the engine myself, if I have to.

I'd like some recommendations on what I should do:

1. Remove the cylinder head with the engine in the vehicle
2. Pull the engine, then pull the head
3. 3L time? (I'd be jealous if her SE had more power than my SE!)
4. Let the car collect dust in my garage (as I'm tempted to do, but my wife needs transportation and the clutch in my 96SE, our only other car, is about ready to give up).

Question: If I pull the engine from the top, is the A/C system going to be compromised, requiring a complete recharge? I seem to recall someone saying they didn't have to evacuate the system, but I can't find that post.

The Contour is currently sitting in my garage until I decide what direction to go.

i would say drop the subframe and engine and all that, then with the engine out either retap the hole with a helicoil kit or the like, or put on a new head, BTW if you need a head or heads i have a set that i am not using, was gonna port and polish them whenever i get the time, but if you need them let me know

wait i dont think my head will fit they are 99 cougar heads

I'm pretty sure there's a way to helicoil the head in-situ with a special spark plug threading tool. May be worth a look and could save you from pulling the engine!

Someone else on the CEG went through this crap before. Try searching the trouble shooting forum or look on the Snap-On webiste for info on this tool/kit.....

Thanks for the recommendations.

After reading through the Ford repair manual and the Haynes manual, I've decided to remove the head with the engine still in the car.

I had a shop look into restoring the threads (helicoil) with the cylinder head on the vehicle, but they were concerned about dealing with the 12-inch "access tunnel" to where the threads are located (they were hesitant to use extensions on their threading tools) and the restriction of being located right next to the firewall.

I'll pull the cylinder head this weekend and have new threads installed (helicoil or locking steel inserts) by a machine shop next week. As long as I've got everything apart, I'll install MSDS headers in place of the restrictive OEM manifolds (with those failure-prone precats). Both of my Duratec MTX Contours will then have MSDS headers.

Pulling the cylinder head to perform the repair will also give me the piece of mind that there are no metal shavings inside the combustion chamber.

Pulling the head on the V6 in the engine will be an absolute son of a biznitch!

It would be easier believe it or not, to pull the engine, due to the whole timing chain and OHC issue you'll be faced with.

DON'T PULL THE HEAD! I had the same issue on my Tour. Had a Ford dealership do a helicoil. Take it to another shop. I put around 70k on the plug after the helicoil. No issues. Not that hard of a thing. You can buy a kit and do it yourself. When it was time to replace that plug I had to redo it so I bought a kit and rethreaded myself. Kit comes with tap and helicoil. I think I had to run a different plug.

The Ford stealership (the only one within 30 miles) refused to even attempt putting in a helicoil with the cylinder head on the car. In fact, the service advisor said they wouldn't even put a helicoil in to begin with -- they'd have to put an entirely new cylinder head on it.

The local (non-stealership) shop, the only one in my small town, didn't want to accept the liability of getting metal shavings in the combustion chamber -- I even offered to sign a release, but no dice. They were concerned with firewall clearance issues, the long "access tunnel" (requiring extensions that would wobble around a tiny bit -- not good when creating threads) and metal shavings.

For LE$$ than it would cost me to have the local shop remove the head and fix the threads, I can remove it myself, have locking steel inserts installed in ALL of the spark plug holes (so I'll never have this problem again) and get MSDS headers installed. Sure, it'll take a few evenings/weekends, but I've got all the tools and a big garage to work in.

So then, it's OFF with the head!

Do it yourself. Just need an extension and a steady hand. Keep it as straight as possible and let the tap do the work. Put a little JB weld on the helicoil and insert. Let it set and install the plug. It's NOT hard at all. F'n crap shops. And they call themselves mechanics.

Well, as long as I'm already prepared to remove the cylinder head, I suppose attempting to install a helicoil myself wouldn't hurt anything. If it didn't take, I could still proceed with removing the head and have a machine shop fix it permanently.

I'd sure like to get my wife's Contour back on the road, as the clutch in my car is on its last legs (after almost 108K miles of stop-and-go city driving).