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.
