<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4068" dir="ltr">So....with the maybe off-center spark plug back into its hole, best to leave it alone until time for next tune-up?...spark doesn't care...or, get it out and straighten it ASAP?</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4245"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4257">Thought is...that this car has had HeliCoil work before..but no way to know which plug holes were HeliCoiled. I have a smattering of spare heads, some unused, but I don't want to do that job...on the street in front of my house.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4304"> But, will take the chance of taking the plug out, and re-installing it Straight In. Usually, with that dab of oil on threads, they go way in finger tight..then the wrench crank for a bit...without overdoing it.<br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4256"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4246">Subject: Re: [T3] Spark Plug Glitch<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4145">Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:57EE7D31.13465.3069DC@jadney.VWType3.org" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4146">57EE7D31.13465.3069DC@jadney.VWType3.org</a>><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4147">Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4148"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4149">On 29 Sep 2016 at 22:16, J. Jonik wrote:<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4150"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4151">>
T III 73 engine; standard: ?? This never happened before.? Took out and
touched up 1, 2, 3 spark plugs...wiped and put touch of oil on the
threads.? Back they went, no problem.? <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4152">> Number 4 the same...put
it back in...but then the VW spark-plug socket extension would not pull
out. ? It wiggled, but it was jammed somehow. ? Had to use a long
screwdriver against the insert twisting rod to pry it out...against the
tin below.? I could not pull it out by hand.<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4153"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4154">Sounds quite odd, but my guess is that this plug has been cross <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4155">threaded into the head. That puts it at an angle such that it no <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4156">longer points out the center of the hole in the tin. When that <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4157">happens, the side of the wrench now catches on the tin.<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4158"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4159">With care, you might be able to get it started straight again, but <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4160">chances are that this head will need some sort of insert in that hole <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4161">to make it right again. There are several options for that, but my <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4162">preference is a HeliCoil. This CAN be done with the engine in the <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4163">car, but the very best way to do it is with the bare head, so you can <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4164">see what you're doing from both sides.<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4165"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4166">Whatever you do, it's important that the repair be on the correct <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4167">line. You don't want to discover that you've installed the insert at <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4168">an angle. Again, this is easiest with the head off. The best way to <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4169">do this is to have something long screwed into the good SP hole next <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4170">door so you can make sure your insert tap is going in parallel to <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4171">that good hole.<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4172"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4173">-- <br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4174">*******************************<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4175">Jim Adney, <a href="mailto:jadney@vwtype3.org" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4176">jadney@vwtype3.org</a><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475381535273_4177">Madison, Wisconsin, USA</div></div></body></html>