Don’t forget your towing benefits…
My wife reminded me that our insurance policy provides towing reimbursement for accidents and repairs. I recently had to have my Expedition towed into the repair shop and my lovely wife reminded me that our insurance provides up to $50 yearly for towing. So take a look at your current policy and see if you have the same benefit and don’t forget about it the next time you need a tow!
Posted: 26th January 2009 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Car Insurance
Spark Plug Blowout on Ford Modular Triton Engines…
Thursday morning the dreaded flying spark plug hit me. Yes, you heard me right, a flying spark plug. It seems that the Ford Triton engines from 1997 to 2003 had a problem where spark plugs would randomly fly out the cylinder head. This appears to be due to a few issues… First there are insufficient threads in the head to properly hold the spark plug. Second the threads in the head are not inserted, in other words the threads are in the aluminum and are not very strong. Many ford owners have had problems and the shop who repaired my head claimed to have done over 100 repair jobs on Ford Triton engines in the past 5 years. If you are faced with this problem here are your options…
1. Go to your dealer, bend over and pay up to 12 hours of labor to repair the hole (time quoted to me by my local dealer) or get two new heads with properly designed spark plug holes for $3500.
2. Buy the kit and do it yourself… from my research Timesert is your best option. This will cost you between $200 and $400 depending on which kit you buy. Lisle and Helicoil also make kits and are available online and from your favorite tool supplier.
3. Find a friend who already has the tool to do the job. I doubt a repair shop will lone you the tool, but you can check out this forum for some members who have bought the kit and will rent it out to other forum members.
3. Pay someone who already has the kit. I ended up spending about $75 more than the kit would have cost to buy. I was not in the mood to spend my Saturday under the hood, learning all the tricks to doing the job. Look for an independent repair shop in your area that does the repair. Ask how many repairs they have done, and how many have come back with problems. If you are in the Reading, Pottstown, King of Prussia area check out the shop I used…
Bill’s Auto Repair
1650 E Schuylkill Rd
Pottstown, PA 19465
(610) 326-9882
Make sure you replace all 8 spark plugs and that they are torqued to factory specs. An interesting fact… as the spark plug loosens but before it flys out of the head, it will sound like you have an exhaust leak. I heard it on my Expedition, but never thought about a loose spark plug. I probably could have retorqued the plug, or replaced it, and saved me some headache if I would have known.
Posted: 26th January 2009 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Engine
When to rebuild an engine…
Question:
Dear Kevin
I need your advice. I am about to overhaul my motor. When I reach 50 MPH I get the oil pressure signal and the siren goes on and the red light flashes on the dashboard. My mechanic advised to have the crank grinded. I am taking the crankshaft for grinding as it is currently making a knocking noise. Please advise what other things will need to be replaced after the crank is done in order for the engine to last me longer, and to do a proper job. I will prefer to do this myself. I am not a professional mechanic but would like to learn more.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
2. Once the engine is removed and stripped down, measure the cylinder bores and pistons for wear. If within factory specs you can get away with honing the cylinders and replacing piston rings. More often than not, you will have to bore the cylinders which will require new pistons and rings.
3. You seem to have a handle on the crankshaft, but I would check into a replacement crankshaft, sometimes they can be cheaper than getting your crankshaft refinished. With the crank out, check the main bearing webs for cracks and wear. If you spun one of the bearings in it’s seat, you will have to have the block align bored/honed. This will re-establish the center-line of the crankshaft and assure no future wear issues.
4. Depending on the mileage on the engine, you should also consider getting the cylinder head/s refinished. At minimum it should be checked for cracks/warpage and new valve seals installed. Any competent machine shop can check for cracks and warpage as well as change the valve seals.
5. When re-assembling the engine, here is a typical list of required new parts you should purchase. Full gasket set, oil pump, water pump, timing belt or chain, timing belt or chain tensioner, oxygen sensor, air filter, oil filter, and fresh oil.
Now that you know what is involved, take a look at your local salvage yard for a low mileage engine and compare pricing. It may be worth your time to find a 30,000 mile engine from a wreck instead of rebuilding your engine. They will often come with a short-term warranty 1 – 2 years 10 – 30K Miles.
Good Luck,
Kevin
Posted: 23rd September 2008 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Engine
Clicking from front end when turning.
Question:
Everytime i’m driving my car,i here this clicking noise when i turn the
wheel to the right..i’m afraid i might “break” something or possibly have
the car stop running while i’m driving…what is this and also when i leave
from my parking spot,there seems to be a grease spot on the ground…i know
it is not the oil in my car..so what is it?
Answer:
More than likely the clicking is the CV joint (constant velocity) if you have a front wheel drive car. And the spot you see on the ground is the grease leaking out of it. There is a boot which is supposed to keep the grease in the CV joint, but over time it wears out and may split. This will allow the grease to leak out and dirt to get into the CV joint. This will cause premature wear and the clicking noise you hear. Get the car to a mechanic ASAP, if the CV joint snaps, you may lose control over the vehicle.
Kevin
Posted: 29th August 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Drivetrain
Changing Rear Main Seal
Question:
I have a 5.7L (350 cid) V8 in a 1982 corvette. I believe it is an L83.
What does it take to replace the rear main seal? I have heard it minght be
possible to do so without removing the transmission. Any advice?
Thanks,
David
Answer:
I believe the rear main seal is a two piece design, so yes, it’s possible to change without pulling the transmission. You will have to remove the oil pan and the rear main cap. You can then remove the old seal and replace it. The seal is a rope style seal and you will have to use a small piece of string or wire to pull the new seal into place.
Kevin
Posted: 28th August 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Engine
