I have a S reg Volvo S40 16valve 2.0 litre, coming back on the M25 yesterday a spark plug went, sounded like a chinook helicopter in my bonnet! Had the RAC out & the thread has gone, they tried to put a new spark plug in but it just spun around...they advised me to get a new thread cut or a helicoil fitted...I've spent the entire day phoning around & no-one seems to do this....the couple of mechanics that will do it can't for the best part of a week but I need it done asap...one of them suggested to get a kit myself & do it...no idea how easy this would be.
I live near Redhill, Surrey...any ideas or info would be very much appreciated!!!!!!
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Look in your "yellow pages" for an engineering shop;a good one will do it without removing the head;vacuum out all the swarf.
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will do! any particular type of engineering shop? ie car engine engineering etc
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A place in crawley does these kits & I cant remember there name, anyway its a job for some experience & you will need to make sure the piston is well clear & the valves shut because some valves when open start to cross the plug hole & the tool for helicoiling spartkplug threads is extra long & will penetrate the valves, seen it done before normally ends up bending valve or snapping tool & becomes very expensive. Great care needs to be taken including with the swarf & experience of fitting helicoils would be recommended for cylinder heads! up to you.
The spares shop is near stevens vauxhall on an industrial estate
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I concur Injection doc's comments.
Wurth do a system to fix this permanently.
see www.wurth.co.uk/catalogue/pdfs/UK-CD_04_6023.pdf
You need to find a competent workshop that uses this system.
It is essential that the new spark plug seats properly - the "motor seat" of the sparkplug conducts approx. 80% of the heat from the insulator tip (which can get up up to 900 deg C) , to the cylinder head.
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I had this happen to me some years ago and like gjp77 needed a quick fix. In the finest desperate DIY traditions I bent a length of steel in an 'L' shape of suitable dimensions with a hole in one end. Securing at a convenient mounting point (air cleaner support stud) I had the 'L' bracket press down on the plug (on the metal just below the ceramic) holding it in situ. I fully expected this not to work or at best be very temporary but it was still like that some 14k miles and a year later when I sold it. The buyer was aware as I had to explain the large upwards dent in the bonnet where the plug had struck it with some force.
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Can anyone recommend a garage/workshop/mobile mechanic who could fit a helicoil near to Redhill, Surrey, as the RAC advised not to drive the car??
Have had numerous conversations over the last few days with various mechanics & people who know about cars & the common theme is this:
1) Best & safest way to correct this is to take the head off & have it done from underneath. For me this isn't really an option simply because of the cost involved ie. for all the work - head off, thread fixed, timing belt changed etc etc will cost in excess of 600 notes! I simply cannot afford that at the moment.
2) Try & sort it inder the warranty...I have only owned the car since March & the dealer I bought it off has turned out to be a supreme scumbag! And I don't say that lightly! The night I picked it up it jumped out of 5th gear on the M25 then within a week the gearbox went completely. Took him nearly a month to sort it & I'm still chasing the costs for a hire car!
3) Have a helicoil fitted! I have tried so many places & no-one seems to do it! A couple of mechanics who do aren't available for a week or so but I really need to be mobile asap.
Any help or advice guys would be hugely appreciated!!!
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Why not get yourself a hire car for a week, and then go with option 3?
Number_Cruncher
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I'm sure it's just a matter of finding the right sort of place - I had this happen on a Cavalier when I was in Malvern (long way from home) at 5PM on a Friday. The local Vauxhall dealer referred me to a real back street type garage where the owner helicoiled it in a jiffy for a fiver cash.
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I don't know the Surrey area at all, but I'm really surprised that you can't find anyone to do this. Have a look through your yellow pages under 'engine reconditioning'. Also ring a tool factor (the people who sell the helicoil kits) and ask if they can suggest someone - they may well have a few regular customers who they can recommend.
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