[s-cars] Thanksgiving Misadventure

[Keith Franchetti]

More problems.  Full disclosure:  I didn't actually use a torque wrench in
putting in plug yesterday.  I just made it "pretty tight" using
screw-driver-type socket driver.  Clearly, this was not close to 22lbs.
 This morning I dutifully was checking if it was still tight (it wasn't),
and had gotten my torque wrench dusted off.  The head threads stripped at
about 12 lbs.

So now I def. will need to do the time-sert repair.  I'm trying to find the
right kit.  I don't want "taper seat" version, do I?  Planning to follow
their directions on measuring the plug, etc.  But if anyone knows for sure
the exact kit, I'd be grateful for the info.

At least I got to drive the car a few miles and feel pretty confident there
are no other significant issues.  CEL went off after just a few minutes.
 Smoke subsided.  Sounded fine.  Feel relatively confident there wasn't any
significant damage done by debris going down into the combustion chamber.

Now the time-sert repair.

Then the hood repair (from sand truck incident).  Estimate this morning:
 $2700.

Keith





On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 12:41 PM, Keith Franchetti <skidfranc at gmail.com>wrote:

> Happy to report I seem to be back up and running, with a couple of things
> to watch closely.
>
> Finally received the valve cover gasket kit (4 pieces) yesterday.  I'm
> home sick today.  48 degrees out here in Vermont, 20-40 mph winds, and we
> are expecting rain.  But it was window enough to head out and see what I
> could do.  Pulled valve cover without too much difficulty (3 hoses to
> disconnect and timing belt cover).  The center gasket strip with the
> circles for the spake plug bores was the culprit.  (Thanks Bob Rossato for
> pointing me in that direction!)  1/2 of the #5 circle had fallen completely
> off (into the head, where I could retrieve it).  So that was where ALL that
> oil (what I thought was fuel on Thanksgiving day) was coming from, as I had
> to drive the car in LIMP mode to the bus station.  That whole central
> gasket was very brittle.  The outside part of the gasket didn't seem too
> bad.  Anyway, replaced all 4 gasket pieces and reassembled.  (The orange
> plastic piece under the oil filler cap was broken in 1/2 for some reason.
>  Would have like to replace, but the two pieces seemed like they were going
> to stay put, so I left there them there.  Guess I'll order replacement to
> have next time I have valve cover off, or if it seems critical I replace
> sooner).
>
> Vacuumed out the #5 bore as best I could.  Replaced the destroyed #5 boot,
> but left the pretty bad looking #5 coil in place.  Boot seemed to click
> into place nicely, despite the looks of the coil.  Cleaned up the other
> boots and bores (this was all pretty badly flooded with oil from my limp on
> Thanksgiving) as best I could.  Torqued in replacement plug (into the 8
> threads I have left, of what should be 11 or 12).  Battery dead, so had to
> recharge.  Started her up.  Came to life pretty quick.  Bit smokey out the
> rear end.  Check Engine Light still on.  Came on 1/2 way to WRJ bus station
> on T-giving.  (Imagine that!  1 cylinder with no plug, fuel injector
> unplugged, the whole thing gushing oil.  What could have tripped the CEL?).
>  I let her idle for a few minutes and warm up a bit.  Listened for any
> noise that might be associated with that orange plastic piece under the oil
> filler cap.  Sounded okay.  Took her for a little spin around the
> neighborhood 1.5 miles max.  Toward the end of that little spin, the smoke
> was actually getting alarmingly worse.  I actually turned around and
> hustled home much quicker than I'd planned to see what might be amiss.
>  Though by the time I pulled in a couple minutes later, the smoke might
> have been subsiding a little.
>
> Pulled the coil cover to check.  Pulled the #5 plug.  NO torque at all!
>  Yikes.  Came right out.  But no fouling or oil or anything else down
> there.  Looked pretty good, as far as I could see.  Torqued the plug back
> into the now at-temperature engine.  Time for another spin.  This time out
> on the highway for just a minute or three.  5 miles up the road.  Not
> seeing much smoke this time.  Maybe what I saw previously was all that oil
> that had gotten down into the combustion chamber burning off.  After this
> second test, I pulled the coil cover again and checked torque this time it
> had held (for those 10 minutes of driving or so).  Encouraging!  Maybe
> torquing at temperature was important.
>
> Question, who thinks I should use a little high temp thread lock down
> there to make sure that thing stays put?  What are the downsides to doing
> so?
>
> Also, there is a bit of misfiring/bucking going on--pretty minimal so far.
>  I'm thinking I should check all the plugs for fouling.  Thinking it might
> clear up, as I continue to work any of the goo and debris from the melted
> boot, oil leak, and broken gasket that might be left in there at the
> moment.  Other thoughts?
>
> Also, here's an  added detail to the story:  3 days after the car arrived
> back in my parking lot via the AAA-contracted flatbed, we had a dusting of
> snow/freezing rain here.  Not enough to need to plow.  But our condo
> association DID send the trucks out to sand.  So the sand truck, in turning
> around, backs into the S6, cutting a 4" long, 3/4" wide hole/gash in the
> hood, starting at the top of the grill.  So now I need a new hood for the
> car too.  Insult on top of injury, right?  Plow company is not disputing
> they did it though, fortunately (no one actually saw it).  I assume hood is
> the same (except for the S6 emblem on grill) as an A6.  Correct?
>
> Thanks again for all the help and support so many of you have given
> throughout this saga!
>
> Keith
>