[s-cars] Thanksgiving Misadventure

[Scott Justusson]

Keith
Sorry to hear of a unthankful thanksgiving...  To your two main issues.  AAA benefits are *not* immediate.  IIRC they are 72 hours to become effective.  As such, you likely will 'need' to be with vehicle to avoid wasting those tow dollars.  Once you call, and request a tow prior to the 72 hours, they won't honor that tow.  They are very aware of sign-up and use memberships, and as far as I know, the only exception to that 72 hour rule is if you were a long-time previous AAA member creating quite a stink (BTwitnessedT at Steamboat one year)

To the actual issue with the car...  BTrepairT on many S cars over the years, usually #4 or #5.  This is likely due to improper torque specifications of the last spark plug install.  OR, as I've found out, it can just happen from Murphy's Law applied to S cars.  Two approaches to take.  

First, for what's in there now, it's likely already blown out the hole, but I use 125psi shop pressure with a blowgun and go in thru the spark plug hole.  Then do an in-situ time-sert replacement.  This requires a very exact perpendicular drill-out procedure.  I use a custom long drill bit and a alignment jig for this, but I know others have just eye-balled it without issue.  I use heavy grease on the drill and tap to trap the cuttings.  Blow out the cylinder with compressed air again, and put a new plug back in with new boot.  

 
Second, pull the head, take to a machine shop, have time-sert (as Cody notes time-serts are better than helicoils for this surgery) installed (might as well do all 5, it's a good 'mod').  Clean the piston top and install head.

When I do this procedure, I recommend trying procedure 1, taking extreme care in doing it right, takes about 4-6 hours for the first timer.  My success rate is 90+% without further issues.  On 1 the guy drove it quite a few miles and the hole ovalled to far for a proper bite of the time-sert.   All that said, the "proper" fix for this, is to pull the head, replace the piston and install a new head.  A long-time customer of mine towed his car to me after a dealer service.  When I discovered the problem, and found the dealer had installed new plugs, I suggested he re-tow the car to the dealer.  They installed a new head and replaced the piston.

Good luck, and this happens more often than most think.  The white smoke is likely the catalyst overheat as suggested, and IME, the turbo is rarely (if ever) affected by this failure.  Me, I'd do the time-sert procedure and recheck the spark plug torque at 6months.

Cheers and HTH 

Scott J

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Franchetti <skidfranc at gmail.com>
To: Lee Levitt <lee at wheelman.com>
Cc: Tom Green <trgreen at comcast.net>; s-car list <s-car-list at audifans.com>
Sent: Fri, Nov 25, 2011 8:11 am
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Thanksgiving Misadventure


I've signed up for "premier" AAA membership (200 miles). Printed temporary 
cards. However I read in one place on AAA site that towing benefit would only 
become available the shorter of 7 days after they recieve my payment (already 
done) or I get my cards.  Do my temp cards count?  I see no fine print on them 
suggesting they are any different than real ones.  Do I dare call now?  And I'm 
pretty sure I need to take bus back down to meet the tow truck (though I left a 
key with vehicle just in case not).  Does that sound correct?  

Keith

On Nov 25, 2011, at 7:47 AM, Lee Levitt <lee at wheelman.com> wrote:

> I think you will want AAA Plus, which costs a bit more but provides flatbed 
service and 100 miles of free towing.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Lee
> 
> On Nov 24, 2011, at 10:28 PM, Keith Franchetti <skidfranc at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hey Tom-
>> 
>> Thanks. Luckily only 92 miles, as we were just about exactly 1/2 way to 
turkey dinner.  Might look into towing tomorrow. I hear I can join AAA and 
request roadside assistance at the same time.
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