2000 Petrol Avensis Cylinder Head - Blown Out A Plug!

[londonmark]

Hi

My dear old Mum's Avensis just concked out in Torquay (I am 100 miles away!). Apparently the spark plug has come out of the head but it looks as if it has damaged the threads on the way out!

Where is best to get a new/recon head?

Is there anywhere anybody reccomends to do it in that area?

Its done 100K but it is a high spec CDX with leather and every conciveable extra that was available and until now has been reliable having been owned buy moy brother from new before my Dad. It seems a shame to scrap it.......

Thanks for any help.

mark

[Jamesbelfast]

Why even remove the head. Most good garages will know somemone who can helicoil the thread in situ., A good mechanic or engineer who has experince of fitting hel-coil re-threading should be able to do the job in an hour or so.

Have a look through the Youtube video clip below which shows how it can be done.

[timson]

How does one [A] remove the swarf and make certain all the swarf has been removed.

[t-spiritpete]

How does one [A] remove the swarf and make certain all the swarf has been removed.

A - plenty of grease in the flutes of the tap.

B - you can never be sure but cranking the engine over without the sparkplugs in should do the job.

Note - The above does have it's risks but a few tiny bits of alloy swarf left behind is a risk worth taking if scrapping the car is the only financial option.

I personally would remove the head but not everyone is able to or afford this method.

Pete.

[londonmark]

I am going to try that first and hopefully that will sort it out but I was planning for the worst!

A new head is epic money so I was wondering is there was any good recon suppliers?

mb

[cmia]

I am going to try that first and hopefully that will sort it out but I was planning for the worst!

A new head is epic money so I was wondering is there was any good recon suppliers?

mb

probably cheaper to fit a new engine

[Jamesbelfast]

How does one [A] remove the swarf and make certain all the swarf has been removed.

A - plenty of grease in the flutes of the tap.

B - you can never be sure but cranking the engine over without the sparkplugs in should do the job.

Note - The above does have it's risks but a few tiny bits of alloy swarf left behind is a risk worth taking if scrapping the car is the only financial option.

I personally would remove the head but not everyone is able to or afford this method.

Pete.

There is a simple method of preventing swarf from tapping getting into the cylinder. One method is to rotate the cylinder being worked on until it is on its inlet stroke. Remove its injector and connect a source of compressed air into the inlet manifold. It takes very little difference in air pressure to have an effect. There are professional kits availble for doing this work. Diesels glow-plugs give similar problems where they stick or break so they need to be drilled out. Contacting a diesel specilaist may be an option. The job takes around one hour and even at top labour rates it is much cheaper than removing the head and the job can be done whilst you wait.