I have a problem with the engine in my 96 neon. Ok so i was driving along, and somehow the spark plug and spark plug wire from the 2nd cylinder got blown out. Also the metal piece that the spark plug goes into came out also. what could have caused it and any suggestions how to fix it? Also now when it starts it doesnt run right. its still driveable but not for long distance and i have a 94 celica gt that i drive so the neon is sitting. any ideas will be helpful, im very mechanically inclined so i can probably do it myself but i just need to know where to start. thanks.

 

First of all if you were that mechanically inclined you would know the metal piece the Spark plug goes in is called a "tube" or concur that it looks like a tubeand obviously if the spark plug blew out it obviously wasn't tight enough or stripped the threads on the head where it screws into, is it that hard to figure out?. Get good spark plugs and tighten them like a man or use a torque wrench so you don't strip them.

 

ok...yea its a tube my fault for not using the exact word, slipped my mind. anyways the spark plug that blew out wasnt stripped at all. and the tube also came out so its not jus a matter of putting the spark plug back in an tightining it, its getting that tube back in the right way so it stays.

 

The spark plug should be all you need to hold the tube in. Most of the time they are compression fit into the head but the park plug itself will hold the tube in. Get a Torque wrench and tighten the Sparkplugs to the factory recomended13ft lbs. Then take the car for a drive to get it up tooperating temp and go back home and check the plugs with the torque wrench again to make sure they are still seated properly. If they make the torque wrench click still while hot your good to go. If they aren't tight while the motor is hot thentighten them till the wrench clicks and you should be good and have nothing to worry about.

The reason we do a cold and hot torquing of the plugs is because Aluminum expands and retracts when hot or cold so if the plug is tight during both hot and cold operation your good to go.

Before you do anything try to check the threads on the head and see if they are ok if so nothing should hold you back.

 

what if the threads on the head are stripped?

 

That sucks. use a coil. Ask about it at your local parts store. They will know.

 

Helicoil.

Plug was just loose. Make sure to torque them down correctly, so you don't over tighten them.