stripped spark plug

[cordio13]

Ok I need some help. I have had the issue with the horrible idle and all that so I was doing some maintenance to my truck. I got a new air cleaner plugs, all the stuff. I cleaned all my fuel injection parts, even changed my egr valve cause it was really beyond hope. I was going to pull my intake manifold and change the gasket but before I did I was going to change my plugs cause I wanted to see how much carbon buildup was on them.
I was fine for five of them. I got to the back plug by the Brake master cylinder, put my socket and two small extensions in there and it started turning right away. I thought it was weird but I kept turning. After a few second I thought maybe the guy who owned it before me never tightened it up right so I tried to tighten it. That is when it occured to me. It is stripped. It is why it probably runs like junk.
Now what do I do? Can I remove the valve cover without removing the spark plugs? I figured if I got the cover off I could get to the plug and do SOMETHING with it.
Oh its a 1999 isuzu rodeo 3.2 4x4

[rodeo02]

If you can get that #6 plug to snug back down, I'd leave it & change the rest. It's probably firing fine as you would get a misfire code from that cyl if it wasn't. Your only other options are to replace the head, try to heli-coil that plug bore, or try to drill it out & tap it for a wider but same depth plug. To be honest, I would not suspect the plugs for the idle issue. Sounds more like a bad IMG, dirty throttle body, dirty EGR plumbing, or dirty MAF. Remember, 90% of the time it's NOT the EGR valve itself, it's a clogged outlet tube in the common chamber. Don't replace that $$$ EGR valve unless you KNOW it's bad.
G/luck
Joel

[Cat Fuzz]

Em, if the plug hole is stripped bad enough, that would cause a loss of compression in the number 6 cylinder rendering that cylinder pretty much dead. Yeah, that would cause a rough idle and huge power loss.

You can do the Heli-coil thing with the head on the truck but you need to use some grease on the tap to catch the metal shavings so they don't drop into the cylinder.

[megavolt121]

I'm not sure what the heli-coil method is, but in the past I've had a stripped sparkplug before. I took it into my mechanic, who got the plug out. When I asked him how he planned on cleaning out the shavings, he just started up the car, and i watched all sorts of crap blow out of that hole. You can try that too if you have to re-tap your engine

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by Cat Fuzz

Em, if the plug hole is stripped bad enough, that would cause a loss of compression in the number 6 cylinder rendering that cylinder pretty much dead. Yeah, that would cause a rough idle and huge power loss..

If the plug didn't seal at all, causing a loss of compression, it would blow the coil pack assembly right out of the plug tower & make a horrible hissing/popping noise while running on 5 cyls.

G/luck
Joel

[directory]

either way, it's not going to be a pretty fix.

i would take the heads off, and then have them drilled out for a larger spark plug (or even just that one cylinder) you DON"T want metal shavings inside the engine--even if you think that they all will blow out. it would cause issues down the road.

also an oil change would be in order--maybe 2

[rodeo02]

I wouldn't sweat some light aluminum shavings in the cyl. A quick hit with a shop vac and some thin vinyl tubing/hose should take much of it out. Thing is, I don't think you could even work on that #6 cyl due to it's proximity to the brake booster. Even the #6 coil pack is smaller due to space constraints. Hate to say it, but It might be easier just to remove that head & work on it out of the truck.
G/luck
Joel

[Cat Fuzz]

I've never heard of "larger spark plugs".

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by Cat Fuzz

I've never heard of "larger spark plugs".

Larger outer diameter on the spark plug threads . There's many different OD's avail. This *might* work on rodeos without the ion sensing ignition (up to 1999-00?) I wouldn't try it on the ion equipped.
G/luck
Joel