Other than oil, fluids, and a few filters, there are few do-it-myself tasks I can handle on my 2007 Mustang GT. Changing the spark plugs -- which should not be a big deal -- has unfortunately been added to the too-complicated-to-do-it-myself list, thanks to the monkeys.
Apparently the Robert Bosch et al. design with a unitary threaded hex drive metal shell was not good enough. That’s where the monkeys came in. The 2007 Mustang GT plugs were designed with separate hex and threaded components joined by the ceramic insulator.
Here's a look at the engine compartment of the 2007 Mustang GT.
This approach is sufficiently robust to torque the plugs during installation. However, the threads extend into the combustion chamber and develop a carbon coating. Once that happens, the torque required to remove the plug fractures the ceramic and leaves the sheared threaded portion of the plug in the head.
The monkeys have provided a fix in the form of a special tool to remove the broken threads.
This entry was submitted by Tom O'Rourke Bradley and edited by Rob Spiegel.
Tell us your experiences with Monkey-designed products. Send to Rob Spiegel for Made by Monkeys.
After re-reading the article, I realized it says that "the exposed threads of the spark Plug inside the combustion chamber get carbon on it, making removal difficult"...
Well; to begin with, NO theads should be exposed, because their sharp edge would become red-hot during high acceleration or heavy engine loading, producing detonation or preignition, along with high NOx production...
One other thing that puzzles me, is that car engine spark plug design continues to use the sealing of the hot combustion gasses in the upper part, that is, the standard design places the deformable gasket (or conical chamfer) above the threads... thus a small part of the gasses can travel into the threads. Even my small, hobby-oriented 1/A (about 1.00 cubic centimeter displacement) two cycle engines have their sealing surfaces UNDER the threads, so that NONE of the hot gasses leak into (and back out of) the threads. This sole measure increases notably the power output of this very small IC engines.
(these Model engines are of a semi-diesel design, so that the plugs are not strictly "spark" plugs, but "Glow" plugs, but I'm refering to the seal design)
Maybe the Model Airplane engine industry hasn't been invaded by Monkey designers yet!
By the way... this is a Photo of a "Nelson" plug, FYI, a Nelson model airplane engine produces about 2 BHP from a displacement of 0.36 Cu In... that is about 2.97 BHP per Cu-In, or 180 BHP per liter!
We have an extensive library of instruction sheets in .pdf format, plus many video installation guides, both at our websites,(fulltorque.com, and locknstitch.com), and via YouTube and Facebook. There is also a wealth of information regarding casting repair, crack repair, and thread repair. Following these instructions, thousands of successful repairs have been made with no issues due to chip contamination. One of the main disadvantages of Helicoils and other thread repair inserts is that they are notoriously bad at heat transfer between the plug and cylinder head. Our products solve this and many other problems. They have undergone extensive dyno testing by many major engine manufacturers with stellar results.
Does your company also include the means of chip removal from inside, say like an engine cylinder without having to remove the head? That's always been a problem with "Helicoils"! Other than that, I've haven't any other problems with "Helicoils"
Helicoils will not provide the best repair. We provide Factory and Dealer approved repair inserts, tools, and kits for many major automobile manufacturers, including kits for stripped or damaged spark plug threads. Our product is available to the public for this and many other thread repair uses. We also do thread and crack repairs for everything from small, thin wall turbo housings to huge diesel cruise ship engines, on, and off site, and in situ. We are Lock-N-Stitch Inc., and our thread repair product is called FullTorque. Check it out, it is the best engineered thread repair product available for most applications. Not the cheapest, just the best. Sorry if this seems like a sales pitch, just thought you might want to know about a better product.
I think pictures of the bad spark plugs would have been more fitting than a flamed out engine compartment, that says nothing about bad spark plugs but everything about the author
Re:BOSCH, all the plugs I have in my cars and still some NEW ones were made in 1980's, if the current ones are really as bad as you claim perhaps theya re no longer made in "West Germany" and mosr likely moved the production to run by Monkeys if not accountants plant !
I better get mine gold plated over the +4 electrodes !!!
If ground electrodes melt that just means that the air fuel mix is just too lean, and vehicle runs too hot, generates too hign combustion temperatures at the end of combustion cycle which loead to excessive NOx emissions, if you now have plugs that do not melt, the valves will melt next, so actually you will be far better off to if the problem, the spark plug melted ground electrode is just indication of the combustion problem you already have !!!
I agree Duchman, and that is pretty much my Point! It looks good, is bought by teenage boys to attract women, and it does attract certian women. But if the women were smart they would look for good engineering and what's on the Inside...
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