Had the car a few months just doing a quick service and two have snapped of in the head. Its a 92 k plate Fiesta 1.3. I know its probably a replacement head but open to any suggestions to try before I do this. Will a 1.1 head fit as they may be more plentiful or could the 1.3 KA head be used if I can`t find a fiesta one
replacement
I know I shouldn't say it, but this is only caused by lack of proper servicing.
In rare cases it is possible to weld a nut to the broken bit and undo them like that, however the only practical way to get the plugs released is to remove the head and drill them from the other side, provided you have soaked them in plusgas well then they will undo themselves as you drill, use the smallest drill that fits first and use progressively larger bits till the stub undoes. If you are really unlucky then you will misdrill or snap a drill off and bu##er the head up. Since you have nothing to lose you may as well try this first as the alternate is a secondhand head.
MrCheerful
replacement
This is a common problem with the Endura E cylinder heads and taper seal plugs having been over tightened when fitted or the rust that you always find.
Afriad you are going to have to remove the cylinder head, which luckily isnt a bad job on this engine, and i'd have a engineering shop remove the plugs for you- they are less likely to bugger the theads, although if they do they'll pop in some helicoils to sort it.
A valve lapping in session would be a good idea at the same time.
Tim..
Happens regularly on the OHV fords...... My way of removing them.... Obtain a 45 Torx Bit......can be got separately... A good one and hammer it down inside the plug shell where the electrode was...... and use 10 socket to remove. Have taken out dozens this way.
JK
replacement
I`ve took the head of now, I done it this afternoon about 11/2 hrs labour,
Was thinking about a big torx bit and possibly drilling as I have nothing to loose, but what about these helicoils how much would I be looking at to get two of these fitted, if the above fails. And also what about the later 1.3 ohv engines as fitted to the KA and mk 4 Fiestas I know they have fuel injection (mine doesn`t by the way) but are these heads all identical enabling a straight swap
Hi
Personally I'd have poured some hot thin oil into the plug surrounding, left this to stand for a while to penetrate and then used a breaker bar with a plug socket. If that didn't move it I'd have suspected someone welding the fakka's in for a joke!.
What can happen is that the nut part of the plug shears off fom the thread, leaving just the thread in the head, can be very awkward to remove, still I expect that the owners have saved a lot by not changing the plugs regularly or at least inspecting them.
MrCheerful
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