A sad story of stripped threads
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From: MN
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From: MN
Wow - a bit of research turns this a little complicated. I think the stock plug for the SS/SC 2005 was p/n 12787099 - the NGK: PFR6T-10G. However, at some point between then and now, the part got superseded by p/n 12610767 - the AC Delco 41-106. At least I think that's what's going on but does anyone else have any info on this? I'm getting mixed messages on the stock plug everywhere I look.
After a very long call to a GM parts dealer, they figured out that the NGK plug was superseded as stock part by the AC Delco plug in April 1, 2007 which should mean that the plugs in there were stock at the time, not changed out by the previous owner and so not voiding my warranty - fingers crossed, I'll update this if all goes well.
After a very long call to a GM parts dealer, they figured out that the NGK plug was superseded as stock part by the AC Delco plug in April 1, 2007 which should mean that the plugs in there were stock at the time, not changed out by the previous owner and so not voiding my warranty - fingers crossed, I'll update this if all goes well.
Last edited by zcler59; Jun 3, 2009 at 04:35 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
you can buy that helicoil kit for about 30$ and install it at home...
pulling the head isnt so bad..and getting it fixed wont cost that much...they are ******* you over hard core
pulling the head isnt so bad..and getting it fixed wont cost that much...they are ******* you over hard core
Just bought a used 2006 60k miles SS/SC from a private party and had it for three whole days before the engine started making a very loud noise like a vintage lawn mower.
Took it into a dealer for repair because the car came with a very comprehensive extended warranty so I figured nothing would be coming out of my pocket anyway.
Turns out one of the previous owners had changed out the sparks plugs to NGKs and in the process had screwed up the installation of one of them - either they left it loose or cross threaded it into the head. Result: the threads in the head are all torn up by the force of the compression. The coil pack was all shredded up and was flapping around causing the loud Harley-style noise I was hearing.
The dealer tried out a heli coil repair ($600) but said the threads are way too gone for that option. New option is now to remove the head and let a head shop try to repair it or to completely replace with a new head. The first option they said runs to the region of $2k and the second to $3k.
Now of course, because the plugs were changed out, it's considered user error (spoke to the guy I bought it from who denies ever touching the spark plugs) and the warranty company told me to forget it so I'm basically up the proverbial creek without a means of locomotion, but I haven't paid anything yet.
What do people recommend I do? I'd prefer to replace the head if the threads are really as gone as they say, but $3k just seems ridiculous. Where can I shop for a replacement cylinder head for this car?
Any help much appreciated.
Took it into a dealer for repair because the car came with a very comprehensive extended warranty so I figured nothing would be coming out of my pocket anyway.
Turns out one of the previous owners had changed out the sparks plugs to NGKs and in the process had screwed up the installation of one of them - either they left it loose or cross threaded it into the head. Result: the threads in the head are all torn up by the force of the compression. The coil pack was all shredded up and was flapping around causing the loud Harley-style noise I was hearing.
The dealer tried out a heli coil repair ($600) but said the threads are way too gone for that option. New option is now to remove the head and let a head shop try to repair it or to completely replace with a new head. The first option they said runs to the region of $2k and the second to $3k.
Now of course, because the plugs were changed out, it's considered user error (spoke to the guy I bought it from who denies ever touching the spark plugs) and the warranty company told me to forget it so I'm basically up the proverbial creek without a means of locomotion, but I haven't paid anything yet.
What do people recommend I do? I'd prefer to replace the head if the threads are really as gone as they say, but $3k just seems ridiculous. Where can I shop for a replacement cylinder head for this car?
Any help much appreciated.
dude we helicoil heads on the 5.4 triton ford motors all the time, that are infamous for blowing out sparks. at most it should be around 150, and the tritons usually blow that back ones which are a pain in the ass to get to. you are getting reamed. the I4 on this cars is right in front go somewhere else.
duno man all i have worked on including SS, LT, and LS have all had an AC delco irridium plug good for a 100000 miles. the only reason we use NGK's is because its a cooler spark
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From: MN
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From: Southern Ohio
I know why we use NGK, but we use STEP Cooler Plugs which would be BKR7e's for a step colder or bkr8e's for 2 steps colder.
The plugs out of my car are 6's which is the stock heat range. I don't know about the whole AC Delco dealio, but I know the LSJ engines I have used NGK as their stock plug.
Thats the problems with dealerships. If it doesn't come up on their computer. Then it must be wrong.
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From: Puerto Rico
i still got my stock plugs in some place around my house and they are ngk
im pretty sure of it
i got a head that i recently send to get ported but i havent made a flow chart yet that i think i might sell since im in a really hurry for the money. any info you can send me a pm
im pretty sure of it
i got a head that i recently send to get ported but i havent made a flow chart yet that i think i might sell since im in a really hurry for the money. any info you can send me a pm
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From: MN
Thanks to those of you who replied to this thread with info on your stock plugs.
The potential problem I see is if you approach a GM dealer for a warranty repair with your stock NGKs, the dealer might turn you away thinking you've replaced your plugs with after market plugs because the GM computers are reporting that the stock plug is the new AC Delco plugs that superseded the NGKs (in April 2007 according to a helpful GM parts salesperson I spoke to). That's what I've experienced so far.
FWIW the Hayne's manual for this car says the plug type for the 2.0L engine is a NGK PFR6T-0G.
The potential problem I see is if you approach a GM dealer for a warranty repair with your stock NGKs, the dealer might turn you away thinking you've replaced your plugs with after market plugs because the GM computers are reporting that the stock plug is the new AC Delco plugs that superseded the NGKs (in April 2007 according to a helpful GM parts salesperson I spoke to). That's what I've experienced so far.
FWIW the Hayne's manual for this car says the plug type for the 2.0L engine is a NGK PFR6T-0G.
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From: Dearborn, MI
Dude, I'm a GM Tech and I'm tellin you that you can in fact fix your head WITHOUT ISSUE! with a HeliCoil. I don't care what they say. and another thing. If you have an aftermarket warranty tell me what it is? I have a feeling they just don't feel like calling it in. It's literally as easy as the tech emailing the advisor a labor op and the advisor calls it in. WTF dude?
Steve
Steve
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Dude, I'm a GM Tech and I'm tellin you that you can in fact fix your head WITHOUT ISSUE! with a HeliCoil. I don't care what they say. and another thing. If you have an aftermarket warranty tell me what it is? I have a feeling they just don't feel like calling it in. It's literally as easy as the tech emailing the advisor a labor op and the advisor calls it in. WTF dude?
Steve
Steve
Unless I can prove definitively that the NGKs were stock plugs this is coming out of my pocket.
If any one knows, please help!
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From: Southern Ohio
What year car do you have?
Show them the Hayns Manual.. Print off this thread and then take any other information with you that you can find that it says the stock plugs are NGK.. Then DARE them to turn you down after you have several sources stating that the stock Plugs are NGK's.
Show them the Hayns Manual.. Print off this thread and then take any other information with you that you can find that it says the stock plugs are NGK.. Then DARE them to turn you down after you have several sources stating that the stock Plugs are NGK's.
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From: Boynton Beach, Fl
I dont see how spark plugs would effect anything anyway?
Does it say anywhere that you have to use the same spark plugs? They have all different types of makers of spark plugs.. they shouldnt be allowed to limit it to just stock...
CAnt you take it to another shop?
Does it say anywhere that you have to use the same spark plugs? They have all different types of makers of spark plugs.. they shouldnt be allowed to limit it to just stock...
CAnt you take it to another shop?
Last edited by ShortStack; Jun 5, 2009 at 11:08 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
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Update: happy ending to this sad story - the dealer agreed to make all repairs at cost to GM - not even using my extended after market warranty. I'm getting a new head put in to replace the current one with the stripped threads.
They weren't explicit about the stock spark plug issue. They said that GM has only ever used AC Delco parts, never NGK, but after I showed them the research done here they admitted it's a gray area and because they can't say conclusively what the stock part was at the time of manufacture, they'll defer to the customer.
The one really conclusive piece of evidence I had was from talking to an NGK tech who said one way to check is to look up the date code which is embossed on the hex of the plug. There should be four characters there and the second one in is a number that reflects the date of manufacture of the plug. I checked and my NGKs were made in 2004 which means I should be clear because the car was manufactured in 2005 and there's no way someone's going to swap out the plugs later on for plugs manufactured in 2004!
Anyway, cobaltss.net is a great resource and I just want to give a great big thanks to all of you who helped me out with info on this thread - if it wasn't for your help I could have been 1000s of $ out of pocket.
They weren't explicit about the stock spark plug issue. They said that GM has only ever used AC Delco parts, never NGK, but after I showed them the research done here they admitted it's a gray area and because they can't say conclusively what the stock part was at the time of manufacture, they'll defer to the customer.
The one really conclusive piece of evidence I had was from talking to an NGK tech who said one way to check is to look up the date code which is embossed on the hex of the plug. There should be four characters there and the second one in is a number that reflects the date of manufacture of the plug. I checked and my NGKs were made in 2004 which means I should be clear because the car was manufactured in 2005 and there's no way someone's going to swap out the plugs later on for plugs manufactured in 2004!
Anyway, cobaltss.net is a great resource and I just want to give a great big thanks to all of you who helped me out with info on this thread - if it wasn't for your help I could have been 1000s of $ out of pocket.
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From: Southern Ohio
Update: happy ending to this sad story - the dealer agreed to make all repairs at cost to GM - not even using my extended after market warranty. I'm getting a new head put in to replace the current one with the stripped threads.
They weren't explicit about the stock spark plug issue. They said that GM has only ever used AC Delco parts, never NGK, but after I showed them the research done here they admitted it's a gray area and because they can't say conclusively what the stock part was at the time of manufacture, they'll defer to the customer.
The one really conclusive piece of evidence I had was from talking to an NGK tech who said one way to check is to look up the date code which is embossed on the hex of the plug. There should be four characters there and the second one in is a number that reflects the date of manufacture of the plug. I checked and my NGKs were made in 2004 which means I should be clear because the car was manufactured in 2005 and there's no way someone's going to swap out the plugs later on for plugs manufactured in 2004!
Anyway, cobaltss.net is a great resource and I just want to give a great big thanks to all of you who helped me out with info on this thread - if it wasn't for your help I could have been 1000s of $ out of pocket.
They weren't explicit about the stock spark plug issue. They said that GM has only ever used AC Delco parts, never NGK, but after I showed them the research done here they admitted it's a gray area and because they can't say conclusively what the stock part was at the time of manufacture, they'll defer to the customer.
The one really conclusive piece of evidence I had was from talking to an NGK tech who said one way to check is to look up the date code which is embossed on the hex of the plug. There should be four characters there and the second one in is a number that reflects the date of manufacture of the plug. I checked and my NGKs were made in 2004 which means I should be clear because the car was manufactured in 2005 and there's no way someone's going to swap out the plugs later on for plugs manufactured in 2004!
Anyway, cobaltss.net is a great resource and I just want to give a great big thanks to all of you who helped me out with info on this thread - if it wasn't for your help I could have been 1000s of $ out of pocket.
Anytime.. Feel free to just Paypal me 200.00 for my services and help at mattcooper2005@yahoo.com
!! Lol, jp, but seriously....
Glad to hear it OP!
