We are changing plugs in Damon's truck that has Patriot heads and the insert came out with the very first plug. This is the first time the plugs have been changed since he spit a plug and the heads were installed. The plug looks like it got wet and rusted to the insert.

I sprayed PBlaster on seam between the plug and the insert. We screwed it back in tight hoping when we broke it loose again the plug would come out without the insert. No luck with that idea. I know Rob02 had this happen but I don't know how he got the insert loose without tearing it up.

 

Interesting. The SAME thing happened to me with my heads earlier this year on two of the plugs. Gunnar at Patriot told me it was the first time he had heard of this. I put the plugs in originally and I didn't torque them down tight or anything. When I went to change them the first time after just a few hundred miles, it happened on 2 of them. I put them back in with locktite and let them sit overnight. It worked. I've changed them at least 6-10 times since then with no problems. I always cringe on those plugs though just hoping the insert stays in.

 

From what I understand, you are trying to reinsert the insert via reinstalling an old plug. Correct? Recommend you get a new insert and go about it as if installing a new insert.

 

Not an option. I don't have an insert in my back pocket and he has to drive the truck home.

We went and got some red loctite to reinstall the plug until another day. Hopefully the rest of them go easier.

 

Man, for the price of those heads they could at least use some decent hardware. If it were me (and soon it will be) I would demand Helicoil inserts or shine them off if they wouldn't oblige.

 

When I started to remove #2 plugs again it took a lot of a$$ to break it loose like the first one. I could tell it was still hard to turn after one revolution so I just tightened it back and we called it a night.

Damon went through some deep water and the skirt was loose on the front of the heat exchanger catching water. The electric fan blew it all over the motor and apparently some went in the plug holes. The #1 plug and the top edge of the insert were rusty as crap.

I would suggest that it's more important to use anti-seize with this setup than any other. A little water with a steel on steel contact can lead to a lot of rust.

I told Damon he should pull all the coil packs then spray PB Blaster in the holes and wait a while. The plugs might break loose from the insert that way.

 

My plan was to buy 2 inserts to replace the 2 that came out if the locktite didn't work, but it did and it has held through several plug changes. I was told that I must have torqued the plugs down too tight. There's a cam that catches as you start to loosen the plug and it holds the insert allowing the plug to loosen - unless the plug is stuck in the insert either through over-tightening or if bonded with rust like it sounds like here. In my situation, there was no rust and the plugs weren't over-tightened. I think the cams on the inserts were junk. Maybe a bad batch. Either way, the locktite has it in there and it ain't coming out. I hope the PBlaster works for him.

 

More reinforcement to use coil (Heli-Coil) type inserts.

 

add JB Weld to insert and screw plug back in, let it set, cold engine removal only.

 

When I had two inserts pull out on Rob's motor, what I did was put some green loctite sleeve retainer on the inserts and thread them back in. Never came out again. This idea came from my brother, who said they've been using the sleeve retainer on motorcycle plug inserts for years with no problems. Also, if you have inserts, you need to put antisieze on the plugs as well.