Timesert repair

I have notice a power different between my 06 ac(faster) and my 05 dc(slower). I understand that the dc is a heavier truck but it’s shouldn’t be that big of a difference. Anyways I started looking into, cleaning my maf and throttle body but no change so I was replacing the spark plugs/ignition coils and one of the plugs came out with a what I believe to be a timesert, I wasn’t able to get the old plug off so I installed it back in but it just kept spinning and wouldn’t tighten is there anything I can do besides get a new head?

 

I wonder if it's actually due to a gearing difference?

I recall a video @912 posted of his DC tearing ass, and I know my AC can't do that. Seems like the DC has something else going on the AC/RC don't.

 

Oh and on the helicoil removal, if you're certain that's what it is....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW8HO1wwiv0​

 

do you think it’s worth it to buy another timesert and try and install it?

 

If there's not clearly a problem, I would not dick with it and potentially create a larger issue. Especially if your confidence is low. It's not ideal to have a spark plug freely spinning, but a previous owner probably over-torqued. Maybe they did something really f'n stupid, like using anti-sieze on the plugs, which can easily lead to over-tightening, and stripping? Anyway, try fixing the nutsert? Threadlock to hold it in place? Is it a helicoil or timesert?

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That said, I would point out a couple of things. Nobody has found a good aftermarket coil for the 2UZ-FE. 5 of the 6 coils shown have cracks, one being serious (2nd from left), I marked what I saw with arrows. One is heavily discolored for some reason (3rd from right). The far-right coil is missing its rubber seal up around the collar. Don't buy coils on scAmazon or fleaBay, counterfeits are rampant.

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I believe it’s a Timesert. all 6 coils are cracked replaced them with rockauto denso went with denso 3297 plugs. Well thank you for your insight I guess the plan now is just run it. I bought the truck with a mileage reset on it didn’t know at the time and with later research found it has over 300k so I’m hoping she gets me through the next couple years. Thank you again I see you do a lot here, I appreciate it.

 

I would guess the discolored coil pack is the cylinder with the timesert repair. The timesert had already failed and the discoloration is due to exhaust gases blowing out the spark plug hole when that cylinder fired. It was running bad because you were running on 5 cylinders due to low compression in that cylinder due to the timesert failure. I would try a new timesert repair on that cylinder.

 

No actually the coil with the Timesert looked the best out of the six. It’s the 4.7 v8 and no codes either so I wasn’t misfiring, just felt like I should have more power. Compared to my previous 06 ac

 

AC's are just inferior trucks.

 

Did you happen to take a picture of the insert after you removed the offending plug?

 

You were still running on 5 cylinders or low compression in one cylinder because the discoloration on that coil pack is exhaust gas blowing past the spark plug. That cylinder had a loose spark plug or something going on. Is it possible that cylinder also has bad threads. We know one cylinder had a problem with the threads at some point due to the timesert.

It's also possible that one coil pack could have been swapped to a different cylinder when diagnosing the original problem when the timesert was installed.

Edited to Add
Are you working on a 6 cylinder or 8 cylinder engine? The pic shows 4.7 on the engine cover and there are only 6 coil packs in the pic.

 

I didn’t get a picture unfortunately

 

8 cylinders, all new Coil packs besides the two that weren’t cracked and 7 new spark plugs

 

Not sure if I'm offended or amused by that statement.

 

If it’s a genuine TimeSert that’s installed, and the spark plug is still spinning in the head, then whoever installed must have screwed up big time during the install. There are many other inserts out in the market that i would consider inferior. Perhaps one of those were installed? Not many amateur mechanics out there are willing to invest $150+ on a TimeSert kit. They simply head down to the local hardware store and find a single off the shelf insert instead.

At this point, it would be difficult to point you in any direction if we don’t know where the damage is at. We need pics of the cylinder head threads, the spark plug, and the insert that was used.

 

understandable, I know for a fact it wasn’t heli coil because it was a spring it was a solid instead with threads on inside and threads on outside when I took the plug out so did the insert, then one reinstall it wouldn’t snug up. So I really don’t know what’s going on

 

This was my thought also, and why I replied "helicoil". I've heard of plenty of helicoils spinning, never a Timesert. But you'd also be stupid to use a helicoil for a plug hole, IMHO. If Timesert. must not have been installed properly, or they didn't use the proper tool to set, or no threadlock?

 

It really sounds like it’s an off the shelf threaded insert that you can find at any hardware store. Perhaps whoever installed the insert, drilled and tapped the head incorrectly, and that’s why the spark plug is spinning? If someone skimped out by buying a crappy insert like that, then they probably also lacked the skills to even install it correctly.

If it were me, i’d remove the insert and investigate what the damage is. One you pinpoint what’s going on, i’d measure the diameter and TPI of the damaged spark plug hole. From there i’d research to see if a standard Timesert kit would work, or if you would have to use a Timesert spark plug repair kit. You might also have to get an oversized “BigSert” if the hole in the head is too wallowed out.

 

Idk if I’m confident enough to do something like that, but as long as it’s possible to fix without buying a new head I’m happy just need to find a mechanic that is skilled enough to do it. thank you for you input.

 

A Ford mechanic can fix that with his eyes closed. They have done a bunch of timeserts. I used to own a business that used Ford 150 4.6 work trucks. Those things spit out spark plugs like it was an old piece of gum. Timesert was the solution and works well if done right. That's why I recognized the exhaust gas on the coil pack. I have changed the spark plugs on a Ford 4.6 and 4 out of 8 spark plugs wouldn't need a ratchet to remove them they were so loose. The Ford 4.6 engine will usually start making a ticking sound when the spark plug is loose due to the combustion/exhaust leak. If you don't fix the tick by tightening the spark plug the plug is ejected ruining the threads.

It would be much easier to do the timesert on a Tundra than the Ford since the back spark plugs on the F150 V8 are buried in the firewall.

 

Yup, here's a video of someone doing one. What's the deal with Ferds needing this so much?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS3icrhlhbU​

 

On the Ford 4.6 2 valve there wasn't enough thread depth in the head to keep the spark plugs from coming loose.