Bad Luck Snowball

[mcdonaldroadcapt]

I was pulling my plugs to do a compression test to check on the operation of my automatic compression releases on my 110 engine. In pulling the rear plug, the threads stripped and ruined the head. I put duck tape over both spark plug holes to keep dirt out until I decided what to do. In the mean time I backed the trike out into the drive while I moved some things around in my garage. My neighbors lawn sprinkler system came on while I was inside and soaked the left side of my trike. The next day I found out that water leaked through the tape and rusted both cylinders. Needless to say I am awaiting my bill on a top end rebuild. With 45,000 on the clock, maybe it was time. I like to think of it that way. I'll survive.

 

[dirtdobber]

That sucks.
Spark plug tread is a easy fix but rust in the cylinders that's a different story.
Was the enging hot?

 

[mcdonaldroadcapt]

That sucks.
Spark plug tread is a easy fix but rust in the cylinders that's a different story.
Was the enging hot?

It was warm. Did not want to helicoil head. Just wanted new part after I stuck my camera probe down in the hole and saw a lot of metal shavings on top of the piston.

 

[msocko3]

Was never seize ever used on the plugs? I know there have been other folks who have pulled threads when they didn't have any never seize on the plugs.

 

[dirtdobber]

anti seize is a must on spark plug threads. Cheap insurance.

 

[rhino 2]

Thermal Paste should be used... Anti/Never Seize sometimes will cause striped treads on Aluminum [Chemical reaction]... And if? by chance your using NGK plugs they come from the factory plated with their own propriety thermal coating... No other gunk is needed or recommended..

 

[RickDeVon]

Thermal Paste should be used... Anti/Never Seize sometimes will cause striped treads on Aluminum [Chemical reaction]... And if? by chance your using NGK plugs they come from the factory plated with their own propriety thermal coating... No other gunk is needed or recommended..

Thank you for that info on the NGK plugs...I use them in all my small 2 cycle equipment and my mowers...picked up a set for the trike at Thunder Beach this past spring...sitting on the shelf waiting for 10k service...

 

[msocko3]

Thermal Paste should be used... Anti/Never Seize sometimes will cause striped treads on Aluminum [Chemical reaction]... And if? by chance your using NGK plugs they come from the factory plated with their own propriety thermal coating... No other gunk is needed or recommended..

I've never found any reaction between anti seize and aluminum, plugs go in and come out perfectly. There are some things Harley will recommend that I don't agree with, one of those things I absolutely agree with is to use high temp anti seize on the spark plugs. I did find a dealer tech who thought he knew better, it almost cost the dealer some cylinder heads when the plugs almost didn't come out.

 

[mcdonaldroadcapt]

Was never seize ever used on the plugs? I know there have been other folks who have pulled threads when they didn't have any never seize on the plugs.

Always use anti-seize. Don't know why it got crossed up coming out. Have changed plugs for the last fifty years and have never had this happen.

- - - Updated - - -

Thermal Paste should be used... Anti/Never Seize sometimes will cause striped treads on Aluminum [Chemical reaction]... And if? by chance your using NGK plugs they come from the factory plated with their own propriety thermal coating... No other gunk is needed or recommended..

Using Harley Screaming Eagle plugs as always.

 

[msocko3]

Always use anti-seize. Don't know why it got crossed up coming out. Have changed plugs for the last fifty years and have never had this happen.

Hard to say why it happened, I've been using anti seize on every plug that goes into a Harley. They always come out with no effort. Sometimes I suspect the quality of their castings are not the greatest, I know of folks who have sent heads off to be ported only to need to find a different head due to a lot of porosity, or the head porter ends up doing a lot of welding.