Well i just got back from midas and he said that the leak was coming from my back two spark plugs on my drivers side. He said that the head could be stripped but he wasnt sure. So he suggested to tighten them back up when it was cool and see if that worked, if not i might need to get a new head or have a machine shop fix it . My question is how tight do you tighten the spark plugs. You can actually see the plugs moving back and forth in the head. I dont want to tighten them too tight but I dont want them falling out. Thanks for the help and hopefully i dont need a new head

 

You wouldn't be able to tighten them at all.

Time to helicoil the holes.

 

That just it, yesterday i checked the plugs and the back two were really loose. So i tightend them with my fingers because i didnt have a 5/8" socket that was deep enough. So today i am going to tighten them with a socket. How tight do i get them. And what is Helicoil???? THanks.

 

tighter than finger-tight, that's for sure

Not sure on the exact torque spec, using my highly calibrated wild guess, I'd say 30ish ft/lbs? You're prolly not using a torque wrench anyway, I know I never have, it's one of those "til it feels right" kinda things. Ya want em tight, but not like pushing with both hands on a 1/2" breaker bar tight. using a 3/8" drive ratchet, 1 hand, go about as tight as you easily can...don't be killin yerself.

 

Helicoil is a thread repair kit that you can buy to repair stripped threads. Try and visit http://www.toolsource.com/ost1/heli_coil/ for more info. Hope this helps.

 

well i was planning on using a 2ft breaker bar.... . but seriously, i am not going to use a torque wrench so i guess i will just tightne them till they feel good.

 

just remember, the proper torque for any fastener is "1/4 turn before it strips"

 

If they are floating around visibly there is no way you are going to tighten them down, those threads are GONE. Breaker bar easily give you the leverage to strip them if they were totally fine to begin with, aluminum is not that strong, even inserting the plug wrong can destroy the threads and I think that is probably what happened.

This has happened to people who pay others to do the "tune up" for them, and is one reason I wont trust anyone to touch the car unless I know they really care about you as a customer and your car.

 

Yup the best way is to do it your self !
aint nobody touchin my car not even my wife...but maybe my girlfeind

 

i just got done tightening the plugs. They dont move around anymore...thankfully. But the F#$*ing leak is still there . Man, its really pissin me off. Oh well i guess i will just have my friends dad take a look at it this weekend because i sure cant find it.

 

What kind of leak are you talking about?

 

Exhaust leak.

 

it's your two bolts connecting the y-pipe to the Off road pipe, or the bolts the hold the header to the y-pipe.

Ask me how I know (See sig for M6 car)

 

I'm assuming you have checked around your headers extremely well.

 

i have checked around my headers....i have the leak located and its coming from around the third spark plug back on the drivers side. It seems tight but it just doesnt seem to be in all the way. I took it out and tired to put it back in but it just stops turning after a certain point, and i dont think it is all the way in..its too far out...what can i do to get it to line up right??? helicoil??