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Aluminum Head Thread Strip

jimpaschal

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jimpaschal New Member

jimpaschal

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Posted

I had the 100K maintenance done on my 2004 GMC Denali at the local Asheville, NC GMC dealer at 91K miles. As part of the service I had the spark plugs changed. This was in April 2007.

 

In August 2010, I was in Florida and hear a tap-tap-tap sound and took it to the local GMC dealer in Panama City Beach. They discovered that the #2 spark plug "fell out by itself" with the threads stripped. I had them install a heli-coil to repair the plug socket. This was at 151K miles.

 

Today (November 2010) at 171K miles, I hear a familar tap-tap-tap sound and take it to the local GMC dealer here in Asheville. They find the #2 plug has been stripped and has to install a 2nd heli-coil.

 

I purchased the vehicle new from the local GMC dealer and have had all maintenance done by them, including routine maintenance. I firmly believed that they over-torqued the plugs when they changed them and damaged the threads in the aluminum heads. I don't know why it's taken so long and so many miles to result in the two failures, but I know of no other reason that a head would do this. The only time the plugs have been touched since the vehicle was built was when they changed them.

 

Do you agree?

ChevyTech77 Senior Enthusiast

ChevyTech77

Posted
Posted

The original plug could have pulled threads when it was removed originally. Tech then just reinstalled the new plug hoping that it would hold. At this point, it sounds like the head is no longer going to accept a plug repair insert so

you are going to need a new head. The plug could have also been cross threaded causing the damage too, hard to

say. I doubt they over torqued it. The ceramic in the plug would have broken before it would have stripped, more than likely.

jimpaschal New Member

jimpaschal

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  • Author
Posted
The original plug could have pulled threads when it was removed originally. Tech then just reinstalled the new plug hoping that it would hold. At this point, it sounds like the head is no longer going to accept a plug repair insert so

you are going to need a new head. The plug could have also been cross threaded causing the damage too, hard to

say. I doubt they over torqued it. The ceramic in the plug would have broken before it would have stripped, more than likely.

 

*****************

 

Thanks for the insight. I may have not been clear with my post. The first problem was with plug #2. This latest problem is with plug #1. I think plug #2 (and hopefully plug #1) is still OK. At this rate if I keep the vehicle long enough I'll have to heli-coil the other six (ha). Still probably better and cheaper than putting on a new head.

 

I think what you're guessing is that the threads of the head and plugs were so "fused" over time that removing them damaged the head threads. Possible I guess. Not sure if the factory puts the "anti-fuse" goop on the plugs to allow them to be changed and not fusing the aluminum heads to the steel plugs. If that be the case, maybe the factory is the "bad guy" here and not the dealership. Seems pretty crummy that the factory would sell a product that recommends a service event at a mileage after the warranty runs out that can not be preformed without damaging the vechicle.

 

Thanks again for your time and thoughts.

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