Anyone going to the Dream Cruise? ... and can I hitch a ride

[TrollFromDownBelow]

It's this Saturday. I will probably be making a loop with the family and the bus sometime in the afternoon.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

Guess I'm not going after all

[album]484[/album]

Coming home on the freeway from work the exhaust got extremely loud all of a sudden, loss of power, and wouldn't idle. Hoping it is just what it sounds like - wicked exhaust leak - and not something more serious.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

it's fixed. :) Spark plug came completely out?! Changed the oil this morning, gave her, her annual bath, so she's good to go.

[ruckman101]

Scare me like that. Great to hear the issue was obvious and easily remedied.

neal

[TrollFromDownBelow]

Thanks Neal... And for any of you frustrated gearheads out there, the Dream Cruise is a lot of fun. Picture ~ 8 miles of bumper to bumper classics (and some not so classics) rat rods, motorcycles, etc, etc. You get the picture. Typically attracts 1 million plus people and 30,000 classic cars. lots of fun.

Tripod ran like a trooper! Made me (almost) rethink my plans of doing a top end refresh with new heads this winter.

VW buses around here are not very common (only saw one other the entire cruise). But I was still surprised at the amount of attention she got....I mean, she is now where near a pristine Colin specimen; I did give her a bath, but she does show some of her 200k plus miles.

Also, I need to think up a reason to fly out to Portland again for work.... made it to the Lab a few times, but that was years ago. It was cool meeting up with all you folks.

[Xelmon]

Ahhh, missed this the other day, been hella busy.

Hm, I'd be wondering what condition the threads are in after the spark plug hopped out. Hopefully not even minor damage was caused by that.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

About the spark plug threads.....think I'm ok.

I suspect that the plug may not have been fully seated. The last half of the plug threads were clean, and top half were dirty, as if they were sitting outside the head. When I went to put the plug back in, first 3-4 turns were smooth, then it would bind up....I suspect from carbon build up in the lower threads from the plug not being fully seated. I gently worked the thread back and fourth until I got it fully seated.

It was a 20 min expressway ride to the cruise, then about 2-3 hours idling up Woodward, followed by a 20 min high speed two lane highway ride back to the house - no problems. Will check tightness though.

[Amskeptic]

About the spark plug threads.....think I'm ok.

I suspect that the plug may not have been fully seated. The last half of the plug threads were clean, and top half were dirty, as if they were sitting outside the head. When I went to put the plug back in, first 3-4 turns were smooth, then it would bind up....I suspect from carbon build up in the lower threads from the plug not being fully seated. I gently worked the thread back and fourth until I got it fully seated.

It was a 20 min expressway ride to the cruise, then about 2-3 hours idling up Woodward, followed by a 20 min high speed two lane highway ride back to the house - no problems. Will check tightness though.

Good ol' Tripod! It has been a year of spark plug threads in my Itinerary . . . Sluggo? Kubelwagen? And hey Curtis4085, I am serious about how nice and easy I like to be with spark plug torques, so what is the likely reason Troll lost his plug? Was it because it was not snugged at all? Not torqued to 22 ft/lbs like the Bentley says to do? Because it was overtightened at one point and stripped the head threads? My favorite possibility is that someone used Beetle engine short reach plugs once . . .
Colin

[TrollFromDownBelow]

Good ol' Tripod! ...... My favorite possibility is that someone used Beetle engine short reach plugs once . . .
Colin

Yes Alex, I will take "Number one reason why a spark plug won't fully seat into a Type IV head." Suspect that happened in the past, carboned up the threads a bit, and my 'calibrated wrist' told me it was snugged down tight on at least two other occasions.