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    When it rains, it pours..

    Let me begin by stating that I bring my problems on myself. I'm a big dumb animal. That being said, today was supposed to be a good day. I have a box of parts for the protege that I have been waiting for fair weather and available time to coincide to install. That was today. Nothing major mind you. Just regular tune up stuff. Distributor cap and rotor, plug wires, and plugs for topside; new swaybar endlinks and an e-brake cable for bottomside. Most of this is simple stuff. My only real worries, in my mind, were figuring out how I would get the old endlinks off (especially the broken one) and whether or not doing the front cable would be easier if I unbolted the cables from the calipers at the back.

    Anyway, I decided to start at the distributor. The cap is held on by two screws. Looks simple enough. I get the front one loose with relative ease. The second one is more of a fighter. I apply more torque, as only a big dumb gorilla can and snap. Literally. I broke the ear off the distributor. I was upset by this but not horribly, as the junkyard is littered with replacements and it is a simple swap and the o-ring needed to be replaced anyway as it was leaking oil there. I don't let it get me down. I move on to the plugs. Two of the four have been cross threaded by the previous owner, it would seem. I replace the two that aren't and then begin the slow tedious process of 3 steps forward, two steps back. The first was #4. It went pretty well for awhile but then it hit so much resistance that I decided to give it a break. I moved on to #2 and began working with it. It seemed to be working a bit better. At least it was until it snapped. The ceramic, electrode, and the upper bolt head (sorry, but I don't know the correct term for this) came out, but the threads are still in the block.

    So, I've quit for the day. I don't know what to do next. Part of me wants to just go find a LX DOHC and put it in there, but I really don't have the money for a motor. Then again, I really don't have the tools or ability to deal with a spark plug cross threaded and broke off in the head...

    FML
    James

    1990 Mazda Protege 4wd / 1993 Mazda RX-7 / 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback / 2013 Ford Mustang

    #2
    while seince you have thread issues as it is and now a broken plug as well you need to start by removing the head. at least this is how i would do it... try to retap the stripped plug and you will have to knock out the broken one.. possibly run a tap through that as well then reinstall the head and hop ethat the retapped holes hold. if not a helicoil should do the trick or replacing the head all together.. if you get the head off you may as well bring it to an engine shop to have it checked out.. make sure its level and have them clean it up and do the rethreading themselves..

    Comment


      #3
      Speaking as one who has broken a wheel stud or two whilst removing the lug nut, I feel your pain.
      '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
      '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
      http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
      http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

      Comment


        #4
        You don't have a GTR drivetrain laying around that you'd part with, do you?
        James

        1990 Mazda Protege 4wd / 1993 Mazda RX-7 / 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback / 2013 Ford Mustang

        Comment


          #5
          Um, BWAaaaaaa hahahahahhahahahaha.
          No, no I don't.
          '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
          '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
          http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
          http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

          Comment


            #6
            yeah, I know. I just have a feeling this is going to be more work than I really want to put into this rust bucket.
            James

            1990 Mazda Protege 4wd / 1993 Mazda RX-7 / 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback / 2013 Ford Mustang

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by jay View Post
              Speaking as one who has broken a wheel stud or two whilst removing the lug nut, I feel your pain.

              wheel stud is nothing.. takes 5min to swap out

              Comment


                #8
                Not when they're welded in heavy truck studs on a rallycar they aren't...
                '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
                '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
                http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
                http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by jay View Post
                  Not when they're welded in heavy truck studs on a rallycar they aren't...
                  well who actually has a rallly car on this forum... jeeze haha that sucks

                  Comment


                    #10
                    What was cool about the last time this happened was that it went down in a service area at Oregon Trail, Pat Richard's support crew said "we can fix that" and in a matter of minutes that had the busted stud out and a replacement welded in. They refused payment, said they were bored and thanked *me* for livening up their day. People in rally are crazy, but they are very cool folks.
                    '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
                    '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
                    http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
                    http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

                    Comment


                      #11
                      so here is the odd question of the day. Will the 1.8L v6 in the MX3 bolt to the 4wd's tranny? I'm guessing not as I haven't seen any v6 swapped 4wd's on here, but as they are both g series trannys, I thought it would be worth asking as a friend has a complete mx3 donor car.
                      James

                      1990 Mazda Protege 4wd / 1993 Mazda RX-7 / 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback / 2013 Ford Mustang

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I really don't think so but have no firsthand info on that.
                        '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
                        '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
                        http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
                        http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

                        Comment


                          #13
                          The poor car is still sidelined from this malady. I started to try to take the head off, but there are places I either don't have the correct tools to get to or my hands are just too big, so I gave up. Had my mind on it today as the nice cool air we have now had me thinking about this winter. I wish I could just find a local BP for sale.
                          James

                          1990 Mazda Protege 4wd / 1993 Mazda RX-7 / 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback / 2013 Ford Mustang

                          Comment


                            #14
                            You can leave the intake manifold on,and if the exhaust manifold fasteners don't wanna cooperate you can leave it on as well and just disconnect it from the downpipe. You need the right socket for the head bolts but that should be all there is to it. When it comes time to replace the sparkplug threads, don't use a helicoil. What you want is called a "Time-sert". Much, much stronger than a helicoil.
                            '90 AWD Protege, full GTR drivetrain swap, ~320 whp daily driver, RIP, and
                            '90 AWD Protege, yet another GTR swap, Open class rallycar with a Toyota GT4 gearbox swap, thus crossing the line between hobby and mental illness. And a Brabus E55 K8, removing all doubt.
                            http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/vbpi...?do=view&g=110
                            http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2599486

                            Comment


                              #15
                              12mm 12 point socket for the head bolts
                              1993 Protege LX-Midnight's shadow SOLD
                              1996 Honda CBR600-Wrecked. Damn Honda crippled me
                              2002 mazda MPV-family truckster SOLD
                              2010 VW routon

                              Originally posted by jay
                              .....they totally underestimated the number of gearheads such as myself that have families but refuse to grow the hell up and stop playing with cars, or that otherwise see the utility of having 4 doors. Obviously I ain't alone, as there are a helluva lotta sti and evo here. Bueler? Beuler? Mazda? Mazda?

                              Comment

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