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Well I got an FML for you....
I was working on my car today, adding on that inline PCV filter mod, that I found in the FAQ.
I got it installed, lookin cool, and pumped about it. I had bought new v-power NGK spark plugs, and spaced the gaps to .044, like was recommended. I got all of them in but the 1 cylinder plug. I couldnt get the spark plug socket around it for the life of me, so i looked down into the shaft, and it looked like somehow, the fule and oil had made a kind of clay, or gunk surrounding plug. So, i figured, maybe since brake cleaner is a super cleaner, maybe spraying that down there, would eat away at the gunk. so i sprayed some down there, and waiting 5 minutes....nothing...sprayed more...nothing...I was gettin really frustrated. but while i was wating, i was taking off my TB, but there was a coolant line comming of the back of the idle air control unit...(the silver unit at the bottom of the TB). I tried taking it off, but the pliers I had couldnt grip the clips well enough, so i figured, that I could shimmy it off with some good tugging...I was quite wrong. The hose tore off, and left a stub of hose still on the unit, and a torn hosee dangling there still connected to my engine.
I started bugging out, but figured I could fix it later before I got to work. So, I proceded to clean my TB wit ha full can of brake cleaner, getting as much black gunk off as I could, polishing it with a white t-shirt, and scrubbing. After I finished that, I went back to my stuck spark plug...I tried taking it out again...no luck. So I just said f'ck it. I put the sleeve of my rag t-shirt down there, to tr and soak up the brake fluid that was still there, and I got just a little bit of it, then I put the plug back into the spark plug hole. I then again tried to take off the rest of the torn coolant hose from the engine....but it tore again at the base, and left a hunk of hose still on the engine. I was getting really frustrated now...
I remember the spare foot of PCV hose i had from the original PCV line, so I made the hole on one size of the hose a little bigger, took off the stub of hose that was still on the TB, and shimmied on the PCV line. Since I had to go to work soon, I did my best to seal off the hose that was still on the engine with a lid, some super glue and tape...but no luck.
I put the TB back in, with my air intake....and fired up my car...probably a really big mistake...
As the car was idling like normally, surging from 11k to 16k, i went to the front to try and adjust the distributor a little bit. As I was doing that, the #1 sparkplug wire popped out of the hole with the end of it on fire!
I jumped up and put out the fire on the wire and in the hole. tried putting the wire back in, and it caught fire again.....my car was still running somehow, and the brake cleaner was still in the hole, and the spark from the wire was causing it to ignite....I was freakin out now.
I could smell coolant evaporating..a sweet, bitter smell, so i checked my sealed line...and it was pouring out coolant. I turned off my car, and checked my coolant fluids, it was basically dry...So i put in a gallon into the coolant cap, but it would keep emptying...I checked where the line was that I tried to seal..but it wasnt leaking from there? I saw a lot of water comming from somewhere close to there, but couldnt tell where. So...needless to say..I had to get a ride to work today..I got work at 8pm tomorrow...and at 4 on sunday...my mechanic life sucks right now....
Does anyone maybe have suggestions on what to do? about my spark plug gunk? and my coolant line? Laugh if you want...Cuz i was a little bit...but then I realized that I may have ruined that part of my engine...So...advice?

Owned

Your motor is fine

You just need to get a high pressure line (or a thick flexible rubber hose) and some small hose clamps, that will fix the coolant issue. You would need to lose alot of coolant and have the engine run for some time to mess it up, so dont get worried. Just fix it the correct way before going anywhere.

As for the spark plug s---, if you can get a air compressor or something like that (some gas stations have a air blower) you can blow the crap out of the spark well. Otherwise I would just leave that plug in there after you clean it out with some thin rags and let it evaporate overnight. Remember, gas and fire dont mix son.

I'm sorry this is gonna be a real a--hole thing to say, but: n00b FAIL!!!

Well, how do I get all the way down there and clean that crap out? I tried a flat head screwdriver, but it wasnt long enough, and it was my biggest one too. Is there any cleaners that can get that crap out of there? Anything at all? lol.
And yes...I agree that was a huge noob fail...haha
So a bigger hose that can wrap around the current hose thats still attatched to my engine? because I try to pry that off, and i couldnt.

Definitely fix up that hose to the IAC, you'll prolly need a new set of plug wires now as well. Solo's idea was good: either a blower to get the crap out of there or a vaccuum of some sort.

I hope I dont need new plug wires...thats really expensive...more than I can spend right now, haha, and what kind of vaccuum do you suggest? cuz I dont have a shop vac, and that crap down there seemed solid, not like a gooey substance. how could something solidify around a spark plug?

First off.. LO-f'nL
Use a non flamable cleaner/degreaser like Simple green and maybe get a kit used to clean a rifle. It comes with a bristle brush long enough to get down in there.

Oh, and LOL
You know that a spark plug may create a spark... brake cleaner also has these universal symbols on it saying not to use around a flame.

Are you sure that's gunk in the bottom of the spark plug hole or could it be the end cap off a spark plug wire?

navymx3 wrote: So a bigger hose that can wrap around the current hose thats still attatched to my engine? because I try to pry that off, and i couldnt.

dont double up the hose... that would end up being fail #2 and leak again

try and get it off and keep trying until you do. shouldnt be too hard, needlenose pliers twist and pull.

start now with the habit of fixing things right no matter how much frustration !

I worked on it last night, and found that it was in fact, the rubber end of the spark plug wire. So I got that out with a small metal pick, and changed out the spark plug finally....
Then I took back out the TB, and put that PCV line where the coolant line was, and put it all back together and fired it up...I figured that had worked...but not until i drove to work this morning...About half was there, my engine started smoking, and there was a big could of smoke trailing my car.
I didnt know what had happened, I just figured it was from the collant and water that got on my engine that night. Nope.
I got to a gas station on base, and checked it out, the PCV line had broken and the collant was pouring out again...
IDK where I can go to get the proper hose to keep that from happening again...

navymx3 wrote:I worked on it last night, and found that it was in fact, the rubber end of the spark plug wire. So I got that out with a small metal pick, and changed out the spark plug finally....
Then I took back out the TB, and put that PCV line where the coolant line was, and put it all back together and fired it up...I figured that had worked...but not until i drove to work this morning...About half was there, my engine started smoking, and there was a big could of smoke trailing my car.
I didnt know what had happened, I just figured it was from the collant and water that got on my engine that night. Nope.
I got to a gas station on base, and checked it out, the PCV line had broken and the collant was pouring out again...
IDK where I can go to get the proper hose to keep that from happening again...

make sure that you are not doubling up the lines.. you only want 1 PCV line on each connector. Also make sure you are using hose clamps to secure it in place.

Buy abit of high pressure fuel hose from any parts store.. cheap

I didnt double up the lines , I made sure to get to torn hose off last night, i just happened to find the exact tools i needed deep in my roomates garage, haha had to do some saerching though.
So i got those offf...but How am I supposed to get to a shop if the coolant is just pouring out?

You must got find an a-ganger