Miata Mailing List: October 1994, Message #63
sponsored by



     


   From: dquara@encore.com (Doug Quara)
Subject: Re: Explosive Coils?!?!
   Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 08:26:46 -0400

Bill Brooks, On Oct 5,  7:20am, writes:
> Subject: Explosive Coils?!?!

Sorry to hear about your problem.

> Well, it seems my miata kinda self-destructed.  Seems one of the ignition
> coils exploded (yes, exploded) frying the plug wire and blowing the plug out
> of the cylinder head! 
>
> (The plug is) in at least two pieces.  
> 
> What causes coils to explode? 

I dunno.  If you determine a cause, please update us!

> 
> How can this cause a plug to violently vacate the cylinder? 
> 

If the plug was compromised by the coil going south, like it having
cracked, it's easily conceivable that normal engine compression
would launch it.

> What's the likelihood the cylinder head's threads are stripped?
> 

Depends on how the plug broke (you state it is in two pieces).

> Do I have to buy a new cylinder head if its threads are stripped? 
> 

Not necessarily.  Again, depends on how damaged if at all the head
threads are.  They can be rethreaded if it is not too bad.

Doug Q.
dquara@encore.com