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Exploding spark plug in a Oldsmobile 350 block

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Old January 13th, 2022, 01:04 PM
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Exploding spark plug in a Oldsmobile 350 block

Attention Joe P or any one else on subject that can explain how this can happen. A administration member on another site claiming this happened on his engine while sitting at a stop light. Has anyone had this happen before?
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Old January 13th, 2022, 01:08 PM
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Not sure what you mean about "exploding spark plug", so maybe this is different. I once had the ceramic blow out of a plug - the metal base below the hex rusted, the hex part came off, and then the ceramic insert was blown out by the cylinder pressure.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Fun71
Not sure what you mean about "exploding spark plug", so maybe this is different. I once had the ceramic blow out of a plug - the metal base below the hex rusted, the hex part came off, and then the ceramic insert was blown out by the cylinder pressure.
Well this guy claims that he found pieces of the plug throughout the top end of the engine. I just can't wrap my thoughts around that. If it blew out from not being torqued properly then I get it. That isn't exploding into the block and top end. He claimed idle running at stop light.
He also claimed it had been recently rebuilt.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Well this guy claims that he found pieces of the plug throughout the top end of the engine.
As INSIDE the engine? If so, I agree with you that there's no possible way for that to happen.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 01:23 PM
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The site is 68-72 Cutlass/442 Thomas Sickfoose is the admin who is making this claim. He must be one in a million to have that happen.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 02:42 PM
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There electrode and surrounding ceramic could fail due to overheating and end up in the cylinder, but the threaded part and above can only go the other way(out)

Ive seen both N2O, and Nitromethane( Top Fuel) cause plugs to melt the tips away.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 02:44 PM
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I've known Thomas S for many years and he is also a member on this site. A liar he is not. I've seen exploding plugs that were destroyed due to detonation. I've had Champion plugs where the ceramic come apart and the centers blowing out, I won't use Champion anymore. I've also seen spark plugs that come in contact with the piston for one reason or another and have the ceramic blown out.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
I've known Thomas S for many years and he is also a member on this site. A liar he is not. I've seen exploding plugs that were destroyed due to detonation. I've had Champion plugs where the ceramic come apart and the centers blowing out, I won't use Champion anymore. I've also seen spark plugs that come in contact with the piston for one reason or another and have the ceramic blown out.
I agree that detonation can do damage but you would know that when it happened. Also coming into contact with piston will do damage but that's not the plugs fault. Now loosing the ceramic that could be what he is describing. But it sounded like a major failure of the engine to me not just a plug. But hey it's his story not mine. Thank for the reply Eric.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:08 PM
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I'd like to hear more details with photos from the eye-witness.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:11 PM
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At the risk of getting into another argument with someone about structures...

Unless the insulator fractures, it isn't possible for it to go inward. Even if it does break, what sucks it in? I'm really struggling to come up with a credible failure mode here.



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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
At the risk of getting into another argument with someone about structures...

Unless the insulator fractures, it isn't possible for it to go inward. Even if it does break, what sucks it in? I'm really struggling to come up with a credible failure mode here.
If the insulator fractured down at the tip, couldn't the intake stroke air movement draw particles down?
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by 69oldsguy
If the insulator fractured down at the tip, couldn't the intake stroke air movement draw particles down?
If the insulator fractured below the first seal, the pieces would fall in. There wouldn't be an explosion. It's 15 psi suction vs. 150 psi compression pressure pushing out.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
If the insulator fractured below the first seal, the pieces would fall in. There wouldn't be an explosion. It's 15 psi suction vs. 150 psi compression pressure pushing out.
Yeah, I don't know what to say about 'explosion'. That part is confusing and open to doubt if whether that truly is what happened.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:38 PM
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I can't see detonation occurring at idle with no load on the motor. There would have to be other extenuating circumstances.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:40 PM
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I wonder if there's a 9th sparkplug at play here.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by 69oldsguy
Yeah, I don't know what to say about 'explosion'. That part is confusing and open to doubt if whether that truly is what happened.
What pieces were recovered, and exactly where were they found? Clearly the entire plug didn't go into the cylinder. The physically isn't possible. If some fragments of insulator were found there, where was the rest of it? I would assume it would have been hanging from the spark plug wire (though the one time I had an untorqued plug blow out while driving, it actually launched itself into the inner fender).
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Old January 13th, 2022, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
What pieces were recovered, and exactly where were they found? Clearly the entire plug didn't go into the cylinder. The physically isn't possible. If some fragments of insulator were found there, where was the rest of it? I would assume it would have been hanging from the spark plug wire (though the one time I had an untorqued plug blow out while driving, it actually launched itself into the inner fender).
Exactly. More info is needed. We have just enough information to know nothing.
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Old January 13th, 2022, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
The site is 68-72 Cutlass/442 Thomas Sickfoose.
There is no such 68-72 Cutlass/442 website. The "page" in question is a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/88394172200/
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Old January 14th, 2022, 02:48 AM
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This thread is oozing with credibility: exploding spark plugs in an Olds, Facebook, and some wannabe Foose clown..... pass the popcorn 🍿

Ford mods are the only engines I've heard of spitting plugs. My Olds ate half a valve head; that was ugly.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 05:18 AM
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As said, I have had pretty good detonation in my 9.6 to 1 350 and never had a plug fail mechanically. It would have needed to be cracked all the way around the inner porcelain and the electrode separate and drop in. I have seen quiet a few motors with plugs seizing in aluminum heads. My friend had a plug eject in a 2.2 4 cylinder and the 5.4 ejected part and seized in the rest, due to the two piece design. Manufacturers usually design parts so if they fail, it isn't in a way that destroys a motor inside.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Koda
I wonder if there's a 9th sparkplug at play here.
LOL best yet😂
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Old January 14th, 2022, 09:41 AM
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Ding Ding Winner to Joe Padavano on experience and explanation. Runner up Koda with ninth plug . Game over. As mentioned go to Sickfoose site see for yourself what he said. I am always amazed more than not Joe Padavano having great information. Thank you Sir for answering.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Game over. As mentioned go to Sickfoose site see for yourself what he said.
You have to join the site to read what was posted. Thats it, its a ploy to increase membership on a Facebook page.

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Old January 14th, 2022, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by 70W-32
You have to join the site to read what was posted. Thats it, its a ploy to increase membership on a Facebook page.
I am not advocating that site. I am just telling what you what was said and where. Anyone who thinks I made this up go read it. You can un- join after reading it. LOL
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Old January 14th, 2022, 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
I am not advocating that site. I am just telling what you what was said and where. Anyone who thinks I made this up go read it. You can un- join after reading it. LOL
I went over to that page and could not find the referenced discussion. What was the date?
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Old January 14th, 2022, 11:00 AM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
I am not advocating that site. I am just telling what you what was said and where. Anyone who thinks I made this up go read it. You can un- join after reading it. LOL
Uh, you need a facebook account first, which a lot of folks don't have.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
I went over to that page and could not find the referenced discussion. What was the date?
This last Wednesday. Maybe Sickfoose deleted it.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 11:31 AM
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My bad it says five days ago thread was started.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 12:15 PM
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Sickfoose


Here is the picture on the thread Eric.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 02:52 PM
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I read the post and talked to Thom. I actually remember when he had the issue with this car because it was just after I lost a cam lobe in my car when he was visiting a mutual friend in Glen Rose, Texas. He's in the military and was getting ready to get transferred to Vegas. I messaged him this evening and he said the engine sounded like a couple bolts in a coffee can and they think they had found parts of the sparkplug (probably the electrode) in the cylinder. Exploded, maybe not and probably a poor choice of words on his part as it happened about 10 years ago. The car has been in storage since.

Neely, why do get so worked up over trivial matters?
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Old January 14th, 2022, 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
I read the post and talked to Thom. I actually remember when he had the issue with this car because it was just after I lost a cam lobe in my car when he was visiting a mutual friend in Glen Rose, Texas. He's in the military and was getting ready to get transferred to Vegas. I messaged him this evening and he said the engine sounded like a couple bolts in a coffee can and they think they had found parts of the sparkplug (probably the electrode) in the cylinder. Exploded, maybe not and probably a poor choice of words on his part.
It also begs the question, did the plug come apart, or did some other piece of debris enter the cylinder, bounce around, and thus break the insulator?
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Old January 14th, 2022, 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
It also begs the question, did the plug come apart, or did some other piece of debris enter the cylinder, bounce around, and thus break the insulator?
It had been a recently supposed rebuild on his original engine at the time. I think he had a rod, bearing, or other internal cylinder issue that caused piston interference. There may be other damage in there. Like I said, he was driving it on his way back from Wichita and visited us before heading back to San Antonio and all was fine. The issue happened sometime after while cruising around San Antonio. He said that he intends to pull it apart sometime in the near future, we'll see.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 04:05 PM
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Sounds like someone trying to justify an LS swap 🤡
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Old January 14th, 2022, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
I read the post and talked to Thom. I actually remember when he had the issue with this car because it was just after I lost a cam lobe in my car when he was visiting a mutual friend in Glen Rose, Texas. He's in the military and was getting ready to get transferred to Vegas. I messaged him this evening and he said the engine sounded like a couple bolts in a coffee can and they think they had found parts of the sparkplug (probably the electrode) in the cylinder. Exploded, maybe not and probably a poor choice of words on his part as it happened about 10 years ago. The car has been in storage since.

Neely, why do get so worked up over trivial matters?
Maybe 🤔 because guys like you can't spell my name correctly! Nah that's not it. I think his choice of words.😂
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Old January 14th, 2022, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by wr1970

Here is the picture on the thread Eric.
Well, the issue is obviously he can't see anything out the windshield.
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Old January 14th, 2022, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by fleming442
Sounds like someone trying to justify an LS swap 🤡
Doubt that on this car.
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