I have a 2003 MINI Cooper S R53 and once a month I have to tighten my sparkplugs. With Christmas and New Years stuff going on I forgot for December! So yesterday on my way home from work. BOOOM! sparkplugs just about went threw the hood! Threads are fine sparkplug wire not so much! no big I want to get the MSD ignition anyways. I am really started to get the ***** of having to tighten my sparkplugs all the time! Any ideas??????? Please help!

 

This is a known issue. Spark plugs threads maybe be fine but the threads on the head are gone. Do a search on blown spark plugs and you will see. The 2 known fixes is to have a thread insert installed. Something like this if you are mechanically inclined.
http://www.timesert.com/html/sparkplug.html

Or take it to a quality shop. 2nd way is to buy a new head which can be costly as I found out. Lucky for me mine was covered under my extended warranty. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Keep your money and forget the MSD junk. Stock is best unless you like red maybe?

 

Thanks for the advice! I just got new sparkplugs and new sparkplug wires just to get the car home! I will save my money for the msd and stay with the stock! Head threads look ok I am going to put thread inserts in this coming weekend! Any recommemdations on sparkplugs to go with? Any idea on the size thread inserts I need?

 

If it is stock, just go with the stock plug. If you have an underdrive pulley go with NGK 4285 as they are 1 step colder, which is needed with the pulley.
Don't drive it until you have those inserts in or you could do more damage to the head.
Even though the threads look on on the head you really cant see them unless you take the head off.

 

Done wrong...threads -serts can destory more than just the head...metal shavings can fall down into the motor when you do the install....they must be installed right...cleanly when retapping the threads and to the right depth...or you can give youself issues.
The plug that got blown out DOES likly need a insert, but the others might just need tourqing on a cold head with a tourqe wrench...very important.

 

I drove a (modified) Chrysler Neon with the same issue. I just covered the threads on the plugs with loctite. Don't know if that's a good or bad idea, but it lasted a year with no problems to the head. I'd do some research before putting some red neck innovation into a German engine. With that Neon, I didn't care, I had wire coat hangers holding parts of the air intake together.

 

Never a good idea. Don't even think about it. Thats my opinion.

 

Agree, you may end up pulling threads when removing plug, especially if it's been in for awhile,
plus loctite tends to stay in the threads making possible cross-threading an issue when reinstalling.

 

kinda makes sense it would happen on a neon since that's basically the same engine as the MINI's