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Q: Yesterday I was driving home and a spark plug blew right out of the cylinder head. The car was towed to the shop where I’d had a tuneup the day before — which included changing the spark plugs. The mechanic said he could repair the threads, but my uncle says the cylinder head is ruined and the mechanic should replace it at his expense. The car has about 100,000 miles. Thoughts?

A: There are a number of ways to repair stripped threads. In fact, it may be possible to simply chase the old threads with a tap and clean them up. Or, as illustrated, you can insert a Helicoil. There are several types of repair inserts, but we prefer Helicoils. I’d give your mechanic a shot at fixing the threads before I held his feet to the fire. When a spark plug has had a chance to marry a cylinder head for 100,000 miles, it’s not uncommon for the aluminum threads to come out of the head with the plug. (I pull and inspect plugs every couple of years and reinstall them with a small dab of antiseize compound, but that’s another column.)

A proper thread repair should last as long as the life of the car. This type of repair can be used for almost any threaded fastener, by the way. And that includes cast-iron, steel and aluminum parts. Warning: Installing a Helicoil or other threaded insert looks simple — but it’s not. Any readers out there who wish to attempt it might want to practice a couple of times on scrap parts.

Start by threading the special Helicoil tap into the remaining threads in the head. This is to ensure the new threads are concentric and parallel with the originals. Continue threading the tap in to cut the new, oversize threads. To avoid getting aluminum chips in the cylinder when retapping the threads, you should coat the tap with grease. The chips will stick to the grease and come back out with the tap. Back out the chip-laden tap, and clean up any remaining chips.

I’ve also filled the cylinder (before tapping the hole) with oil-soaked clothesline to catch any chips — but that was in a racing engine with a squish band only a few thousandths of an inch deep. Street engines with a more normal compression ratio should be fine if you are careful, and blow the chips out with compressed air. Mostly, you don’t want any chips to find their way out the exhaust port and wind up in the catalytic converter.

Now you can thread the appropriate-length coil over the installation mandrel. There’s a raised flat on the mandrel that will catch on the tang in the coil, allowing you to thread the coil into your new threads. The coil is a little bit bigger than the threads, which will keep it in place when you’re finished. The tang will pull the coil into place from the inner end. Once the coil is in place, remove the mandrel.

Now, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to break the tang off. It’s prescored to break off cleanly and easily. Do NOT drop the tang into the cylinder! A few aluminum chips will not damage your engine, but a 1/2-in.-long piece of sharp stainless steel wire will tattoo the top of your piston and the combustion chamber before it finally gets out past the exhaust valve.

Mercedes-Benz is entering into talks surrounding a bid to buy the former Chrysler Pacifica Advanced Design Center in California.

If the purchase goes through it would give the iconic centre a second life after it was closed to streamline operations at Chrysler earlier this year.

The region is synonymous with car design and Mercedes-Benz has its own studio about 51 miles to the north.

According to reports from auto-motor-und-sport, the move would mean that Mercedes-Benz designers would relocate from their current base into the Chrysler centre which is more than double the size.

If Mercedes-Benz moves into the building it will work alongside the Advanced Design Studio in Como in Italy ten years ago.

Another iconic location, the studio is another important link in the designing of the cars of the future.

The latest invention to be born out of the design studios is the F700 Research vehicle which was announced last year.

Ford Fiesta for North American customers will be produced at Ford’s Cuautitlán Assembly Plant beginning in early 2010

Sporty European hatchback model added for North America, alongside popular sedan

Cuautitlán Assembly Plant transformed from large-truck to small-car production as part of Ford’s manufacturing realignment and investment in smaller, fuel efficient vehicles

New diesel engine line at Chihuahua Engine Plant and a new joint venture transmission plant with Getrag in Guanajuato also planned
MEXICO CITY, May 30, 2008 – Ford Motor Company today announced the new Ford Fiesta small car for North America will be produced at the company’s transformed Cuautitlán Assembly Plant beginning in early 2010 and a sporty European hatchback model is being added to the North American lineup alongside the popular sedan.

Transformation of the facility near Mexico City begins this year, as the plant is converted from its current production of F-Series pickups for the Mexican market to small cars for all of North America. The Chihuahua Engine Plant, which builds I-4 engines, also will assemble diesel engines for light- and medium-duty trucks in a variety of global markets. In addition, through a joint venture with Getrag (GFT), Ford will establish a new transmission plant in Guanajuato to support various Ford products. Company officials announced the trio of investments jointly with Mexico President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa.

The new multi-plant development effort represents a $3 billion U.S. investment, including the support of local suppliers. It is Mexico’s largest ever automotive investment. The moves are expected to create approximately 4,500 Ford jobs. Together with all direct and indirect employment at suppliers, the moves affect 30,000 jobs in Mexico.

“Ford is absolutely committed to leveraging our global assets to accelerate the shift to more fuel-efficient small cars and powertrain technologies that people really want and value,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally, who was in Mexico for the announcement. “Our investments in these facilities in Mexico are part of our plan to further realign our manufacturing capacity in line with the introduction of more small cars and crossovers.”

A small car concept called the Verve showcased the design direction for the new Fiesta when it debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Both sedan and hatchback models were displayed – with high praise from customers and the news media.

“Customers responded very positively after seeing both the sedan and hatchback versions of the Verve small car concept,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas, Ford Motor Company. “We know the market is headed toward more small cars and crossovers. With our product and manufacturing flexibility, we will be able to offer both models and add production capacity.”

The New Ford Fiesta

When it goes on sale in North America in 2010, the new Fiesta will be bold and sophisticated – to help it clearly stand out from other small cars on the road. Ford is building on decades of small car leadership in Europe as it develops the new Fiesta for North America to appeal to increasingly savvy customers who value technology, design and fuel efficiency.

Momentum in small-car sales is outpacing overall industry growth worldwide. Globally, small car sales have grown from 23 million units in 2002 to an estimated 38 million in 2012.

Driving the growth in the North American market is a group of young people aged 13 to 28 years – dubbed “Millennials.” Today, this group stands 1.7 billion strong worldwide and will represent 28 percent of the total U.S. population by 2010.

The Fiesta is the first of Ford’s new global family of small cars set to debut in Europe and Asia later this year and next year – and in North America early in 2010.

“We’re looking at every aspect of what’s defined Ford as a small-car leader in Europe and working to build on this expertise in driving dynamics and design across a global family of Ford cars that are as exciting to drive as they are to look at,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Fiesta is designed to set a new world standard for quality, design, fuel economy and comfort in the small car segment.”

Ford in Mexico

With this investment, Ford – the first automaker to establish operations in Mexico – is building on a manufacturing presence of more than 80 years and an equally long tradition of supporting local communities.

“This opportunity to strengthen our business and the local industry has been made possible through support from the federal and state governments,” said Louise Goeser, president and CEO, Ford of Mexico. “We look forward to working together to drive continued success in the future.”

Ford officials made the announcements in a joint event featuring President Calderón as well as Governors Enrique Peña Nieto, José Reyes Baeza and Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez.

The total investment is expected to increase Ford of Mexico’s annual production to nearly 500,000 vehicles and 330,000 engines by 2012, with nearly 80 percent of the vehicles and most of the engines slated for the North American market.

Today, Cuautitlán Assembly Plant makes trucks for the Mexican market, ranging from the Ford F-150 to the F-550. To meet future demand, trucks for Mexico will be imported from the U.S., making room for a new generation of small cars that are stylish and fun to drive.

Ford also has stamping and assembly plants in Hermosillo, Sonora, where the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans are built. These mid-size cars are sold throughout North America as well as Venezuela and Brazil and have won numerous quality awards.

“Our workers at the Hermosillo plant have been a key part in boosting Ford’s overall quality,” Fields said. “Ford vehicles are among the best in the business in terms of initial quality, and we intend to keep raising the bar with each new product we bring to market, including Fiesta.”

HERNDON, Va.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that it has been named Grand Marshall for the 40th Annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 Thursday, May 29 – Sunday, June 1 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Volkswagen, which has powered hundreds of class wins in off-road racing over the past 40 years in Baja, including thirteen overall wins, is also the official vehicle of SCORE International.
“Volkswagen is honored to be the first auto manufacturer to serve as Grand Marshall for SCORE Baja 500 since the event’s inception,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America. “Volkswagen was SCORE’s official vehicle back in 1973, and is now once again the official vehicle, plus we have the honor of marshalling the event this year, an honor that Volkswagen accepts with tremendous pride.”
In 1973, the Volkswagen model Thing was SCORE’s Official Vehicle; today SCORE officials get to enjoy the luxurious, sophisticated, and highly competent off-road Sport Utility Vehicle Touareg as the official vehicle of SCORE International.
The Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 starts and finishes in downtown Ensenada on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural, marking the first time the race has ever finished on Boulevard Costero. This year’s tight and technical course will run in a clockwise direction for the third straight year. It includes a wide variety of terrain, and over 100 miles that hasn’t been raced for over a decade, along with over 30 miles that has never been raced on.
“The customized Volkswagen Touareg that SCORE has for course identification and marking has worked flawlessly. As a matter of fact, it is easy to forget your riding around the tortuous desert the ride is so smooth and comfortable. SCORE has never had a better course-marking vehicle in its long history than the SCORE Touareg,” said Sal Fish, CEO and president, SCORE International.