Cylinder head experts help!

[shifter]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I just bought my first toyota, a '94 Geo Prizm with a 1.6 DOHC and I love it. I expect to put about 300k more miles on it from what I've heard about Toyota reliability.

I've inherited a kinda big problem though. Previous idiot broke off a spark plug. It runs fine but I'm on borrowed time. Does anyone know, is it possible to remove the spark plug tube and rotate the plug with a sharp chisle or something w/o taking the head off of the engine? Is the tube a press fit, or part of casting or what. I sure hate to take a head off of a perfectly good running engine (77k miles). I'm a novice at Toyota's, but I've done work to many American V8's so I'll do it if I have to.

Any advice you can give me to keep me out of trouble would be greatly appreciated!! (no jokes about anti-seize compound please).

Also, I'm guessing the timing belt is original. If I'm gentle can it wait for warm weather (no more than 85k) or am I really pressing my luck. Is there an easy way to inspect the belt on the car or should I just change the damn thing?

Thanks in advance for your help, I'm really starting to see why people like these little bombs. It really is a ball to drive, I need to try a performance variant of this car!!

John

[Tercel GTS]

catch a snap-on truck, they sell a special extractor kit
a geo is a toyota?

[jm_2thow]

i didnt know they were but if they are it would be an a series motor cuz the s series are 2.0 and 2.2, i think the a series are 1.6 and 1.8? i have no idea about the a series motors.................

[project trueno]

congrats on your purchase!

is the 2 camgears scissor driven type? if so i believe you have a 4A-FE, the higher end model has a 4A-GE

displacement is about 1.6L

and if you can handle american V8 engine work, this little toyota 4 banger will be a piece of cake....the design is quite simple

[project trueno]

also you got a picture of your spark plug problem? One spark plug broke off, so part of it is still stuck down the hole, putting one cylinder out of commission...or?

if i remember correctly the tube is a part of the casting....

[alltrac165]

Yeah, post a pic if you can. If only the porcelein part broke off you should be ok. It would be hard to break the wrench flats off of the threads. Real hard. If there is still something to put the wrench on, let it soak in PB Blaster for a day or two and try it again. If you can't put a wrench on it anymore, you'll need an extractor like someone mentioned. Expensive part, but cheaper than pulling the head. If the tube is steel, it's pressed in. Good luck.

[shifter]

Thanks for the info on the plug extractor, I'll have to get one.

The plug still works, no insulator damage, it appears that the plug was designed so that the bolt portion will break prior to the plug snaping off. So I've got time on my side.

I believe my engine is a 4A-FE, 1.6 liter or as one of you said "A series" I imagine more people are "tweaking" the larger series engines as that would be my first choice if I were building a rod.

The (front drive) Chevy Nova, Geo Prizm, and Chevy Prizm are all Toyota Corollas, I believe build at Toyotas Fremont, California plant. They are well discuised with GM radios, keys, alternators, plugs and batteries etc. But every single part of the engine etc, has Toyota cast into it.

The best part is that use ones are cheaper than Toyotas, cause people don't know how good they are. Things you learn growing up in the "Motor City"

Thanks,

John

[jm_2thow]

if its a 4afe you could swap on the 4age head (maybe, once again not familer with the a series motors) and get a good gane from that, or just turbo it