Ok, today I was changing out my thermostat and decided to clean the spark plugs as well. I took out the first one and cleaned it up, but when I got to the second one it was really tight like it was cross threaded, so I slowly began to turn it with some force and POP!!! The spark plug broke with the thread stuck in the cylinder.. is there any way to get it out??? Any help will do.
so now the part of the plug that broke off into the hole is flush with the hole? or is there still the "bolt head" piece still attached?
There's no reverse drill bit big enough for that kind of job lol. If your not too close to this car, you could always drill it and try an easy out. Or try to find the same threaded tap and drill/tap the hole. It may make a mess, but it'll get the job done. Just blow out as much shrapnel that you can. OR if you can weld a nut on the end of the spark plug, you can go at it again with a wrench... Many choices.
It's flush with the hole, I tried the easy out but it didn't work :/
Did'nt work or broke off in the hole?
If it broke your going to have a hell of a time drilling it out.
I would drill and tap it... Drill just undersize and you should be able to walk the threads out of the hole with a pick, then chase the threads and insert new plug.
NApa also sells a repair kit for plugs with an oversize drill and tap to put an insert in the head. That is last ditch option and you will want to get some sleeve retainer compound to go on the outside of the insert to ensure it does not move.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
well depending on how tight the broken plug is in the hole you could always try to epoxy a bolt to it if you cannot weld a bolt to it
beyond that your choices are very limited
Only out of the box idea I could think of is something often used to remove stripped screws and such and grind a grove into the exposed end and attempt to use a screw driver or power drill with a flat head bit to remove it?
One other idea would be to attempt to pound in or even screw a screw into the end and epoxy it on and attempt to grab ahold of the screw end with locking pliers or vice grips and unscrew it out the hole?
You might as well pull the head...takes like an hour
Good lord people quit it already, those extractors will break, then he will have no options because you can't drill through tool steel...
Dave De Stefano wrote:You might as well pull the head...takes like an hour
Why the hell would you pull the head for a simple fix like this?
Get a drill, go to town, get the threads out, chase, put new plug in, enjoy.
OR if you screw that up, buy a repair sleeve kit and do it that way...
All the major auto manufacturers can;t be wrong, this is the way your supposed to do it and the way machinists do it.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
But, with all the drilling, I never trusted all those shavings going into the cylinder. It's very easy to pull the head, then go to town on the comfort of your bench, and then you know you have a fresh headgasket too.
If you are scared of drilling because of metal slivers, rotate the crank so that the exhaust valve is open.
If you do no know how to do this, then pull the valve cover, and watch the rockers move until that exhaust valve is open.
Next, fill the spark plug hole with "PB Blaster" let it sit over night.
This should loosen it up.
Then drill out the ceramic, you should be able to get leverage on the "electrode finger" to reverse it out with the proper sized easy out.
I would try to avoid re-tapping the head.
Another option is to buy a LH tap, and LH bolt of proper size.
Tap the spark plug, and insert the bolt with spacers so the hex head is above the spark plug cavity.
As you tighten the LH bolt the spark plug "should" back itself out of the hole.
I have a little expierence with removeing seized /stripped / messed up connections.
Bobby Higgins wrote:If you are scared of drilling because of metal slivers, rotate the crank so that the exhaust valve is open.
If you do no know how to do this, then pull the valve cover, and watch the rockers move until that exhaust valve is open.
Next, fill the spark plug hole with "PB Blaster" let it sit over night.
This should loosen it up.
Then drill out the ceramic, you should be able to get leverage on the "electrode finger" to reverse it out with the proper sized easy out.
I would try to avoid re-tapping the head.
Another option is to buy a LH tap, and LH bolt of proper size.
Tap the spark plug, and insert the bolt with spacers so the hex head is above the spark plug cavity.
As you tighten the LH bolt the spark plug "should" back itself out of the hole.
I have a little expierence with removeing seized /stripped / messed up connections.
Why try to avoid retapping? yes its not ideal, which is why you drill as carefully as possible, avoid going to far, rotate the threads out, then chase the existing threads...
Done it a ton of times, blocks, cylinder head bolts, spark plug holes... etc.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
