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spark plug problem, ideas please?


SHADY280

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o.k guys, i got a major, its in my toyota tercel (for sale) but i broke a plug cause its mega tight in the aluminum head, even put a bar on the rachet. how the heck do i get the plugs out??? im cheesed cause someones coming to look at it. ive never come across this b4. i was thinking about heating up the head, but what do you guys think?

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Er... how did you break the plug? Do you mean just cracking the porcelein insulator, or do you mean separating the thread from the hex part? If you mean the porcelein insulator, then it makes no difference... if you mean separating the thread from the head (?), then you're probably pretty screwed... I've never had this happen before, but from what I figure your best bet would be to remove the head and see if you can get some leverage on it from the inside... if not, maybe drilling it out just enough to remove the inner part but not contact the threads, then trying to break it free or crush it... If all else fails, drill it out and use a helicoil...

 

I don't know how well heating would work, but I'd be antsy about it because you might crack/warp the area around the spark plug... But, maybe someone else can chime in on this...

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This is exactly why anti-seize is always supposed to be used on aluminum heads!!!!!

 

Most of the parts stores have helicoil kits hanging around somewhere. Most don't require any drilling....at least not for the sparkplug repair kind.

 

There is a good chance if it's that tight, it will pull the threads with it when you finally get it broke loose. You will need the kit at that point.

 

You can try a sharp rap with a small hammer to try to get it to let loose. Penetrating oil maybe. I doubt either of these will help much since you are probably fighting dissimilar metal corrosion more than it just being tight. If the plugs have been in there a couple of years, you'll be lucky if they don't all give you grief.

 

If you do get it out and the threads are screwed, the kit is usually around $40-60. If you have to use it, bring that cyl to TDC and goop the tap with a good bit of heavy grease to help catch the chips. The tap will be a two step tap that will try to thread itself into the existing threads...it will use those as it reams the hole bigger and then taps the new threads. It's not easy and keeping it going straight into the hole is critical. As you get a half to full turn cut, reverse your direction a 1/4 turn so that it will break off the chip. Go another turn and do the same. Once you're sure that it's started okay, I'd pull it out every couple of turns and clean the chips off and put new grease on the tap.

 

I've put big McDonalds straws in the end of a vacuum hose and taped them in....then the straw will reach into the plug hole to vac out chips. They're aluminum chips, so I've never worried too much about them if I can't get every one. The walls are steel, the rings are steel, the valves and seats are steel. The chip should burn up or blow out.

 

...oh...you might try turning the plug a tiny bit tighter to break the hold. That works a lot of times with rusted bolts.

 

Good luck!!!!

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if there is room try taking a map torch to it on the head surrounding the plug to expand the aluminum and free the plug. we do the same thing on the rear brake lines on the 510s if the get frozen in. good luck

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yeah what happend is, i broke the porcelean of the one plug, trying to get it out, when i slipped. i was really mad. the plugs have been in there a year, but my buddy the ape put them in for me when he was "helping" no antiseize. so now im prolly gonna heat the head, and use an impact gun. i already tried the tightening thing, but to no avail. whenever i put in plugs, they are antiseized, and just snug enough. im a mechanic, so i got some knowledge, but this just has never happened to me! so go figure. and i just got a phone call saying she doesnt want the car, "its too ugly" the chick never came and looked at it. anyone here need a 1000 dollar car. lol.

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i'd try a breaker bar or t-bar or if you dont mind trying to break your ratchet put a wrench on the end for leverage. i use craftsman so i dont worry about breaking my tools. of coarse anything cheaper than craftsman is going to break anyway. if using 3/8 try 1/2 setup. i guess a impact will work if ya got one. like you said. i've never used anti seize and never had a stuck plug. the only time i have plug thread issues is when i use my military spark plug sand blaster. you have to clean all the sand out and i mean all the sand before installing a plug.

 

yeah yeah i know why not just buy new plugs. i usually do.

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