ok so I have some champion glow plugs stuck in my engine. my attack plan is to bring the piston to TDC and use a magnetic pick up in the prechamber to grab the tip if it breaks off before it can fall into the piston.

I just got my magnet in the mail today GENERAL EQUIPMENT
it's 5mm and fits directly into the injector hole with ease
I just tested my plan with a tip i chopped off a spare glowplug in an extra head i had laying around and it works flawlessly. i put the magnet in the injector hole and dropped the tip in multiple times. everytime the glowplug instantly stuck to the magnet and pulled out of the inejctor hole with no problems
I am going to try it on the engine in my truck tomorrow so wish me luck, and I'll post an update with how that goes.
i figured I'd put this up there for future reference and if it works for me maybe it can save someone else down the road a whole lot of time money and heart ache

 

sounds good man, keep us posted!

 

Good Luck!!!!!

Report back with results!

 

Would be sweat if it works. Save alot of guys all that trouble for using inferior plugs or a po that used them.

 

Ok slightly bad news but really very good news
Bad: everything went perfect no tips broke off, soooooo that means i cant say for sure that the magnet would work. But i will repeat that i tested it is a spared head to as close to real life as possible and it worked perfect. So i wont make any promises but if you have stuck plugs i would think it is a great idea to buy that little magnet just to air on the safe side. I know i'll use it if i ever go through this again

Good: everything went perfect. Heres how i did it.
Removed IP (easy to do and made ALOT of room and saved some hassle)
Brought piston to TDC (at least i think i did) just for extra protection
Cut a nut in half (10mm 1.00 or 1.25 thread i cant rememeber)
Used a 17mm wrench to hold the nut in place around the glowplug, and a 3/8 socket to turn the plug. this worked the same as that expensive tool. it basically give the glowplug more threads to pull the balloned tip through the hole. on two GPs i had to put washers under the nut because it needed even more threads (those two were really bad, but still didnt break.
And all 6 that were stuck came out without a hitch. I'll add i PBed them and gave it several days to sit. and on all of them i put the magnet in the injector hole which even tho i didnt end up needing it, it gave me ALOT more confidence knowing if things went bad it might save my *** from having to pull the heads.

So guys I can't say anything for sure its up to you. Personally i'd spend the 10-15 bucks on that magnet as a back up anyday as opposed to just winging it. My test worked perfect but i didnt have a "real world test" to prove it. I'd love to hear if anyone uses this method down the road and the magnet does indeed snag a GP tip before it falls in. This is the first info i've really added to FTE so i hope that it helps someone down the road.

 

Good that you didn't have to test your magnet theory. Good idea on using a nut to get mroe threads to pull against. I had the same issue on one GP with a swelled tip, I was able to put upward pressure using a pry bar under the hex. Hard to keep it in place and worked it slowly so I did not break off the tip. Eventually came out without breaking. Your nut method is much better.

 

First off your lucky.......

Second the tips are not "magnetic material" so it would not work with a magnet.

Usually I advise removing the injectors....... then bring the cylinder your working on to TDC...... Why, because should the tip break off it can usually be removed through the injector hole which is bigger. How, by spritzing air pressure into the GP hole and vacuuming at the injector hole......... use a clean vacuum so as to see the tip.

The timing mark is found on a little plate that is on the front of the engine on the passenger side. The plate is mounted so it is very close to the main pulley on the lower front of the engine which is mounted on the vibration damper. On the side of the vibration damper, is a line, which when lined up with the line marked (O) on the plate, tells you that the #1 piston is at TDC(top dead center) You can see the line on the damper, and it points to the line on the plate with the (barely visible)O mark on it.You'll have to find a way to turn your engine over by hand (Crank/harmonic balancer bolt). Make sure you remove the power wire to the injection pump(so the engine won't start)and then rotate the engine until you can line up the marks.

The engine rotates in a clockwise direction as seen from the front of the truck, and for every 1/4 turn of the engine(crank) each next piston will arrive at TDC. So, When the line on the vibration damper is at the 2 oclock position, cylinders 2 and 5 will be at TDC. When the mark is at the 5 oclock position, cylinders 7 and 6 will be at TDC, 8 oclock has cylinders 3 and 8 at TDC, and back to 11oclock, 1 and 4 will be at TDC.

Cylinder numbers are assigned 1,3,5,7 on the right (passenger USA) bank from front of truck to back, and 2,4,6,8 on the driver's side (USA), front to back. Firing order is 1,2,7,3,4,5,6,8.

 

[QUOTE=PLC7.3;9747913]
Second the tips are not "magnetic material" so it would not work with a magnet.

Dont mean to say your wrong... but your wrong because i cut off a glow plug tip dropped it in a spare head i have and successfully pulled it out with a magnet. just to let you know. Unless those GPs are to only ones made of magnetic material which i kinda doubt but could be.
people have said to do the method you said and i'm sure it works, and i'm not positive mine will work, but 99% sure, also with the magnet you dont risk turning the engine over which i have heard is possible using air to blow it out. plus with blowing it out its sort of luck if your tip actually comes out the injector hole. with that magnet as long as you grab the tip it will come out the hole.
i'm not saying your way is wrong or not as good i'm just saying i think mine might work better in some situations