This pertains to an 87 6.9 single cab. More of a rant than anything...I've done this job before but never with the amount of problems. So after testing and determining that I had enough bad GPs to warrant a full replacement, I began the process of swapping out my plugs. I am running/replacing with the good ones - Motorcraft beru OEM plugs. These have been in the truck since 2012, so I'm being super careful about removal. All the plugs are coming out pretty easy with no swelling, just carbon build up. Then I get to the #1 cylinder, and this plug is taking a little more effort to turn, but its turning, and I slowly pull it up to see that the tip has broken off. So I'm pissed, but I finish the job and run inside to check the FTE forum. OK, looks like I can turn #1 cylinder to TDC, pull the injector and suck it out with a vacuum. I have the mini shop vac kit and with some creative use of tubing I've got laying around I have a vac tip that is just barely larger than the tip of a GP, which means I'll have to go ahead and remove the injector so I can get in there and suck around- oh well. So I grab together all the tools I need for that, and I get to turning on that injector and it comes out....but without the mother#$@ing tip piece. OK. FTE forum to the rescue again- looks like I can grind off the threads, screw it back in there and pull the rest of my injector out. But you know it cant be that easy.... and why waste a good injector, my #1 injector was working fine. So I took an old junk injector and ground the threads off that one, hoping that after all this I can just screw my #1 injector back together and use it (TBD, I have another good injector in case that don't work). Well that's where I am stuck at right now. I got the injector screwed back together tight, soaked it with some liquid wrench, but it aint coming out. I can turn it right and make it spin in the hole, but when I turn it left it comes back apart and the thing wont budge. So I'm giving up for the day and thought I'd come here to bi#%h and ask for help. Any tips for stubborn injectors like this? Also, is there any reason that the #1 cylinder would build up with carbon so bad? In 2012 I replaced all injectors, the IP, and GPs. She's been running ok ever since, save for the normal quirks of an '87 6.9, occasional sucking of air (mystery) etc.. I've only put about 28,000 miles on the truck since all those fuel system parts were replaced, I put the stanadyne additive in my fuel most of the time, maybe half of the time actually when I remember. Thanks!

 

Best bet is drilling it out and pulling it out in pieces. You'll be vacuuming anyway for the glow plug. I'm sure there's more professional ways, but in my redneck garage...
Have you gotten it worked out yet?

 

The injector came out today- it took 3 days of soaking with PB blaster and turning it around and around until it worked its way loose, then i could pull it up and out. No amount of reasonable effort could get it out just pulling with pliers or whatever, so it just took time to soak and break down the carbon. I just spent 30-40 minutes with my shop vac and air compressor nozzle trying to suck the broken tip out. I got nothing to show for the effort though. I was trying all kinds of ways to vacuum it out of there, but couldn't find it in my vacuum bag. I'm considering the risk in putting it back together and hoping for the best when I fire it up vs. the time and effort to spend removing the whole top of the motor to maybe be able to locate this small piece of glow plug (its just the tip!). That job would take me so long to do, and my weather window for being able to comfortably work on the truck is closing fast.