Dont give up hope, Friend did the exact same thing w/ a 318. electrode and porcelain, assorted debris came out after driving a easy out into remains of plug removing it, then using a magnetic pick up tool and a tiny adapter for his shop vac thru the spark plug hole. Motor was only run maybe 15 sec. w/debris in cylinder, but seemed to have no ill effects, this was 4 years ago and its still running.......I think he got off lucky personally.

 

And it has since been accounted for. So, there are only a couple small slivers of porcelain that I don't have but it appears that the vast majority of the plug (or maybe even all of it) came out the way it went in.

Now, let me ask this. What is a realistic estimate for a shade-tree mechanic like myself to pull the driver side head?

 

Trying to post a photo...

This should work....follow the link. Crappy photo, sorry.

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/A...63/t_=43016763

The plug above the shattered one is the second plug I took out. It broke at the porcelain, above the nut. Should have quit while I was ahead.

 

So you think that the threaded portion of the plug (with the side electrode) is still in the head?

I'm thinking EZ-out...or LH-threaded bolt of a slightly larger diameter than the hole in the center.

At least you know now what the bang was--the pocelain coming out, and the "rattle" was the engine running with a hold where a spark plug should be. I've driven a vehicle quite a ways missing 1/8 plugs before--it's pretty loud.

Jason

 

We were telling war stories at work a few weeks ago. The shop foreman told us about the night he blew a spark plug out of a 327 in a 55 Chebby. It punched a hole clear thru the fender. He said it sounded like a shotgun at 100+ mph.

 

Four plugs broke off at the same place in my 460, right after I bought it I did the normal stuff. When right for new plugs, they had been in so long they rusted bad. Two on each side.

I used a large easy out and a torch, heated them up nice first then used the easy out. Got all four out no problem, I can post a picture and size of the easy out if needed.

I wouldn't pull the head unless everything else fails to remove it/them. The porcelain was likely blown out the hole rather then sucked in, the compression from the motor running would be much stronger then the vacuum could ever be. That and the ground electrode would help keep it from being sucked in.

Get new plugs in it and go from there, you'll know if any damage was done. If any doubt put a vacuum gauge on it and check for a steady needle.

 

I am positive of that. I was able to see into it using a mirror and a flashlight.

I've never run an engine with a plug hole open before so maybe what I heard was what you described. The sound was probably pretty distorted considering that I was in the truck with the hood and door closed. I'll re-evaluate in the morning.

It is the third plug from the front on the driver side so it is fairly accessible. Any pictures and suggestions on getting the threaded part of the plug out would be great.

 

This is the easy out I used,

Says,

EX.5

USE 19/64 DRILL

<br>

Here is one to give you a idea of its over all size,<br>



Do not break one off in the hole, use heat first and get what is left of the plug good and hot then use the easy out. If it doesn't move heat it again, have what you're going to use to turn the easy out with ready to go.

Give the easy out a couple of taps with a hammer to help it bite in before trying to turn it.

I can't stress enough how important it is you do not snap the easy out off in the hole, keep in mind easy outs are hardened steel and are brittle, they do not flex, tend to snap fairly easy.

Take your time, use plenty of heat, and you will get the pieces of plug out of the hole.

Oh and make sure the piston is down in the cylinder, not at tdc, to be sure the easy out doesn't hit it, not sure it would but be safe rather then sorry.

 

The plug remnants are out of the head. I went to see the egine guy this morning and he handed me the tool dan pictured and gave me a little pep talk and sent me on my way. Didn't even ask my name. Maybe he remembered me from 11 years ago, the last time he did work for me.....

Anyway, I didn't feel like pulling the torches out so I plugged the hole in the plug and soaked the plug base in Kroil (the best stuck bolt stuff IMHO) and went and changed the oil on my Escape. Came back a while later, tapped in the drill and wrenched on it and out it came. When it broke free I think I re-injured my elbow (had surgery last Jan) but at least the plug is out.

Now all I have left is to try to blow out the cylinder. I have it at TDC on the compression stroke and hopefully anything in there will come out the plug hole. At this point I believe nothing is in there. Once I put the new plug in and reinstall all the crap I took out of the way, I plan on getting drunk and then fire it up. I'll either be celebrating my luck or drowning my sorrow....

Thanks a bunch for all the help and advice. I owe you all a cold one....

By the way, the engine rebuilder told me I was probably looking at $600 (one full day of labor) or so to have him remove the head, remove the plug and reinstall. That was with no other work. Less than I thought to be honest.

 

I had the exact same situation this summer. Broke the damn plug off right under the hex. Without hearing your noise, I can't say for certain.......... but with mine........ I was able to run it and with a loud pop, it blew the electrode OUT, and I was able to use an easy out with lots of grease to get the porclin (sp) out, then with a day or two of soaking in PB Blaster, and some heat, the threaded part came out with another easy out.
Now again I don't know what your noise sounded like, but with the ground end of the spark plug hanging under the elctrode, its more likely it blew out then fell in.

 

I put everything back together and she would not start. I could hear the fuel pump but it wasn't firing at all. Took everything back off, put it all back together and nothing. Used a test light and was getting juice to the coil and the tach lead was hot too. Still wouldn't fire. It was cranking normally with no noises. Went and grabbed the timing light to see if I was getting spark, hooked it up, turned it over and she started after a few seconds. Sputtered for a few seconds and then smoothed out. Lot's of white smoke for 30 seconds or so but it went away. All seems well except for the occasional miss that I don't ever remember hearing. I only revved it to about 2k and it ran to normal temperature so I think I got lucky.

Anyone have any thoughts about why the no-fire condition? Is it bad to run with only three new plugs?

I plan on driving it to work tomorrow to see how it starts cold and how it runs overall.

 

Ray, I wouldn't look that gift horse in the mouth. Doesn't matter at this point why it didn't fire right away, but count your blessings.

Make mine a Guinness.

Jason

 

I would think the white smoke is from some Kroil leaking into the cylinder. Glad everything seems to be working.

I've run two new plugs and two old plugs in my old Courier while I was waiting for the PB Blaster to work. I could feel the difference in the engine, probably what your slight miss is.

 

i would finish putting in new plugs.

soak the old ones for a day or so first.

 

Nitramjr,

Glad to hear you're okay!

I was pretty certain that merely idling, for a few seconds, with a piece of porcelein (which is lighter and much more fragile than steel) in the cylinder is not enough to GUARANTEE you'd have a cracked head; I'm sure it's possible, but I think it's far from a "definite" outcome. I suspected your head would be intact, though it may be pock-marked a little, at worst.

Keep in mind that some companies sold a "tire pump kit" which actually required you to run the engine with one plug missing--no kidding! You removed one plug and used that cylinder as an AIR COMPRESSOR, to pump up your vehicle's tires. I guess the small amount of gasoline in the cylinder did not worry anyone, though it seems like a bad thing to permenantly inject into rubber tires, as gasoline attacks rubber.... I believe the kit was sold by Sears, but cannot swear to it. My Dad had one in our 1960 Falcon. My point is, it won't hurt the engine to have run a few seconds with an open cylinder.

Though I've never used one, I would suggest to anyone in this situation that a boroscope could be rented, or even bought (I've seen them for under $250. on tool sites like this one: boroscope from Northern Tool + Equipment )

IOW, I would look into the engine before I ever pulled a head, in such a situation, which I would only do if I felt there was no other recourse.

Again, I'm very glad it worked out for you; I have the identical truck, with a 5 spd., and I think the P.O. only changed the plugs once--I pulled one out and it did not come willingly, so I fear I may have similar problems.

Happy New Year!

BigSix