Apparently this has never happened to anyone before, at least there is not a record of it that I can find on anywhere on the internet... The word disaster does not even come close to describing what happened during my spark plug removal attempt. I thoroughly prepared in advance by reading every possible thread in all the forums I could find, here is what happened…

I borrowed an ATD-5402 removal tool http://atdtools.com/5402 from a friend of mine who had used it several time with no problems. Per their website and instruction book it is designed for '04 and up tritons, mine is an '05. I also purchased a new Lisle (LIS65600) removal tool just to cover my bases.

Broke the #5 right off the bat and used the Lisle tool and it worked like a champ. The next six plugs came out perfectly… then came the dreaded #4. Yep, it broke… so I go to get the trusty Lisle tool, but the middle threads on the extractor were damaged. I cleaned up the threads the best I could and it seemed to thread just like it did the first time. But, when I started to extract, the tool pulled out without the shield. I tried several more times and even though the tool was difficult to turn in, after about a turn and ¼ it would strip out. I vacuumed, blew out and used a magnet each time.

After another clearing of debris and I decided to try the ATD-5402. Things seemed to be going pretty good… there was that sharp release indicating that the shield was out, but when I pulled out the extractor I found that the extractor broke and left about ¼ of it in the shield. Now it gets even worse… I reach to grab the guide and it won’t budge. I could barely get it to turn using a pair of vice grips. I tried everything in my tool box but it eventually took a 3/8 air ratchet and a 5/8 screw extractor to get it to turn. After about 30 minutes of work and some foul language it broke free. When I pulled out the guide out I was shocked to find that the spark plug tube was attached to it.

The ATD-5402 guide tool I used is shaped (stepped) so that it appears that it seats against the head for pulling… it did not, the top step of the guide seated against the top of the spark plug tube. All that pulling drew the guide down into the tube about a ½ inch where it finally seated against the head. From the bottom step to the upper step is 2 3/8" and the spark plug tube is 2 7/8"... a half inch short. It took some heat, a socket and a hammer to drive the guide out of the tube. The tube seems to be undamaged except for any expansion caused by the guide. I dug the rubber tube seal out of the head and it looks okay.

I found similar tools to the ATD-5402 and they may be different but measure before you use this type of tool. If anyone has an ATD-5402 I would be interested to know the measurements of your guide. I'm going to call ATD and see what they can tell me.

Well… the spark plug shield is still in the head with ¼ inch of the broken extractor threaded in it and the spark plug tube and seal sitting on the workbench. I have searched, all the online shops… not even Ford lists a part number for the spark plug tube or the seal.

Should I try to press the spark plug tube back in and what do I need to do to seal it? I cant tell if there is a seal at the bottom or not. I have to get it back in to keep from getting debris in the top of the head while I keep working on the stuck shield. Can I buy a new tube and seal if I need to, and where?

If anyone has any words of advice I could really use them… My last hope for shield extraction is the homemade remedy using a ¾ tap and allthread which I have already purchased. Just trying to figure out how to deal with the broken off piece of the ATD-5402 extractor.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post, I hope at least that it will save someone the headache that I am going through right now.

 

sorry to hear this....my best advice is to remove the head.....yes there are some ways around getting it out but head removal seems best for your situation....imo

 

I just had this happen, how did you fix the tube?