Sorry guys... yet another spark plug question..

I have a 2005 Lariat. Like most, I too was plagued with broken plugs. One of the plugs broke in a way that I cannot find answers to.

Basically, the jamb nut broke free from the porcelain. I was backing out the plug when it all of a sudden started spinning freely. Thinking I was in the clear, I kept turning and turning and turning but the plug was still tight when I grabbed it with a pair of needle nose pliers.
My first thought was that I stripped the threads, but when I shinned a light over the plug, I noticed that the jamb nut was about half way to the top of the porcelain (but too tight to pull out with pliers).
A mechanic suggested that I put an impact on it and the nut should keep coming up the rest of the way. No go.. So now, the nut just spins but will not "creep" up the shaft.

Ford's TSB suggests grabbing the plug with needle nose pliers and try to pull it out. the problem is that the porcelain is not broken at the electrode shield (where they commonly break) and I guess I'm not strong enough to use needle nose pliers to pull it out because the thing is as solid as it was when the jamb nut was screwed in.
Any of you guys experience this? If so, how did you resolve it? It looks like my only option (short of pulling the head) is to break the porcelain. I really do not see a good way to do this since it means I will have to smash down on it. I'm afraid of destroying the 'lip' that the electrode shield rests on from smacking down on the top of the plug.

Any suggestions?

 

...it looks like the metal at the top of the plug is actually holding the porcelain in place. If I use a dremel and grind the tip away, will the porcelain come out?
Hmm... I'll have to try that on a plug that I already pulled out.

 

I had the same problem when I did mine. Use a magnet or wire to pull the nut part out. Then use the needle nose to break the upper portion of the porcelain off at the stuck shank. After that use the removal tool set like a normal break.

 

Thanks for the info 2Tall!! How exactly did you break it though? My pliers are simply not gripping good enough for me to even being to start twisting and turning to try and break it.
Actually, I guess I should try the vice-grip type of needle nose? How did you do it?
thank you sir!

 

You want to push it to the side like your trying to bend the length of it not pull it out whole, so it breaks flush with the shank. Then you use the pusher tool like normal.

 

gotcha.. i'll give it another shot. Thanks again!!

 

I'm stuck; Jamb nut separations on 2 plugs. I have the lisel tool but no threads to engage to use the pusher tool.



I do not have enough hair to pull so I better try something else. ideas?

 

First off that bites.....

You're going to have to try and get the electrode out.....
...chisle the porcelain until the electrode can be grabbed with a long nose vise grips or needle nose pliers.

Once the electrode is out you'll have to get the remainder of the porcelain out.....
...you'll have to use the pin technique to do this from the first tsb for broken plugs.....find some round rod the same diameter as the electrode approx 10" long.....then mix up some jbweld fast and put a little bit on the rod end and only insert it part ways into the electrode hole in the porcelain.....let it set and cure for 6 hours.....the take a pliers/vise grips and pull on the pin and the porcelain whole come with it......

...the other way I've done it is to chisle everything out while using a vacuum to clear the debris...


Once the porcelain is out you need to spray some penetrating oil in there and wait....then get a screw extractor or ez out to extract the threads.....

 

I talked with one of the engineers a Lisle Corp today and he is says something similar. So I am going to get as much porcelain out of the way as possible and then try and pull the electrode. Once that is out way I'm gonna try to use an easy out to back the remaining plug threads out. More tools and down time.

 

Well this has gone from ugly to really ugly. Screw extractors failed to remove either of my 2 broken at the jamb nut spark plugs. Loaded the truck up on a rollback yesterday and it is at the dealer. Got 2 prices: Best case $4315 for one side head removal and $6000 for new head if old one is damaged. Color me sick

 

Sorry to hear that....

 

I have the same problem. My very first plug that I tried, #2, broke at the jam nut threads. It also broke at the porcelain so I was able to get that out with the Lisle tool. Everything had been soaking in PB Blaster overnight too. Since the hole is so far down in the head and there's no way to use the t-handle for an easy out, I welded the easy out to a 1/2" drive socket and created a solid easy out with 1/2" drive power. Well, the easy out seemed to work at biting the threads, but the threads are seized so bad that the whole spark plug sleeve is now spinning. Now the broken threads and easy out are stuck in the hole while the whole sleeve spins inside the head. This is day #4 at one spark plug and I've tried everything I can think of, besides going into the shop. Looks like shop it is next week. Once I get it back, it's going straight for sale and I'm going back to Chevy. If anyone has any suggestions before I drop all my money at the shop, please let me know. Thanks

 

Im having the sam issue and i was thinking a left hand bottom tap 12 mm and then a left hand 12 mm hardened bolt with 2 steel washers and a nylon washer between them. I did a bench test on a plug i got out (right hand) after a ton of measuring. I was going to run the bolt in real snug with locktite red and let set up for a day then turn out. We'll see how it goes

 

That is quite a feat of letting your mind wander.....most likely backed by years of creating your own solutions! I can't wait to find out how well that worked for you.

 

Everyone had a stroke when I used an impact on the plugs to remove them after smoking for a few hours. Multiple trucks zero breaks.

Can you get a screwdriver in there far enough to get some leverage on it and break it?