Well I went 5 for 8 today. 5 plugs came out nicely - - nice and loud. 3 plugs split into 2. All 3 split the exact same way - with porcelin in the piece in the cylinder head. I followed the TSB's to the T. So, now I need a Rotunda tool to get the rest of the plugs out.



Am I able to drive the truck on 5 cyl if I leave the COP and injector unplugged? I'm thinking I might have to drive to work for a few days before the tool gets to the house if I have to order it.

 

If you are able to get the thing idleing on 5 cylinders ... let alone driving.... shoot a video, and put it on youtube, i would love to see/hear it!

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

See if you can chase down a Snap-On guy. That's a lot cheaper than trying to buy one from the dealer.

 

I'm heading to the HD right now to see if I can gather parts to make one.

I've already got the tap - just need the all thread rod, a few nuts, and a few washers.

 

That tool will not remove the porcelain insert. As far as I know, no aftermarket source makes the tool to remove the porcelain, that's available only through Rotunda, and it's about $500.

 

I will see if I can find it but there is a thread on here on how to make your own rotunda tool.

 

I just got some all thread, nuts, and washers. I have the tap already.

The TSB talks about another insert used to pull the porcelin out and that there is a locktite adhesive.

It just so happens that wire hangers are pretty darn close to the size of the electrode in the plug, so I took a file and filed some very fine notches in a 1" portion of a 1 foot piece of wire hanger to give it some texture / roughness. JB weld's package says that it will bond porcelin on its long list of things - so I figure - metal / porcelin - I'm good to go. Mixed up some JB weld, twisted the grooved hanger in it and placed it down into the leftover piece of the porcelin. I only did it to 1 plug to see how it works, if it works, by tomorrow morning I'll know if I can get the porcelin out. Then I will use the tap/grease to tap the lower shield and then use the all thread with the washers and nuts to put it out.

Thats the plan so far. If it works, on to the next 2 I go - the only crappy part being that one of the other plugs it no 8 - far back drivers side. Oh well.
If it doesn't go to plan, Sunday I'll be renting a car to drive to work next week and will be pulling the heads I guess.

The really chitty part - my girlfriend has the exact same truck - '04 5.4L and she has 96K miles on hers. - So, I'll be doing this again in about 2 months.

 

The porcelain comes out easier IMO if the engine is hot.

 

mine wasn't hot - it was warm though. like the tsb says

 

can't get the porcelin out- I'm phucked..... looks like another trip to the stealership

 

they're gonna try to extract them first @ $88 / hour.

If they can't get them - the service writer said that he'd only charge me for replacing the head gaskets which is 16.8 hours and is $1800.

I asked him about their success rate on extraction and he said that they've been pretty successful. I guess I'll see

 

Take a look;
http://www.brokensparkplug.com/
http://blownoutsparkplug.com/

 

I wish that was how the spark plug broke off in my old Ranger. On mine, the nut broke off and the rusted up threads stayed. Good year had to invent a method to repair that.

 

thanks but I've been there before. . . .


I was once told, sometimes - it's just easier to pay to have it done. I'm following that advice.

But I did give it the 'ol shade tree mechanic try!

 

I wish I would have found this thread earlier for you. I just spent the weekend doing 6 out of the 8 of mine. I will share it anyways:

Diassembled air-intake, fuel rails, intake manifold, radiator, fan, computer on firewall, as much as I could too make it easy. I was getting ready to pull the engine if it didn't work. Got everthing out of the way. 2 on drivers side, all 4 on passenger side.

Removed all broken plugs so that all I had left was the porcelain and the sleeve.

OK this part is REALLY scary!!!...Used a 1/8" diameter 6" long punch and broke up what I could of the porcelain and vacuumed it out, what I could not brake up of the porcelain I drove with the puch downward towards the piston...BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY INTO THE CYLINDER OR YOUR OBVIOUSLY SCREWED. I tested this on the bench ahead of time and it worked well and was repeatable each time. When you are driving the porcelain it will move a bit and then get jammed up against the spark plug tip, driving a little bit more and you will feel the spark plug tip brake open, continue to drive very lightly about another 1/4", you actually have about 1/2" before it drops into the cylinder. With a 1/8" punch it is easy to feel how far the porcelain has been driven by feeling inside the sleeve with the punch. I made sure it was about 3/8" below the lip where it broke off. Remember to close your eyes and gently feel the hole.

I then took my 3/8" NC tap, found a 1/4" socket that would fit and a 4" extension for the socket, and tacked them all together with my welder. Made sure they were straight. Put a little grease on the end of the tap. Spent dilagent time getting about 4 threads down inside the sleeve. Vacuumed again.

Now I resorted to the method others have followed, took a peice of 3/8 all thread about 8" long, threaded it into the sleeve. Made a sleeve out out 3/4 tubing about 5" long slipped it over the allthread. Placed a washer on the allthread so it sat on top of the tube, added a nut and wrench and slowly tighten the nut and pulled the sleeve out. You can use two more nuts locked together at the top of the all thread to help thread it into the sleeve and also to hold it.

Procedure worked for all 6 holes. Replaced with Champion 7989's plugs and yes it runs alot better than it was, I still have a few little issues, but not related to the plugs.