Glow Plug Disaster!

David09 · 18-12-2011 11:53pm #1

I was removing a failed glow plug from an engine and it seemed really tight at first but then started turning freely. To my horror only half of the plug came out leaving the heating element tip behind in the head!

Is there any way it can be removed without lifting the head? I'd screw the stump back down and leave it there to start on 3 plugs but the thoughts of it getting drawn in and mangled in the turbo on the way out frighten me.

George Dalton · 19-12-2011 12:23am

What car and engine is it?
What were the symptoms that led you to change the glow plug?
Were you doing it with the engine hot or cold?

David09 · 19-12-2011 12:28am

Peugeot expert van. 2.0hdi. Van wouldn't start when cold, so I removed the busbar wire and tested the plug. Plug was faulty so attempted to remove it. The engine was cold. From that question I'm guessing I should have done it with the engine warm, no? Thermal expansion=easier to remove? Anyway, the tip's stuck there now.

deandean · 19-12-2011 5:32pm

There's a special kit you can get for removing broken glow plugs, I saw a video about using it, go a google search. Kit looks expensive though.

Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koghDoROFko makes a mechanic look like a brain surgeon.

swhyte027 · 19-12-2011 9:26pm

Well it defo won't get cought in the turbo.are u a mechanic.first thing u should always do when removing spark plugs or heather plugs is run the engine for about 40 mins so it's red hot did u do that.????u could try run it till its hot and get someone to tac a weld to it r something otherwise it's head off. If it was my garage I'd have the head off wouldn't take long anyway.and then just get the gasket and bolts and back together.

Slidey · 19-12-2011 10:59pm

swhyte027 wrote: »

Well it defo won't get cought in the turbo.are u a mechanic.first thing u should always do when removing spark plugs or heather plugs is run the engine for about 40 mins so it's red hot did u do that.????u could try run it till its hot and get someone to tac a weld to it r something otherwise it's head off. If it was my garage I'd have the head off wouldn't take long anyway.and then just get the gasket and bolts and back together.

You don't happen to be from Kildare and work on BMWs by any chance?

Row · 20-12-2011 12:00am

Before you go taking off the head you could pin punch the tip of the glowplug into the cylinder remove that injector....get a small telescopic magnet (around 7mm dia magnetic tip) and fish out the tip of the glowplug tru the injector opening....This can be done but can be difficult....if you can't fish it out then removing the head is your only option.
You could drive around and wait for the engine compression to pop it out...:eek:
Best of luck...;)

Wheelnut · 20-12-2011 1:18am

Row wrote: »

You could drive around and wait for the engine compression to pop it out...:eek:
Best of luck...;)

That's what I was thinking too!

Of course there will be someone on to castigate us about the dangers and irresponsibility of the idea, but once upon a time practical minded people had to rely on improvised solutions.
:rolleyes:

dharn · 20-12-2011 2:27am

sounds to me like you just wrung the top off it ,a portion of the threaded part is still in the head and will never pop out or fall into the cylinder but as to how you get it out i dont know

shamwari · 20-12-2011 7:44am

swhyte027 wrote: »

]u could try run it till its hot and get someone to tac a weld to it r something otherwise it's head off.

..and if he makes a pigs ear if trying to blob a weld onto it, he'll wreck the head completely making the situation infinitely worse. Not to mention the obvious risk of starting a fire with that kind of heat close to wiring or fuel pipes....:rolleyes:

swhyte027 · 20-12-2011 12:25pm

I did say a good welder and it won't ignite its a hdi.thats y I said a specialist.i also said just remove the head it will be so much quicker

David09 · 26-12-2011 9:38pm

swhyte027 wrote: »

I did say a good welder and it won't ignite its a hdi.thats y I said a specialist.i also said just remove the head it will be so much quicker

Removing the head would be a complete and total utter b&^tard of a job. The engines in these vans are half buried and only the very front of the engine is visible with the bonnet up.
I'm 100% positive that there is no threaded part left in the head. It fully unscrewed leaving the broken off tip perfectly wedged in place. My guess is since the plug was faulty and not heating up, carbon formed on the (inside) exposed tip. When trying to unscrew it, it simply wouldn't come out through the hole and thus snapped off.

So far I've tried taping off the exposed wiring and driving the van in the hope that the little weasel will go "pop". No such luck after many miles of hard driving.

So it seems that I've two options. Re-fit what unscrewed for me and leave it be with the wiring disconnected and continue to start the engine on 3 plugs.

Or... Make up a fitting which will go in place of the injector. With engine at tdc, feed in compressed air so no debris enters as I proceed to drill out what remains.

If that fails, I'm stumped!!! (quite literally!

)

Wheelnut · 26-12-2011 11:06pm

You may as well keep driving it for the time being. The weather is staying pretty mild so that should help starting. You might even get through the whole winter!

Itzik · 29-12-2011 10:36am

Hi guy's

I have the same problem: 1 of the 4 heater plugs is broke inside when tried to open them.
All the other 3 went out just fine and easily.

Unfortunalty, i didnt know that the engine should have been hot

.

The "good" thing is that it is possiable to catch, with a vise grip, the inside tip of the broken glow plugs. please look at the attached picture (the white stuff near the broken tip is somthing like WD40).

The thread of the glow plug is completely out, no broken thread inside the cylinder head.

If i will heat up the engine, is it possiable to pull out the broken part (with vise grip and very hard pulls ?

I'll appreciate any advice or help.

Thank you

Itzik

demanufactured · 29-12-2011 3:18pm

Go into your nearest auto parts place and ask for easyouts...tell them what you want it for.

Slidey · 29-12-2011 5:32pm

There is no way an easy out is going to take that out.

From what I can see it has the left the whole threaded part behind. AFAIK, Engine Re in Castlebar can take them out without removing the head.

Itzik · 29-12-2011 9:15pm

Well, i tried to warm up the engine (drove it for some kilometers) and put some more WD40, but it didnt help.

Seems that the stucked part inside is really stubborn... I'm thinking how it will be possiable to break the center elctrode - this could help me to drill it easily and maybe also pull it easily.

The other suggestions are not relevant for me, i'm from israel and the options you gave me are alittle bit "far"...

Thanks again

Itzik

David09 · 30-12-2011 8:00pm

That is exactly the same problem I've had with mine. The photo you took may as well have been from my engine!!!

I honestly don't know what to suggest. My van has been driving around for almost 2 weeks with the stump stuck in the head, hoping that the engine compression will expunge it from the head. No such luck so far. Whatever you do, don't let any debris fall into the cylinder or you're certainly in for a massive job.

As I previously posted, I'm going to make up an air fitting that will go into the injector so I can drill the stump out without worry of debris falling in.

E39MSport · 30-12-2011 8:45pm

Could try weld a bolt or similar onto it and pull/twist perhaps

David09 · 30-12-2011 9:04pm

E39MSport wrote: »

Could try weld a bolt or similar onto it and pull/twist perhaps

Not an option as there isn't the room to. Unfortunately.

Itzik · 30-12-2011 10:46pm

David09, If you can see - the thread inside the engine head is much longer then the screw thread of the glow plug.
In that case (or at least in my case) you can see that the broken part is located in the bottom side of the thread in the engine head.
the meaning is that the glow plug (the broken part) is in a very tight place and it will not move so easly.

according to some test's i've made before replacing the glow plugs, 2 of them worked fine (5 ohm resistance) and 2 were bad (1 was with infinity resistance and the other one with strange resistance of 27 mega ohm). the one that broke and stucked in the head is the one with the strange resistance of 27 mega ohm (which probably didnt work at all and had tons of carbon on it). according to the history of the car in the garage, the glow plugs replaced 95K kilometers ago, but the strange thing is that 3 of them are EYQUEM and 1 of them was BERU. the one that makes the troubles is EYQUEM. those glow plugs has been replaced once in the car's life (MY2007) and it has done, so far, 265,000 km in perfect contidion.

About the broken glow plug:
Do you see the internal conductor of the glow plug that broke in the middle like in my situation ? in that case it'll be hard to drill it because it located exatcly in the middle of the plug and u cant drill it.

I'll be glad to hear of some1 succeeded to pull such a thing out without removing the engine head.

Tell me something good please...

Itzik

Browndoff · 24-10-2013 3:03pm

Hi Itzik Hard luck! There's no chance that a Vise-Grip will pull out the 'remains' of the GP. The attempt to unscrew the plug has broken a [relatively] strong steel cylindrical-body - so the central conductor has no chance!

Even 'Easy-Outs' are a poor bet - 'cos they act by pushing outward against the hole you have to drill into the remains - thus forcing it even tighter into the walls of the Glow-Plug Hole.

Tap gently on the bit still in the hole and apply a good penetrating-oil - like Wick's and you may reasonably hope that the compressed-gas within the cylinder will force it out - sooner or later! Stuff the area with rags to absorb the impact when it shoots out!

Seriously! It's the easiest cheapest solution! When it DOES come out, there'll be no damage to the hole - so keep the replacement handy and screw it in immediately!

Browndoff · 24-10-2013 3:19pm

BTW David09 The compressed-air WILL NOT guarantee to keep debris out of the hole. So I think removing the Injector would be a LOT of extra work with little benefit! If, for example, you drilled off-centre [all to easy] and weakened the whole body-end, then the tip could - theoretically - fall into the chamber. It would be no more likely to blow-out than was the original whole glow-plug.

It's best to just drill and inspect and remove all debris as you go [e.g. with a twist of tissue-paper]. WHEN the body is empty, it should be weak enough to be gripped by the Easy-Out and MIGHT behave itself and come out with its hands up!

biko · 24-10-2013 3:32pm

Thanks for the helping out but hopefully OP will be sorted by now, 2 years later.
Please feel free to help out others but check that the thread in question is just months old, not years.

Glow Plug Disaster!

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