Ohhhh Crap

[travelinman31]

Replacing glow plugs and all WAS going great, until the LAST one. All the old plugs were Beru and not swollen but the carbon was keeping them from coming out easily. So with some spray loosening the carbon and letting them sit for a bit all was going great. Until the last one, didn't use any extreme force with the ratchet, but click and broke tip. Most of it was still attached to threaded part, but there is probably 1/4 inch of the tip stuck in the hole. I'm debating on my next move, the tip is down in there a pretty good ways (there is no way of getting anything on it other than punching it through). I realize I need to get the cylinder to tdc before I poke around in there. Of course the easiest way would be to unplug injection pump and crank over hoping to blow the tip out, but easy isn't always the best. I don't need head gaskets so I have no upside to pulling the head other than to keep from ruining something. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Like I said its just the very end of the tip that is stuck down in there. I've warned everyone to stay away from the truck, don't bump it, open the door and shut it, slam hood, etc.. as I don't have that cylinder at TDC yet and won't until tomorrow afternoon. Weather and my nerves made me stop for the night. The last freaking one, only my luck!!!

 

[travelinman31]

One other question, if it decides to let go and fall tonight (good grief I'm hoping not) could the cylinder be brought to TDC if it falls that far with tip laying on top of it. Which I'm imagining it would fall that far since the piece in there is so small. I'm not familiar with what the chamber under the glow plug and injector looks like, any place I could see a pic of this so I see what I'm up against. Thought about sticking a magnet down there and seeing if I could persuade it out, but as most of you probably know the tips aren't metal. At least that's my assumption as I stuck my magnet against one of the old tips and it didn't magnetize.

 

[vegas39]

Typical, always the last one! Aside of pulling the head, first thing you can do is crank it over and try to blow it out. I've heard of people putting the cylinder to TDC , removing the injector and getting something down in there to vacuum the broken tip out with but I'm not sure what the success rate is with that.

 

[vegas39]

One other question, if it decides to let go and fall tonight (good grief I'm hoping not) could the cylinder be brought to TDC if it falls that far with tip laying on top of it. Which I'm imagining it would fall that far since the piece in there is so small. I'm not familiar with what the chamber under the glow plug and injector looks like, any place I could see a pic of this so I see what I'm up against. Thought about sticking a magnet down there and seeing if I could persuade it out, but as most of you probably know the tips aren't metal. At least that's my assumption as I stuck my magnet against one of the old tips and it didn't magnetize.

I doubt the tip will fall during the night, you would probably have to give it a hard whack to get it to fall down into the pre chamber.
The glow plug is in the pre chamber, so I'm not sure how easily it can make its way into the cylinder, although it does happen.

 

[icanfixall]

Sadly your in a mess. Cold cranking might blow it out. But starting the engine may blow it out also. Caution must be taken because it will exit the head like a 22 caliber bullet if the engine is running. If it falls into the cylinder it will be crushed against the piston top and the head. There is only about 42 thousands clearance between the head and the piston. With the engine being na you wont have a problem with the tip passing thru the exhaust. It can't damage the non existing turbo blades like it did mine years ago. Sure fubared the hot side blades.

 

[Oog]

If it were me I would pull injector on offending cylinder, pull valve covers and crank it down to bdc of intake stroke. Once at bdc reinstall injector and crank it with starter hoping to put positive pressure causing tip to blow up out of bore. Reason for injector removal is so cylinder goes to bdc without any real vacuum. Reason fot valve cover removal: to see valves opening and figurring out piston position. medrunk.



Fin.

 

[Oog]

Oh. Crank to bdc by hand. Not starter. Crank to tdc with starter

 

[travelinman31]

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I got some pondering to do on this. Try and let the compression blow it out, or poke it through at TDC and try and suck it out with vacumm through injector hole. Next question, I've read about getting the cylinders to TDC, but I'm curious as to how you know when that particular one is at TDC. I found an illustration of the chamber (swirl chamber) where injector and glow plug are, and if it goes down in the cylinder I'm beyond being in a mess. The cylinder in question is third from front of the truck on passenger side not sure if that's #3 or #5, depends if it goes 1234 on passenger side or 1357.

 

[jrad235]

PS, it takes more than 200 PSI to blow out a stuck glow plug, so you may have to get it running. I tried it today on an unfortunately dead hole in my project, wouldn't budge. It is cylinder #5.

 

[icanfixall]

Cylinder arrangement is on the drivers side front to back at the firewall its 2-4-6-8. On the passenger side front to back its 1-3-5-7. Forget this when your looking at the top of the engine. No problem. Every intake port near the heads have that cylinder number cast into the port near the 2 bolts. Just clean off the dirt. Its there no dought. I'm thinking your going to be cranking the engine of firing up the engine. Please be careful. Place some 1/2 or 3/4 inch plywood or a piece of 2x8 over that hole. Thats a bullet blowing out of a running engine.