Last night I was changing out my glowplugs because they were autolites that the previous owner had put in. The #3 glow plug wont pull out of its hole. I am sure the tip is swollen or bent. I tightened it back up and just left the plug off it for now. It still started up great in the morning with 7 new Motocraft plugs. Should I just leave that glow plug unplugged forever and forget about it or is there something else I should do?
Stuck Glow Plug, Any suggestions?
- Thread starter norve8c9
- Start date
troutwest66
Ricer-Roni The IDI Treat
That plug should come out but I'll let the experts advise how since I haven't had to pull a swollen plug.
sle2115
NRA LIFE MEMBER
norve8c9 said:
Read this article - http://www.members.shaw.ca/k2pilot/Glow plug removal article.html
Scott
aaklingler
Registered User
How hard did you pull? Unscrew it and soak it with PB Blaster.
A totally wacky idea, but I know with slightly advanced fuel timeing the GP's tend to get erroded a bit......If nothing else works driving around with the IP bumped up a bit might wear just enough off inorder to allow you to squeeze it out. Again, I don't really think this is a great idea 
aaklingler
Registered User
you can give a pretty good pull with pliers, wiggle it around a little too, also try screwing it out while pulling.
sle2115
NRA LIFE MEMBER
bikepilot said:A totally wacky idea, but I know with slightly advanced fuel timeing the GP's tend to get erroded a bit......If nothing else works driving around with the IP bumped up a bit might wear just enough off inorder to allow you to squeeze it out. Again, I don't really think this is a great idea
I don't think so either if he has 7 news ones in, it will erode them as well!
zigg
Full Access Member
aaklingler said:
I know one guy who rigged up a rubber tube that fit tight over the plug, and then put the other end in his reversible drill, and ran it in reverse(so as not to screw up the threads)while spraying wd40 and gently pulling up to grind off any carbon that may have built up.
If the tip is bent or swollen, it's probably not gonna come out. I have heard of one guy who got it unscrewed, and pulled up till it was wedged, and then fired the engine up. It fired the plug out, but could just as easily have broke it off, and the danger is of course, the tip can fall in there.
I suggest you read the article, make sure you got that cylinder to TDC, and try to work it first, and if it just won't come out, then only you can decide how much more risk you're willing to take.
It won't hurt anything to just screw it back in there and leave it (electrically unhooked) but you may have trouble starting the truck when cold weather gets here again.
The only for sure way to get it out without harm that anyone has come up with, is to pull the head off.
Good luck, do report back...
Zigg
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
If you unscrew it and fire up the motor just stand back. The plug can blow out with fearsome force. Probably take out a eye. Revving the motor may help but this is something that not many members would sponser. Stuck glow plugs are not the end of these motors but can really cause some problems. Soaking it with PB Blaster or Aerokroil will really help but don't flood the cylinder. The piston is only missing hitting the head by .030. Thats 10 pages of notebook paper. Not much at all and no room for liquids or glow plugs.
Thanks for the help guys, none of these solutions sounds that appealing though. I think I will just leave it in there, I have a push button for the plugs so I havent had any problem starting. Who knows, maybe the carbon will burn off after a while and it will come out. With 177,000 miles its really not worth it, this thing will probably fall victim to the cavitation monster soon enough anyway.
straight pipes
straight pipes
best thing i have found to do is take a pair of bent needle nose pliers and a air wrench preferably or a rachet and apply pressure to the glow plug with the pliers underneath it and with the air gun gently pull er out
Joe Mc
Registered User
Finessing it out is great if it works, since you are not looking to pull the head if it doesn't, leaving it there does appear to be the best option.
