Broken Glow PLugs

[DieselSacPacker]

Hi All,

Recently while replacing glow plugs, a few broke flush with the head. I am going to try and drill out and left hand tap it so i can just inscrew it. Or if that fails, use screw extractor. Has anyone dealt with this scenario? I know i may have to just remove the head, but i would like to try this first. And just so everyone knows, they were beru plugs. Any help would be great.

 

[icanfixall]

Realy surprised to read a Beru plug did this. Are you the person to install them? What you might do is remove the injector and blow air into the cylinder thru the injector hole. That way any drilling chips will not fall into the cylinder. Wear some eye protection too.

 

[DieselSacPacker]

I bought the truck recently and am replacing the plugs the previous owner installed. Are you saying i shouldnt try to extract them but just drill out and blow all the chips out?

thanks

 

[icanfixall]

Drilling them can cause issues in the heads if you chip the seats. Look at a glow plug. See the taper below the threads. Thats the seat. There is another seat like that in the head where this contacts and makes the tight fit that wont allow combustion to blow by the threads. All the threads do is hold the plug against the seat. They do not form any seal. The air blowing thru the cylinder will keep any drill bits from dropping into the cylinders. I'm not sure drilling to make an easy out fit will get these out of the heads. How much of the threaded body has come out so far. If the plug has all the threads out and the plug still wont come out then the tip is swollen and takes lots of work to get it out. If thats the issue then that piston needs to be rolled up to top dead center so the tip wont fall into the cylinder thru the precup. It will stay in the precup if it drops in. then air blown into the glowplug hole may cause it to blow out the open injector hole.

 

[DieselSacPacker]

I was going to drill down about 400 thousanths deep (length of underneath hex to bottom of threads) and wide enough so threads will come apart. then turn engine over to shoot out tapered end with electrode tip still in cup. But instead I think I will first drill the 400 thousanths deep and then around 200 thousanths wide and tap it left hand. then screw in left hand bolt to extract the whole plug.

 

[ironworker40]

Take some before during and after pictures please. I would like to see this. I will give us something to try before removing head. I would still bring piston to tdc just in case tip falls into precup.