Suddenly ran like poop!

[MAKG]

That's an OH S**T moment.

There are extractors for that, but I believe you have to drill into the spark plug. That's hard on an installed engine. You need to coat the drill bit in heavy grease (like wheel bearing grease) to keep the shavings out of the cylinder. You don't want that crap in the cylinder -- cylinder walls are just your everyday soft cast iron, and they will score.

If that doesn't work, I don't think you have any option short of yanking the head.

It doesn't take all that much force to break a spark plug if the socket isn't ALL the way on (so it's off square). But usually, that breaks the ceramic off and the hex head is fine.

I'm trying to picture a spark plug where the hex part isn't integral with the threaded part. This isn't a 100,000 mile plug by any chance, is it? Witha S**TLOAD of rust?

This isn't a problem I've had to deal with in a real situation (only classroom), since I use cheap spark plugs and just replace them every 30,000 miles. I HAVE cracked an insulator by being stupid, but not a hex head.

 

[fireguy12117]

i decided to go for broke and see what came with a pair of pliers. i have sitting on the bench, the entire electrode, right down to the tip. whats stuck in the block is the threaded part with the ground tang. the whole thing just slipped out. its like the hex head portion rusted free from the threaded portion and it was a compression type fitting holding the ceramic in place.

yeah, that was a real oh nutz moment, specially since the 98 is still down.

anyhow, what i have stuck in the block is the threaded part, dunno how interesting this is going to get...

oh yeah, the drivers side ones are rusted like crazy. i have the center cylinder plug out, the one next to the fire wall i havent even touched. lastnight i couldnt budge it and i just havent even put a socket on it yet. i cant tell if they are original. im inclined to say no since they are aftermarket wires and there are scuff marks on the heater box by the pass. side firewall plug like somone was in there with a ratchet.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

ive seen this a few times (ahh the rust belt)

if you can get a drill in there, your saved. scour your local parts stores for a "helicoil" kit. these are threaded inserts that you can thread into a drill-out spark plug hole. you'll need to get one the proper size. drill the rest of the plug out like mike said, then insert the helicoil ta-da!

if the plugs are rusted enough to the point of being brittle, then they are probably LONG overdue for a changing. soak the remaning 5 plugs in penitrating oil for a few days (re-spray them every 6-8 hours). this will hopefully get them out without any repeated oh sh*t moments.

 

[fireguy12117]

you guys have been a big help so far, thanks a bunch.

ive got all but the one driver side loose. its been sprayed with PB blaster. ill try to get it in the morning too. i shoved a clean rag into the busted plug and hosed that with pb too. i took one other plug and busted out the electrod portion to take to work as a refernce to ask around and see if anyones got some big ass easy outs, or anything else. I'm also going to look into the heli's like you mentioned sludge.

funny thing is, i still dont know if this is really the cause of my original problems but anyhow, im knee deep in it...any thoughts about those vacuum readings? 20(whatevers...lbs, inches...) dropping to near zero when floored?

 

[MAKG]

The Helicoil kits I'm used to have nothing to do with spark plugs. They are generic (and ridiculously expensive, though indispensible) thread repair kits. Spark plugs need a good seating surface, so you need a repair kit specifically for spark plugs. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Helicoil made such a kit, but just be sure the ones you get are specifically for spark plugs.

This is a relatively common problem (as is crossthreading), so spark plug repair inserts are not hard to find.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

CLICKY

theres some info on interpreting vacuum gauge readings. a plugged exhaust system can cause a steady but low reading (such as the one for "poor rings") or a steady drop in vacuum at idle.

if your getting 20" at idle then your probably safe from plugged exhaust.

 

[fireguy12117]

wow, i need all that for the 4 banger thats giving me problems!! thanks wicked.

at this point i have one stuck plug, and the one broken one. i jacked up the one side of the truck as high as i could to create an angle to let gravity force some pb blaster into the plug threads for both. right now im just taking my time and trying a little hear with a propane torch and just giving the stuck one nudges here and there. there were some squared off easy outs that i was shown at work and im going to pick up a set of those tomorrow and see about using one of those on the busted plug, since i can slip the easy-out in nicely. so far, no threads are trashed, and im trying to stay away from having to do any thread work...

 

[MAKG]

You're wasting your time with propane. It's not anywhere near enough heat to do anything.

As for the EZ-Out, use the biggest one you possibly can and DO NOT BREAK IT. Make sure you turn it SQUARE.

 

[gamble71]

sounds like the Mass Airflow Sensor. At least that's what it was in my 94, and it sounds like what you're describing.

 

[fireguy12117]

i dont know how accurate the books procedure was for the MAF but i did have the correct supply and signal voltages coming from there when the truck was running. definatly going to go back through if/when i get this thing running. that one stuck one just wont move and im afraid of giving it too much and breaking it.

 

[skippy]

i dont know how accurate the books procedure was for the MAF but i did have the correct supply and signal voltages coming from there when the truck was running. definatly going to go back through if/when i get this thing running. that one stuck one just wont move and im afraid of giving it too much and breaking it.

fwiw,and painful as it might be,take the head to a machine shop,it won't cost much and they can clean up the threads or do the helical coil if need be.if the easy out breaks you will have to take the head off anyway.

 

[fireguy12117]

my hestitation with that is that ill be breaking every bolt on the exhaust manifold on that side. everything on that side is so rusty that i'd probably break nearly every bolt getting the head off...

so how does one pull a rust head?

snapped that little bugger right off just now, so im 0 for 2. pull the engine, or pull the head?

pull the engine, i can maybe do other work, but i dont have an engine stand, or any real heavy engine tools. pull the head, im in for some work ove never done before. new intake and head gaskets ive never done, and a whole slew of rusty bolts. just had the AC system filled...any insight guys?

 

[fireguy12117]

Got the top end tore down to the upper intake and exposed vavle covers. AC is just hangin, wiring harness is being held by the "oil pressure sensor" P.O.S. switch (how does that unplug?) and im just coming in from vacuuming the debris off. no idea whats next...

U-Pull-it place charges $280 for a ford v-6 with a 30 day warrenty...

feels kinda good to just pulling stuff off of there since the trucks given me the s**t's for so many things...

 

[fireguy12117]

Turning into a top end tear down

ive got vavle covers off, lower intake off and torx bits soaking in oil. anyone have tips about pulling a head?

up to this point ive gotten pretty lucky with everything coming apart. im still worried about that exhaust manifold...

 

[skippy]

ive got vavle covers off, lower intake off and torx bits soaking in oil. anyone have tips about pulling a head?

up to this point ive gotten pretty lucky with everything coming apart. im still worried about that exhaust manifold...

when i pull a cyl head,i loosen the bolts in reverse order of the tightening instructions.there is a certain order to tightening/loosening and you need at a minimum a cheap haynes manual,about 15 bucks at auto parts store.head bolts should not be rusty.as for the exhaust bolts,well you are going to break at least one and if you don't you are lucky.let the machine shop deal with em,they are better equipped.as for pulling the head,once the bolts are out it should lift right out,take care not to sratch or ding the sealing surface.