My mechanic is telling me that the head MUST be removed in order to get the element out, and to get the stuck plug out... I've been told several times now to either drop a pencil magnet in there or to suck the shavings out with the shop vac. It's not worth the $2,000 to me to have the head removed just to drill this thing out. I think my mechanic is just being lazy.
problems with stuck glow plugs
I just bought a 1993 F250 with the 7.3. My friend who I bought it off of told me that the glow plugs needed to be replaced. My mechanic friend (owed me money) told me that the glow plugs were easy to do and that I could do them myself.
Long story short, I tried to do the plugs myself and got 7 done without any troubles. The number 5 plug however decided to snap flush with the engine. I found last night that the element had managed to fall down into the engine. I have 3 mechanical opinions in front of me on what to do. Which would you guys feel is the best way to go?
1) Remove stuck plug, insert new and pray for the best - can do this myself or with mechanic buddy.
2) Remove exhaust port? and attempt to fish the element out through there. - can do this with mechanic friend.
3) Remove head and go looking for element. - Mechanic says $2,000+. Spent $4,500 on the truck and only worked it one day. Truck isn't worth $6,500.+
Thank you all for your help.
Long story short, I tried to do the plugs myself and got 7 done without any troubles. The number 5 plug however decided to snap flush with the engine. I found last night that the element had managed to fall down into the engine. I have 3 mechanical opinions in front of me on what to do. Which would you guys feel is the best way to go?
1) Remove stuck plug, insert new and pray for the best - can do this myself or with mechanic buddy.
2) Remove exhaust port? and attempt to fish the element out through there. - can do this with mechanic friend.
3) Remove head and go looking for element. - Mechanic says $2,000+. Spent $4,500 on the truck and only worked it one day. Truck isn't worth $6,500.+
Thank you all for your help.
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Sorry about the confussion, I didn't mean my mechanic as in the guy I pay, I meant my friend the mechanic, whom owes me money.
Sorry for the confussion, please allow me to try to clear things up a little bit.
There are 2 mechanics in this situation... one who owes me money for work I did at his house, and the other is the one that my family uses and pays.
Yes, the element has fallen into the engine, and yes, the entire threaded part of the glow plug is still in the engine. I am going to attempt to suck out the element and drill the plug today, tapping a new hole and inserting a hydrocoil for the new plug.
Oh, and that glow plug is NOT going to get backed out. I've already tried easy outs and soaking for 24 hrs. Haven't snapped an easy out just yet, however other things have broken in the attempts to get this thing out. I realize that it MUST be drilled.
There are 2 mechanics in this situation... one who owes me money for work I did at his house, and the other is the one that my family uses and pays.
Yes, the element has fallen into the engine, and yes, the entire threaded part of the glow plug is still in the engine. I am going to attempt to suck out the element and drill the plug today, tapping a new hole and inserting a hydrocoil for the new plug.
Oh, and that glow plug is NOT going to get backed out. I've already tried easy outs and soaking for 24 hrs. Haven't snapped an easy out just yet, however other things have broken in the attempts to get this thing out. I realize that it MUST be drilled.
As far as I know the piston was not at TDC before beginning removal.
I know that the tip fell into the engine because my friend the mechanic told me to drive it for a while and hopefully the plug would loosen up just enough so that we could remove it. After closing things up, I tried to start the engine and heard that there was air being sucked into the system from somewhere. The truck never turned over, but it did backfire.
The threads ARE still in the head.
I drill wood, or stupid metal things, my mechanic friend is the one who drilled the GP in order to get the easy outs in.
I know that the tip fell into the engine because my friend the mechanic told me to drive it for a while and hopefully the plug would loosen up just enough so that we could remove it. After closing things up, I tried to start the engine and heard that there was air being sucked into the system from somewhere. The truck never turned over, but it did backfire.
The threads ARE still in the head.
I drill wood, or stupid metal things, my mechanic friend is the one who drilled the GP in order to get the easy outs in.
I'm in the middle of trying to suck out the element with the shop vac and the air compressor. I've been finding little bits and pieces of black something or other coming into the holding tank for the vac. How will I know when I have sucked it all out? I cleaned off the area the other day with compressed air, so I would hope that the black stuff isn't coming from the surface. Would it now be safe to drill the stuck plug?
1 - 6 of 18 Posts
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