While changing the plugs in my 2002 Dakota (4.7 V-8) I broke a spark plug. The top part of the plug that the socket fit onto separated from the bottom part that is threaded. The separation appears to be metal broken from metal. There is a white ceramic peg (insulator?) that came out with the top part. It is intact all the way to the tip (center electrode?).

A couple questions come to mind:

1. Is there a method of getting that threaded collar out? Like perhaps by using an easy-out. Will it require pulling the head off and drilling it out?

2. Do I risk damaging the engine if I start it with the top half of the plug reinserted? What if I remove the top half or unplug the wires? That's more of a theoretic question. I don't plan to leave it in this condition. But if it doesn't hurt anything I'll drive it to a local garage and have them extract the broken plug.

Thanks,

Tom

 

as long as its just the threaded portion and the entire plug is out and youre able to see into the combustion chamber. than yes you can remove it with an easy out. get pb blaster and shoot it down the tube at the threaded insert and let it sit for a few mins or so. then add some more pb and work the easy out, slowly. once its out, coat your new spark plug threads with anti sieze. make this a habit everytime you do spark plugs.

 

I can see the value of antisieze. What is "pb blaster"?

 

PB Blaster is a FANTASTIC penetrator. Its used to break up rust and loosen stuck bolts.

I have used it many times and now have 6 or 8 cans somewhere in the garage, it went on sale at my work. $3/ a can, im game

 

/\ i have E-Z outed a broken spark plug like fox says....

be very careful, ( i used a power drill but on a ford so it didnt really matter...) but its your truck take your time

 

Batman you son of a B!

I always wanted to the the cars thing with a picture or my truck =/

 

PB Blaster is like WD40 on steroids. It works so good. I use it on all kinds of things. My brother had a door handle he couldn't get to turn and I sprayed it with PB Blaster and then when in seconds it started working freely again. If you look for it, it will have a lot of wrting on the can and it has a yellow top.

 

I got the broken plug out following the directions y'all gave me. The two parts stores that were open on Sunday didn't have PB Blaster except in a gallon can so I used SeaFoam.

I used a 19/64 easy out. We put a 13 mm (may have been 14 mm) socket on the end of the easy out and used a 1/2", T type breaker bar with an extension. Fortunately is was plug #2 - easy enough to get directly above with the breaker bar.

After a good soaking and several minutes to allow the oil to penetrate, it took a Hercules grunt to break the plug free. "Free" is not quite right because it took considerable effort to turn the plug the rest of the way out. There was a small amount of cross threading on the plug. The new plug was very tight going back in. It makes me wonder if the original plug could have been cross threaded when it was put in. I used an ample coating of anti-sieze grease on all the new plugs.

It only took 6 hours to change 8 plugs. Part of that was chasing down a set of easy outs. Part was my inexperience making me go real slow and careful. And of course part was removing the broken plug. Next time I expect it to go a bit faster. BTW, the truck is running great now.

Thanks for the help guys. Your advice kept me from panicking, saved me a pocket full of dough and kept me from being without my truck for another day. I'll stay tuned and maybe add something where I can.

Tom

 

Glad to hear that it work out for you Tom. Ill keep this in mind in case I ever have this issue.

If you have a Tractor Supply Co near you pop in and buy PB blaster. Its on sale for $3 a can! Last time it went on sale i bought 6

 

well, hate to say.. next time you do plugs and if that cross threaded, you may end up having a nice headache with a fully stripped hole. then youre f$%ked.. if it happened to be one of the LA/Magnum engines, id say take the head off and run a tap through it but since the 4.7 is SOHC... eh.. yikes. worked on a 3.7 v6, same as the 4.7 v8 and that was a pita to take care of the timing.