Spark Plug 7 was misfiring (ODB2 Reading and CE Light). Verified cables were good so decided that I should replace all the park plugs since it's it's been a while.

Started with SP7 and moved a cross to SP8 and the last was SP1. Everything was going smooth until I got to SP1 (Drivers Side Front). It wouldn't budge. Added some liquid wrench and let it set for 20 minutes. Gave it a good tug and it snapped loose....too loose. The Spark Plug snapped half way into the threads. The porcelain also snapped and then immediately fell into the cylinder leaving only the threads and the metal electrodes still screwed it. My first thought.... OH ****!!!!

Now I have to decide whether to have someone to all the work at that cost of do it myself.

I can't bore-out the spark plug myself so I'll have to have that done. However from looking at it and if I decided to do it myself, I need to remove the Power Steering Pump, Heads and Valve Cover (22 total bolts from my count).

Has anyone done this? Is this even possible from the standard tools and not mechanic shop?

I figured that if I had a shop do it I'm looking at least a $1K bill. Since the truck is worth $5K i'm not sure if it's worth it. However, this is my FIRST TRUCK... MY BABY and I don't want to just toss in the towel on her. She's been a great truck and I love working on her. My kids call her Clifford (Since she's a Big Red Dodge).

 

Clear everything out of the way, so you have a straight shot at the broken off plug. This includes removing the heat shield, if they are even still there.

Hit the remaining part of the plug with your favorite chemical. Soak it good, let it sit for a few. (I like PB blaster better than liquid wrench..... others have their favorites as well.) Try and use an easy out in the remaining part of the plug. Shouldn't have to drill anything. DO NOT break the easy out. Put it in there, tap on it a bit so it gets a good bite. then apply even pressure. Don't jerk on it, don't strong arm it, nice, even pressure. It SHOULD come out. You can try working it back an forth a bit, to get it to break loose..... Don't let is fall into the cylinder either.......

Once you have it out, disconnect the electrical connector from the coil, and yank the fuel pump relay. Crank the engine a couple times. It should spit out whatever fell into the cylinder.

 

Need to pull the intake off also. But to be safe, pulling the head is best. You have to get all of the pieces out or it will score the cylinder walls and/or lcok piston up.

You will need an inch pound AND a foot pound torque wrence to reinstall, new intake gasket set and Head gasket set as well as exhaust gaskets.

Good time to check plenum if it hasn't been changed. Also good time to change timeing set if it has been a long time as well as water pump.

Do you have the service manual from the FAQ/DIY section? That and a Haynes will help.

 

Thank you for the quire reply and advice.

I purchased a 3/8 - 5/8 screw extracted. Tapped it it and gave it a tug... no luck. I then attached a 3/8th socked and a pipe to the edge for more leverage.. still nothing. It's almost as if the treads of the spark plug are fused with the engine.

If I do manage to get it out, how can I make sure that I get everything out and not damage the cylinder walls?

@GDstock: I do have a service manual for the 2000 model so it's relatively close. I also have a Hayes and Clifton Manual.

 

Others may be more comfortable, but my luck sucks, so I would be afraid to not remove the head...but that' just me. HeyYou thinks it will bow out.

A lot of people overtighten spark plugs. This is especially an issue with aluminum heads, but it seems that the metal used in plugs is not as hard as it used to be - probably cheaper to manufacture. Can't remember the torque value, but it is in the manual.

If you try to get this out without pulling head and you have to chase the threads witha tap, put grease in the flutes of the tap to capture any shavings.

 

Based on my luck so far I would have to error on the side of caution.

To minimize the pulling and things going wrong, is it possible to do what I'm trying to do without removing the valve cover? I'm trying to do this with as little intrusion in the actual engine as possible so less possibility of things going wrong.

 

if youre pulling the head the valve cover has to come off cause the other half of the head bolts are under there. if/when you take the head off, be careful with the intake manifold bolts, sometimes they like to snap off in the heads. just be careful when removing those intake bolts, and all will come out with ease!

 

Very good to know.

I'm entering uncharted territory for me all in the effort to save my truck. This is going to be interesting.

At least I have my weekend planned.

 

Something you might try before pulling the head: Find a widget, be it an old socket, chunk of pipe, whatever, that will squarely land on what remains of the plug without damaging the threads in the head. Rap the widget several times to transfer the shock to the plug remnant, then remove the widget and spray the remnant well with a high quality penetrating oil. NOT WD-40 or Liquid Wrench, but something more like CRC Freeze Off (my favorite and what I'd recommend for this specific job), PB Blaster, or Kroil. Let it soak for ten or twenty minutes, then repeat the process including allowing it to soak.

After all of that, you can try the extractor again. If it doesn't work, whip out a small chisel and a good hammer, and very carefully try to tap the remnant around in the customary counterclockwise direction. Y'see, sometimes ez-outs will bite but in so doing they expand the threaded shell of the spark plug so it grabs the head even more tightly. The harder you twist, the greater the expansion. If you can get a quarter turn out of it with the chisel, you'll then be good to go with the ez-out. Then all you've got to do is figure out how to get all of the bits of 5h17 out of the cylinder.

 

Bring it up to media Pa and Ill do the work For $650 and a case of yeungling.