Also try a penetrating solvent like PB Blaster or Aerokroil. Let it soak a while.

I had Champion plugs and the hex snapped off. Fortunately the center ceramic and conductor came out, so the ease-out went in okay. I used PB Blaster and a ease-out (forget the size).

Iput all the pieces back together to confirm nothing went into the cylinder. "Dodged" a bullet that time.

I don't know about the heat -- seems to me even if you heat the head, it will expand _toward_ the plug and not away from it.

Slow and steady...
Lee

 

Sorry, I meant that. I should have watched how I said it.
[sm=smiley24.gif]A check engine light iswhat started me on this journey!

 

Don't foget to use anti-sieze on the plugs going back -- you can get either a small packnear the check-outs in Auto stores, or a larger bottle at the chemicals/sealers section.

 

It's possible thatit might help a littleif you time it just right. But if you wait too long the heat will spread into the plug. The downside if heated up, is that any penetrating oil you've put on will get burned off. If you're that stuck on the idea of heating up the engine, go for it. If it doesn't help, you'll onlyhave to wait a couple of hours for it to cool down.

 

I am in a small town in southern Arizona. Could not find a breaker bar in any store here. So, I bought some Blaster and filled up the spark plug shield until it hit the top of what is left of the external insulator. It turned brown immediately. I am going to let it sit in there for a day and see if it helps at all.I doubt it will because I have not been able to budge it at all. The Blaster probably can't even get into the threads.

I had a friend come over to see if his strength could break it free a little. No dice.

I don't want to break it off worse or screw up the threads inside. If the Blaster makes it budge a little, great. If it doesn't, will I possibly make things worse with a breaker bar?

Thanks for your answers. Take Care, Sharon

 

How did you get the impact gun on to the plug? I had a hard enough time getting a 3/8 ratchet to fit in there.

 

Some you can reach with the gun, extension & universaland some you can't. I also didn't mean to imply just on the ram van, I've done this on other vehicles. Plus the ones that can only be reached with a ratchet...once broken loose an air ratchet is nice for running them out and back in rather quickly.

 

Did you try a short piece of pipe over the ratchet handle? Sometimes all you need is a foot or so.

 

Just wanted to double check. I have done some more research and found that the 'warming the engine trick' works for cast iron head, not aluminum heads. I am pretty sure this is cast iron. Can someone double check me on this?

If it is a cast iron head: I still have the terminal that broke off. I am wondering if I place it inside the wire bootand put the rest of the boot on the rest of the spark plug, might I be able to get that cylinder to warm up. According to what I have read, you warm the engine, thenspray the plug. The warmth allows the penetrating fluid to get into the threads. Don't know if that is true or not, but it is worth a try.

Thanks and take care, Sharon

 

Never mind. After doing some research this morning, I found out I have the cast iron heads (Magnum - rebrand of the LA Engine).

Take Care, Sharon