anyone got a good way to get out stuck glow plugs

[gtspowerstroke]

so I was putting glowplugs in a friends '96 tonight and #7 is stuck. The outer threaded part came out but the core is stuck. I tried grabbing the end that is sticking up with a pair of needle nose vice grips and prying up on them but they would just keep sliding off and they are like new with nice sharp teeth on them still too! Filled the glow plug hole with aero-kriol hoping it will disolve the carbon and let it come out in the morning.

Anyone got any slick ways of getting these things out without having to pull the head?

Thanks for any help!

[Dirk]

That is the only way I know of.

If the barrel is busted off, you better lock some vice grips on it over night if the carbon breaks loose. Come out and find the glow plug missing...

[Ryan Rønning]

There is a tool that we have here in the Army just for this problem. Basicly all it is is a nut that will thread on to the threads on the glow plug. Its cut in half so that you can get it on the treads. Once its on you put bowed end or preferably a ratchet wrench on it and tighten it against the block. As you tighten it it pulls the glow plug out. They come in set and individualy for all mager types of glow plugs. I wish I had a pic to show you. I think ours are made by Snap-on. Hope that this helps you!

[Dirk]

Originally Posted by RRonning1984

There is a tool that we have here in the Army just for this problem. Basicly all it is is a nut that will thread on to the threads on the glow plug. Its cut in half so that you can get it on the treads. Once its on you put bowed end or preferably a ratchet wrench on it and tighten it against the block. As you tighten it it pulls the glow plug out. They come in set and individualy for all mager types of glow plugs. I wish I had a pic to show you. I think ours are made by Snap-on. Hope that this helps you!

I have never seen that.


That would be an awesome addition to my tool box.

[gtspowerstroke]

Thanks guys,

RRonning I think I know what you are talking about but not quite. There are no threads on it to screw a tool over. It's just the core electrode that is stuck but the outer portion that threads into the head came out. I guess you could cut threads on it but I don't think there is enough foom for a die to do so.

I guess I'll see what happens this morning when I get over there after it's soaked all night. Hopefully my prayers get answered! I really don't feel like pulling the head.

[AFBLUE]

this may sound a little outrageoues, but I thought I have heard it on here before but what would happen if you unplug the ECM so the truck doesnt try firing, and just crank the engine over so the cylinder pressure pushs it out? Obviously cover the glow plug with a heavy blanket or it will coming rocketing out into your hood.

[exitwound]

Originally Posted by RRonning1984

There is a tool that we have here in the Army just for this problem. Basicly all it is is a nut that will thread on to the threads on the glow plug. Its cut in half so that you can get it on the treads. Once its on you put bowed end or preferably a ratchet wrench on it and tighten it against the block. As you tighten it it pulls the glow plug out. They come in set and individualy for all mager types of glow plugs. I wish I had a pic to show you. I think ours are made by Snap-on. Hope that this helps you!

That sound similar to what we used to use when I was in the military. Sometime the glow plug electrodes would be old enough and used enough that the electrode part that is in the head would swell because of overuse and that would keep them from coming out. If this was the case the only solution was to pull the head.

[gtspowerstroke]

Originally Posted by AFBLUE

this may sound a little outrageoues, but I thought I have heard it on here before but what would happen if you unplug the ECM so the truck doesnt try firing, and just crank the engine over so the cylinder pressure pushs it out? Obviously cover the glow plug with a heavy blanket or it will coming rocketing out into your hood.

you don't have to unhook the PCM just jump the terminals on the starter relay to crank it over. I did that last night and it didn't come out. I even tried hooked a jumer cable to my vice grips hoping it would heat the glow plug up and burn the carbon out but there was not a good enough connection between the plug and the head for the power to go through and heat the glow plug. I thought about go so far is to throwing the valve cover gaskets back on it and hooking the wireing back up and fire the truck off in hopes that it would blow it out. I might try that this morning before I give up on it and start pulling the head.

thanks for your help guys!