blew plug out of head

[Oldsman]

Yep Title says it all. Started it up today and blew the plug right out. Shut it down and the plug was in the wire. The threads are still in the head. Wow can it just get any worse. I am scard to change the rest for if they break like this one then off comes the heads.
I am going to try an easy out and hope it works. Also going to have the intake valve open and have a shop vac set to blow air to help blow any shavings out and not into the cylenders. If all plugs come out ok I will chase the threads to make sure they are clean before I reinstall new plugs. Any thoughts on a better way to do this?

 

[Stray Cat]

You mean the wrench flats have seperated from the thread?

 

[wileecoyote]

Did you by chance have automotive plugs instead of the Marine plugs? I assume you are talking about spark plugs. A friend of mine had put regular automotive plugs in his Wellcraft and basicly the same thing. His blew the whole porcelin section out of the metal portion of the plug. When the metal portion came out you could see where it was just eaten away with rust. I think at the time this happened, it was the second year on said spark plugs.

 

[Oldsman]

To be honest I have no clue how long the plugs have been in there. It has been dry stored for 8 years without being run. I know they are NGK V-Grove plugs. Yes the flats have seperated from the threads.

 

[wileecoyote]

8 years, YUK! Looks like it's time to soak those puppies down with some penetrating oil and try to get them out. Are you saying the only thing left is the threads in the head, no area for a socket? If the only thing left is thread you can soak them down and try an EZ out, but if it's that rusty you may want to pray first. The only other thing would be to remove the head to be able to remove the old material and repair the thread. If you try this on the engine all the metal, chunks, rust, etc.. will go down on top of the piston.

Pics would be helpful to see what your dealing with.

 

[wkearney99]

If it's just the sleeve of the sparkplug (the threads) then you might have luck with a large ez-out bit. The greater trouble is if the plug is 'hollow' then any debris that might develop is going to drop down into that cylinder. This would a BAD thing. Even the tiniest bits of junk getting stuck in the oiled bearing around the crankshaft can cause a VERY expensive set of problems. Don't make a bad situation wor$e.

If you can't get that plug out whole then you'd probably be a lot better off pulling the head from the engine. That way you don't risk dropping bits into the cylinders. Depending on how many hours are on the engine it might be good to have the heads serviced while they're off.

And if it's been that long then you'll probably have to deal with the exhaust manifolds and risers. I'd venture your odds are high for those bolts being seized or breaking off in the process. Another reason to pull the heads. It'd be a real shame to spend a couple of hours dealing with one broken piece after then next while stuck down in the engine compartment. When they're off the engine they're a lot less hassle to service.

 

[Stray Cat]

Here's what I would try...aint sayin it is the right thing to do, but I'd try it anyway. The worst you would have is pulling the head anyway and removing metal filings....

I've heard so much good stuff about a penetrant called PB Blaster. I'd soak the hell out of the plug over a couple of days...spray it every chance you get. Try to get an easy out to take a good bite and see what you get. If it slips, well, you gotta pull the head anyway....good luck.

 

[kybishop]

LOL, I thought you were talking about the toilet "head". I was thinking, what plug did someone blow out of the toilet???

Good luck man and I hope you get it worked out. I do not have any experience with this one but will keep up with thread to see what you find out.

KB

 

[sbw1]

LOL, I thought you were talking about the toilet "head". I was thinking, what plug did someone blow out of the toilet???

Good luck man and I hope you get it worked out. I do not have any experience with this one but will keep up with thread to see what you find out.

KB

Me too. I thought he tried that great fried cabbage dish that was posted the other day.

 

[Ididntdoit]

If it's just the sleeve of the sparkplug (the threads) then you might have luck with a large ez-out bit. The greater trouble is if the plug is 'hollow' then any debris that might develop is going to drop down into that cylinder. This would a BAD thing. Even the tiniest bits of junk getting stuck in the oiled bearing around the crankshaft can cause a VERY expensive set of problems. Don't make a bad situation wor$e.

If you can't get that plug out whole then you'd probably be a lot better off pulling the head from the engine. That way you don't risk dropping bits into the cylinders. Depending on how many hours are on the engine it might be good to have the heads serviced while they're off.

And if it's been that long then you'll probably have to deal with the exhaust manifolds and risers. I'd venture your odds are high for those bolts being seized or breaking off in the process. Another reason to pull the heads. It'd be a real shame to spend a couple of hours dealing with one broken piece after then next while stuck down in the engine compartment. When they're off the engine they're a lot less hassle to service.

The debris could not get into the bearings (or any part of the oilinng system for that matter) if it is in the cylinder. The real risk is the pistons, cylinder walls, head surface, valve seats, and valves - as posted by others make sure you get everything out of the cylinder BEFORE you crank over the motor - this is near impossible to do, unfortunately removing the head is the right way to do this job

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Once while wrenching out a spark plug the plug broke into two and the threads were left in the head. I think this is your problem.....

I got it out by.
First spinning another plug on the edge of the grinder to separate the threads to see which ez-out would fit best. Be careful the electrode is still in there.
It turned out to be rather small and a quarter drive ratchet with lots of PB blaster over two days it came out completely clean in one piece.

Good luck,
I hope it works.

 

[Ididntdoit]

Once while wrenching out a spark plug the plug broke into two and the threads were left in the head. I think this is your problem.....

I got it out by.
First spinning another plug on the edge of the grinder to separate the threads to see which ez-out would fit best. Be careful the electrode is still in there.
It turned out to be rather small and a quarter drive ratchet with lots of PB blaster over two days it came out completely clean in one piece.

Good luck,
I hope it works.

I stand corrected.........lucky!

 

[Oldsman]

Well I have decided to do it the right way instead of a quick fix that will bit me in the butt later. I am going to pull the engine and rebuild it. Need to pull engine to have the merc 2 tranny rebuilt. I need to replace the exhaust manifolds and risers and the bolts are rusted to the point to where there almost gone. I dont know how many hours is on the engine so I might as well go all the way and have it done right.

 

[flarepoman]

Anything that you do put wheel bearing grease on it. That should keep any debris from getting in the cylinder. Auto plugs and marine plugs are the same. I use the spit fire ones in mine. Have worked great for 2 years now.

Rick

 

[wileecoyote]

Anything that you do put wheel bearing grease on it. That should keep any debris from getting in the cylinder. Auto plugs and marine plugs are the same. I use the spit fire ones in mine. Have worked great for 2 years now.

Rick

There is a difference in plugs, and you may have just seen the difference. Go buy sets of both, or just ask the parts guy to look at them, you'll notice the auto plugs are black (plain ol steel) and the Marine (designated with an "M" in Ac Delco) and you will notice the metal portion is more silver. The metal portion of the plug is an alloy to aid in corrosion resistance. It helps to avoid what you are fixing right now.
By the way if you want to put lube on spark plugs as small amount of Anti-Seize will work.
Sounds like your doing it right by pulling it and fixing it up all at once, much easier than climbing around the bilge fixing one thing at a time!

 

[wkearney99]

Well I have decided to do it the right way instead of a quick fix that will bit me in the butt later. I am going to pull the engine and rebuild it. Need to pull engine to have the merc 2 tranny rebuilt. I need to replace the exhaust manifolds and risers and the bolts are rusted to the point to where there almost gone. I dont know how many hours is on the engine so I might as well go all the way and have it done right.

Probably not a bad plan. Especially given the other rusty bolts. It's certainly going to cost you more in the short term. But with properly rebuilt engines you'll have more confidence they'll keep working once you're out on the water. Assuming you've got any money left over from the rebuild to buy gas!

 

[Stray Cat]

What a shame....I wanted to see if the PB Blaster is a true "miracle in a spray can".

just kidding....since you have these other areas of concern, better to be safe than sinking....

 

[SoggyBottom]

Here's another option to consider. Find a bolt with an outside diameter that will barely, or almost fit into the hole of the plug. Then, put a very small tack weld between the bolt and the plug, one on each side if possible. This will enable you to put a wrench on the bolt and back it out. Also, the heat should help to loosen the plug. I'd also suggest stuffing a wet piece of cloth down into the cylinder to prevent any debris from getting in there. Just make sure that you leave an edge of the wet cloth close enough to the edge that you can grab it with a pair of hemastats or tweezers.
If you opt for the e z out, it will help a lot if you can throw some heat on the edge of the hole in the head, not the plug. You'll need a minimum of mapp gas, and preferably an acetylene torch. Good Luck!