How I removed a stripped electrode!

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Habbibie

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ok so some of you knew of what was happening on the "what did you do to the expy today" thread but to understand the difficulty and how frustrating it is I feel some of you might want to skip out on replacing plugs yourself and let the dealer deal with it in case this happens to you......

Ok first off I had a recent engine swap, the "newly" swapped engine had 120k on it and obviously original plugs, I told the shop doing the swap at least 5 times to replace plugs while its out of the car but nope they didn't

Anyways 3 days ago I get a misfire code so I decided to replace plugs, I got a lisle tool 65600 and new plugs and got to work

Now the fun part: all 8 plugs broke in 3 pieces, 7 of which came out without any struggle using the lisle tool but lucky plug #3 (the one that ignited the CEL) decided it wasn't coming out, after repeated attempts trying to remove it the lisle tool stripped and with that it also stripped the electrode.

1. I bought another kit in hopes it grabs the electrode but it wouldn't catch,

2. I tried hammering the puller screw on to dig it deeper that didn't work

3. I got a 3/8-16 extended tap 6" long, tried to tap the electrode but all it did was strip off the top lip of the broken electrode and it kept breaking piece by piece

4. I gave up hope at this point & started counterplating my life and all the choices I made to get me to this point!

5. Started to tare down the intake thinking I have to remove the heads now... Then in the mids of it I decided to beat the living hell out of the electrode using a 1/4" drive 12" long extension and a 4-lb sludge hammer and I just started pounding at it (I was very angry)

To my surprise 10 minutes later I go to remove the extension and it's stuck, so I kept wiggling it until it came out.... Then it hit me, the square tip has created a dimple inside the electrode which might be just enough for the lisle tool to grab onto, and holly smokes it grabbed it and pulled it out

Though might I remind you the electrode got pushed so deep that I couldn't get the nut on the puller screw using the spacer that came with the tool, I had to use a 1/2 drive 13/16 deep socket and a 1/2" SAE washer on the bottom and top and as I screwed the nut it actually worked.

I spent $160 & close to 16 hours in 5 degrees weather just on plug #3, in not counting the first 4 hours I spent on the other 7 plugs

Anyways I'm never touching this engine again, it's to the dealer for everything from now on even for oil changes in tired and fed up with fords 3v 5.4, I will never recommend it and will never buy anything again powered by it!

Pics of what it took will be coming soon
 
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Habbibie

Habbibie

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And more, including the nightmare electrode and the stripped extractor screw

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John Christopher

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That sucked that they didn't replace the plugs before installing the engine. They owe you big time. I get involved in repairs too. Things sometimes go wrong and I'm kicking myself. Most times it ends up working out after spending a lot more time then I wanted. Don't be hard on yourself. You got the plugs changed and pulled out that broken electrode. Overall a job well done. Remember shit happens.
Take care.
 

jeff kushner

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That's the stuff that nightmares are written from! I know that you didn't spend 16 hrs in 5 F weather because you had any other option.....some of us have been in that position and it sucks. I do congratulate you on persevering and completing the required task!

Whoever gave the "go" for that multi-piece plug to be used should be shot! I don't blame the engineer....they just design crap, but someone HAD to have known that it wasn't going to work in the long run and THAT'S THE ONE I WANT TO SEE SHOT!

I very nearly bought a truck with those plugs and only by the Grace of God did I avoid it because I didn't know what years they were installed!

jeff
 
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Habbibie

Habbibie

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None of your posts mention any lube. You went in dry, didn't ya? Who does that?

The day prior to removing plugs I did give each spark plug a quarter turn and sprayed PB blaster, had about 14-18 hours of soak time before I started removing them. Didn't help what's so ever except for making the job messy and slippery
 

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