Broken spark plug thread in cyl head

[Maddog11]

05 Expy 5.4l 3v of course. #7 spark plug threads seized and broke off in cyl head. Anyone have any experience with this issue and how to remove the remainder of the plug/threads? I know about the helicoil/Cal Van kit to rethread the cyl head but I need to get the broken part out first. Thanks for any help.

 

[Motorcity muscle]

Could use Lylie tool to remove remaining part of plug.

 

[Maddog11]

Actually that tool won’t work. It’s just meant to remove the nipple when it breaks off. This is the threaded part of the plug. I think what I’m gonna have to do is remove the head and take it down to my machine shop. Let them cut it out and install a new thread insert.

 

[Maddog11]

Actually that tool won’t work. It’s just meant to remove the nipple when it breaks off. This is the threaded part of the plug. I think what I’m gonna have to do is remove the head and take it down to my machine shop. Let them cut it out and install a new thread insert.

 

[Motorcity muscle]

Lisle 65000 M14 x 1.25 spark plug hole repair kit with deep hole aluminum head. Need to pound a socket onto plug and pull as you turn it out, then use tool to repair thread.

 

[Maddog11]

The only problem is that the threads from the spark plug are still stuck in the head. The kit doesn’t allow for this. I was thinking of drilling it out myself but I think I’m gonna take the head down to the machine shop that built my 426 Gen 3 hemi abd have them do it instead. They do this kinda stuff all the time.

 

[GAINMOB]

havent seen this prob in a while...everyone with 2v engines learned early to change out oem plugs as soon as they could and to switch them out cuz they always broke...i paid for ford to do it and they 3 broke in the engine...they had trouble getting 1 out more than the rest and they had to get all the pieces out...3 days for dealership to do it

 

[Maddog11]

havent seen this prob in a while...everyone with 2v engines learned early to change out oem plugs as soon as they could and to switch them out cuz they always broke...i paid for ford to do it and they 3 broke in the engine...they had trouble getting 1 out more than the rest and they had to get all the pieces out...3 days for dealership to do it

Yea not real common on the 3v engine. But to add to it I used the updated plugs (one piece Champions) the last time I changed them approx 60 miles ago. I think what happened was the vehicle has been sitting for the last 8 months and water was dripping off the cowl right onto that coil/plug. Therefore the water got down into the threads and seized it into the head. Anyway, my machine shop has had real good luck repairing this issue. Keeping my fingers crossed as I don't want to buy a head for this old vehicle. I'd rather spend the $ on the 13 I picked up for $3k that looks like its brand new. The only downfall is it may need an engine?!?

 

[Gary Waugh]

I have no experience with this, so just wanted to make a suggestion, no idea if it would work. I don’t know if the porcelain middle of the plug is still in the part that has stayed in the head. If it has I would take a drift and try to tap it into the cylinder, this will just leave the threaded steel body, then I would take the largest easy-out that will fit in the middle of the steel spark plug body and then try turning the easy out to see if it will bite into the plug body and unscrew it from the head. If it does then you need to find a way to get the porcelain part out from inside the cylinder via the spark plug hole. (I would use a rubber tube fitted to a vaccum cleaner and try sucking the porcelain parts out). Just an idea, but I can’t think of any other way except removing the head, but that’s a lot of work and expense.

 

[Maddog11]

Actually, I did kinda think of that but that thing is so seized in there it just made me nervous to do it myself because if I break the easy out off in the spark plug tube I’ve got a REAL BIG problem. I just decided to take the head off, take it to the machine shop & let them do it. Only took about 20 mins to get the head off from where I was at in the process of doing the timing components. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion.