billster74

I was replacing my plugs and coil packs on my 2006 F150 5.4 triton the second from the back plug the nut came off the plug leaving the threads intact rendering the extraction tools useless. Has anyone seen this before and whats my fix folks? I am desperate because as of yet there is no internet article or forum that addresses this problem! I would appreciate any input btw they were champion plugs not OEM Ford.

650NutKase

Sounds like it's vice grips time! best of luck...sorry I have nothing to help :/

Martian

Good God... That's awful... You may have to remove the head for that one...

650NutKase

Try getting some fuel hose around the nose of the grips and try to gently spin it out? Use a LOT of penetrating oil...

BadFish523

Martin beat me to it, remove the head would probably be the safest way.

Martian

Wonder if a search for Champion issues like this would yield anything... how old are the plugs? Check that, and Champion's warranty, and see if there's any way you could get them to help you out.

vintageman

That's a rough one, I am pretty sure though that I have heard about the nut portion coming off before with the threaded portion and rest of the plug still in place. As far as I remember, they broke off the ceramic portion and then used the lisle tool. Good luck, never heard of a Champion plug doing this though.

warrenoliver

Bummer for sure. You might want to check out different stud extractors. Sears makes one that looks like a socket - might fit over the stud that is left in the head. The Sears one is called Bolt Out, they also make one for impact wrenches which might work better if it can get a grip on the plug remnant.

Good luck

redfishtd

Put in vise --recreate break . Test bolt out ,extractor tap etc . Soak the one in there with carb cleaner . Sounds like some one put them in with an impact tool ..

dyeguy1212

iTrader: (1)

This happened to me too.

I assume you have the Lisle tool for broken plugs. What you need to do (or atleast what I did...) was break the plug off, allowing you to use the tool.


I used a narrow, long flat-tipped screwdriver. Insert into the spark plug hole as far as you can. In one swift motion (I used the base of my closed fist), give the screwdriver a pop to the side. This will break the plug off at the top of the threads (or in this case, where the threads used to be), and then you can use the lisle tool like normal.


This worked on two of my plugs. I was also a bit panicked, but I thought I read the above tip on the forum previously. Either way, it's 100% worth a try prior to removing the head (which, from experience, is a miserable job when the engine is in the truck).


Edit: Oh, and don't freak out if you pop the plug sideways and the top half doesn't immediately come out. While this will snap the ceramic of the plug, the electrode might still be intact (much more ductile). On one of the two that required this procedure, I had to use long needle nose pliers to work the plug back and forth until the electrode fatigued enough to break.