Spark Plug Pieces in Cylinders
01-20-2014, 03:17 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Spark Plug Pieces in Cylinders
All right guys,
So I just recently purchased my '05 with 49k miles and started replacing my spark plugs (well my dad actually) just to proactively keep things running well. I had no idea what we were in for as we hadn't heard about the issue with these 5.4L Triton spark plugs. This is my first experience with a Ford and I am truly not pleased. Everything else seems okay so far, but this is crazy to have to go through this just to change some spark plugs.
Four of the plugs are now pulled, two of them with no problems. The other two came out with the special Lisle tool I had to purchase for $90.00 at NAPA, except look like the attached file - the ground strap broke and a piece of it went into the cylinder with some porcelain!
Now we obviously know that the instructions for the removal tool are not adequate, as they say "There is no guessing on how far to run the Pusher Screw down. The porcelain cannot be pushed through the spark plug tip since it is retained by the taper of the tip and the design of the tool controls the overall length the porcelain can be pushed." My advice is NOT TO SCREW THE PUSHER SCREW ALL THE WAY DOWN. Only screw it down as far as the Puller Screw needs you to to extract the broken piece of the spark plug.
But I digress. I think we have the spark plug removal handled. The purpose of this thread is to ask: how can I get the metal and porcelain pieces out of my piston cylinders?
I read one thread on F150.net (I'm not a member there as of yet) in which a guy says he used a thin tube attached to a vacuum but never actually ended up being able to tell if he got it out. I tried a thin magnet before I realized the spark plug tips are not magnetic. Has this happened to anybody? I really do not want to have to have my engine taken apart.
Thanks,
Ken
So I just recently purchased my '05 with 49k miles and started replacing my spark plugs (well my dad actually) just to proactively keep things running well. I had no idea what we were in for as we hadn't heard about the issue with these 5.4L Triton spark plugs. This is my first experience with a Ford and I am truly not pleased. Everything else seems okay so far, but this is crazy to have to go through this just to change some spark plugs.
Four of the plugs are now pulled, two of them with no problems. The other two came out with the special Lisle tool I had to purchase for $90.00 at NAPA, except look like the attached file - the ground strap broke and a piece of it went into the cylinder with some porcelain!
Now we obviously know that the instructions for the removal tool are not adequate, as they say "There is no guessing on how far to run the Pusher Screw down. The porcelain cannot be pushed through the spark plug tip since it is retained by the taper of the tip and the design of the tool controls the overall length the porcelain can be pushed." My advice is NOT TO SCREW THE PUSHER SCREW ALL THE WAY DOWN. Only screw it down as far as the Puller Screw needs you to to extract the broken piece of the spark plug.
But I digress. I think we have the spark plug removal handled. The purpose of this thread is to ask: how can I get the metal and porcelain pieces out of my piston cylinders?
I read one thread on F150.net (I'm not a member there as of yet) in which a guy says he used a thin tube attached to a vacuum but never actually ended up being able to tell if he got it out. I tried a thin magnet before I realized the spark plug tips are not magnetic. Has this happened to anybody? I really do not want to have to have my engine taken apart.
Thanks,
Ken
Last edited by KTENNIES; 01-20-2014 at 03:24 AM.
01-20-2014, 03:25 AM
#2
I looked into several forums, threads, and videos before doing mine ('08 5.4), and the best answer I could find was to use a blow gun to blow the pieces out. I personally have the updated engine so I didn't break any while doing mine, but in my searches I actually found the ford service bulletin, I'll go back through and find it and post it if you haven't had any luck yet
01-20-2014, 03:31 AM
#3
01-20-2014, 06:01 AM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks.
After reading this, unfortunately, I find that my tool is not the correct tool to be using, as with the extraction of a broken piece with porcelain still remaining, my tool's documentation instructs to push the porcelain piece down into the ground shield (pusher tool) in order to get to the thread to pull the whole thing out (puller tool). But these instructions make it clear that the porcelain is to carefully be removed first as to not get any into the cylinder.
I think I need to return this POS $96.00 tool to NAPA and let them know it should not be sold.
Now I'm pretty pissed, and I'm really worried about the **** that fell into my cylinders. I'll try compressed air but what if I'm not sure everything is out of there? I wonder if I can rent some sort of electronic camera tool on a movable rod that I can use to look into the cylinders via the spark plug holes? Otherwise it sounds like I need to have the engine taken apart to clean it just to be safe, and that would be an absolute nightmare.
There have to be some forum members that have dealt with this... anybody?
After reading this, unfortunately, I find that my tool is not the correct tool to be using, as with the extraction of a broken piece with porcelain still remaining, my tool's documentation instructs to push the porcelain piece down into the ground shield (pusher tool) in order to get to the thread to pull the whole thing out (puller tool). But these instructions make it clear that the porcelain is to carefully be removed first as to not get any into the cylinder.
I think I need to return this POS $96.00 tool to NAPA and let them know it should not be sold.
Now I'm pretty pissed, and I'm really worried about the **** that fell into my cylinders. I'll try compressed air but what if I'm not sure everything is out of there? I wonder if I can rent some sort of electronic camera tool on a movable rod that I can use to look into the cylinders via the spark plug holes? Otherwise it sounds like I need to have the engine taken apart to clean it just to be safe, and that would be an absolute nightmare.
There have to be some forum members that have dealt with this... anybody?
01-20-2014, 07:34 AM
#6
Just did this job on Saturday, first time for me too. I had a couple plugs look like your picture, upon closer examination of mine, the electrode is stretched but intact as well as porcelain. I read entire thread in how to section and seems if a piece does break off that some people have success with an extension of hose or plastic tubing on an air hose.
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01-20-2014, 08:16 AM
#9
Senior Member
The 5.4 OTC spark plug socket and the lesli tool set were life savers for me!. both for sale if anyone is interested.
Anyhow what my experience with the job was . After pulling the first broken plug out I noticed it looked pretty messed up like yours. So on the next couple busted plugs I had I didn't follow lesli's instructions exactly and I didn't "push" the porcelain in quite as far as they suggested. End result was an extraction that looked alot less "damaging" I guess you could say lol.
ANYWAYS, what I did on all of the spark plug holes was blow them out real well with compressed air. Then on the plug holes that I extracted broken plugs from I to stuck a magnet down in...and like you I then realized the metal was not magnetic. SOOOO...I took the same magnet and put a slight 45 degree or so bend in it (to aim toward the fender side of the cylinder being that I was assuming gravity was pulling any debris to that side of the cylinder) and I then took tape and wrapped it around the end of my magnet so the sticky side was facing outward. I then just fished it into the plug hole and poked it around for awhile and picked up any junk that may have still been in there. I then blew out all the cylinders again real well.
I wouldn't be to worried about any tiny bits of porcelain that may be stuck in there still. its brittle and would likely turn to dust IF it managed to get stuck between a valve on its way out the exhaust. But if you do what I said you should be able to get everything out easy enough. no need to take your engine apart!
And like was previously mentioned I found that what first APPEARED as though a chunk of the spark plug ground strap had busted off and made its way into my cylinder. was actually where the strap had stretched from the "push phase" and finally snapped in half with a gap between the breaking point.
hope that helps.
Anyhow what my experience with the job was . After pulling the first broken plug out I noticed it looked pretty messed up like yours. So on the next couple busted plugs I had I didn't follow lesli's instructions exactly and I didn't "push" the porcelain in quite as far as they suggested. End result was an extraction that looked alot less "damaging" I guess you could say lol.
ANYWAYS, what I did on all of the spark plug holes was blow them out real well with compressed air. Then on the plug holes that I extracted broken plugs from I to stuck a magnet down in...and like you I then realized the metal was not magnetic. SOOOO...I took the same magnet and put a slight 45 degree or so bend in it (to aim toward the fender side of the cylinder being that I was assuming gravity was pulling any debris to that side of the cylinder) and I then took tape and wrapped it around the end of my magnet so the sticky side was facing outward. I then just fished it into the plug hole and poked it around for awhile and picked up any junk that may have still been in there. I then blew out all the cylinders again real well.
I wouldn't be to worried about any tiny bits of porcelain that may be stuck in there still. its brittle and would likely turn to dust IF it managed to get stuck between a valve on its way out the exhaust. But if you do what I said you should be able to get everything out easy enough. no need to take your engine apart!
And like was previously mentioned I found that what first APPEARED as though a chunk of the spark plug ground strap had busted off and made its way into my cylinder. was actually where the strap had stretched from the "push phase" and finally snapped in half with a gap between the breaking point.
hope that helps.
01-20-2014, 10:15 AM
#10
Ktennies I would try dusters suggestion, sounds like a pretty good idea, if u do that, I would then recommend cranking the engine over a few times like the tsb says, should get it all out, I wouldn't think u would need to pull the head, but if u decide to go on and do that I'd put new cam phasers on while you're at it