spark plug snapped

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DELTA1988
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
hey,everyone.can someone please help me with this problem. i pulled one of my plugs out and it broke. like the spark plug came out(the long part) and the rest stayed in.Do i have to take apart the block to get it out?
if someone has any ideas it would be grate if you could give me a few pointers.
thanks
Jan 4, 2006 at 12:57 PM

What to check next

Diagnostic guidance. Suggested checks and possible repairs are separate from the owner's reported results.

If faced with a similar breakage, have the remaining plug and cylinder-head condition assessed before choosing an extraction method. Confirm that the threads and cylinder are free of damage or debris before returning the engine to service.

Guidance references and applicability

Source: This question and its visible discussion. The roadmap distinguishes the original owner's reports from other participants' experiences; proposed follow-up is editorial guidance, not a confirmed diagnosis.

Read the replies · Discussion summary and reported outcome

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PALCO
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  • 83 POSTS
the white glass part came out but the steel nut ring didn't???? :?: :?: :?:

if thats the case you should be able to use the socket normaly and fish out the nut ring with a magenet. your comments confused me as to the problem.
Jan 5, 2006 at 12:49 PM
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DELTA1988
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
ya i know sorry about that.it's hard to explain. well the nut broke off aswell. so i have no idea how to get the rest out.there is not a place in my town that will do it.so i think i'm screwed.lol
Jan 6, 2006 at 1:23 AM
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PALCO
  • MEMBER
  • 83 POSTS
if your left with a holow steel ring of threads still stuck in the head. you could try a easy out also called a screw extractor. but if part of the porcelin is still down the center. get your shop vac bring that cylinder up to tdc comp. and then chip away at the porcilin with the vacum in the area to extract particals as you do it. and/or jam a straight bladed screw driver the kind that has a square shank to turn with a adjustable end wrench. good luck, sounds like you need it.
Jan 6, 2006 at 12:43 PM
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DELTA1988
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  • 5 POSTS
thanks for your input the eazy out worked fine. have a good one.

thanks again: Jeff Lucyshyn
Jan 7, 2006 at 4:43 PM
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DARRYL
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  • 61 POSTS
Hello: Am currious, would it happen to be a Bosch plug that snapped??
thanks
Darryl...
Jan 16, 2006 at 12:37 PM
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TRESHUEVOS
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  • 2 POSTS
[quote:c9305bfe99="DARRYL"]Hello: Am currious, would it happen to be a Bosch plug that snapped??
thanks
Darryl...[/quote:c9305bfe99]

Interesting that you asked that. On a chevy pickup, it blew the porcelain center out of 3 plugs. They were all Bosch. The metal part came out OK though.
Jan 16, 2006 at 1:54 PM
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DARRYL
  • MEMBER
  • 61 POSTS
Thats why I never use those plugs, their shells are paper thin and once the get a little rust on them they snap off. Champion is probably the best all around plug, Bosch ar junk
thanks
Darryl...
Jan 16, 2006 at 1:58 PM
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COSMO
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 347 POSTS
Funny I only use Bosch in my race car. They produce more power than the champions on the dyno for me. But then every engine is built to a certain plug. Fords seem to either like Motocraft or NGK the best I find. Mazda (where I work) only use NGK or Nippon Denso's...but if we have a car with a weird idling problem, we will usually find bosch or champions in them. Now alot of chryslers like nothing but champions. So it is really more of what the engine came with that you should stick with. Sometimes what came in it is the best way to go, ya think?

p.s. I hate when plugs break off, but then if they broke off....maybe they should of been changed earlier OR had some sort of anti-seize on he the treads

Just my two cents

Cosmo
Jan 16, 2006 at 2:30 PM

Suggested Repair

Remove the remaining hollow threaded spark-plug shell with a screw extractor (easy-out), which the owner confirmed worked. To help prevent plugs from snapping, replace them before they seize, use anti-seize on the threads, and stick with the plug type specified for the engine.

Conversation Summary

A driver said a spark plug broke during removal, leaving the threaded steel shell in the cylinder head, and asked how to get it out without disassembling the engine. Another member suggested a screw extractor after clearing any remaining porcelain, and the owner later confirmed that method worked. The discussion then turned to plug brands, with some blaming thin Bosch shells. The expert said plug choice depends on the engine, recommended staying with the original specification, and noted that earlier replacement or anti-seize on the threads can help prevent breakage.

Discussion summary

spark plug snapped

A spark plug broke during removal, leaving its threaded portion in the cylinder head after the hex broke away. The owner later reported that a screw extractor removed it successfully.

Reported outcome: The owner reported successful extraction.

The thread does not document a post-removal inspection or engine-running result. Suggestions to chip ceramic or force a screwdriver into the remains, and broad plug-brand claims, are not adopted.

Read the original discussion

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