Diesels "£#*@!!!

Foghorn Leghorn · 24 Dec 2009 at 20:16

Not content with my bike breaking down (suspected faulty CDI), the ABS light on in my wifes car (the battery also threw the towel in this week). I've now snapped a glow plug electrode off in my car :mad:

.

Going to get some carbon remover and leave it to soak, see if I can't fire the little sucker out.

Anyone else have any genius suggestions, I really don't fancy ripping the head off it.

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 24 Dec 2009 at 20:23

SB118 said:
Mustard?

Thanks, raised a smile.

I've been wandering around muttering and grumbling all afternoon. 15 minute job turns into a disaster :rolleyes:

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 24 Dec 2009 at 20:46

Ricochet J said:
Long nosed pliars?

Sadly it's sheered off flush, about 2" inside the head.

The only other option I can think of is to drill out the centre of the electrode, tap it, then slide hammer it out. Going to need some seriously long drills and taps though

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 26 Dec 2009 at 15:23

Stonedofmoo said:
So what exactly does the thread title have to do with your bungling of a simple job. It's not the cars fault

not a lot.....

Been speaking to a friend who runs his own garage, he laughed :mad:

. Reckons it's luck of the draw if they come out in one piece or not. Usually it's the main body that snaps off just below the hex nut, he's got a kit for removing them if that happens.

I might just refit the broken plug and pretend it never happened

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 26 Dec 2009 at 16:05

Superewza said:
Doesn't look like an electrode rather than... well, has your wife been hiding 'personal items' in your car?

That's the problem, the electrode isn't there, it should be where the little wire bit is

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 26 Dec 2009 at 17:50

It's siezed in place, assuming because of a carbon buildup. I'm considering drilling out the centre ceramic and tapping it. The problem is how deep inside the head the piece of electrode is, I'd need a 3.6-3.7mm drill and an M4 tap that are about 100mm long

.

Currently procrastinating, there's too much nice food and beer available + it's raining out. I'm hoping if I ignore it long enough it might go away

.

Edit: I might be wrong but I'm not sure it can fall into the pot, I think the injector is in the way.

Fog

Foghorn Leghorn · 29 Dec 2009 at 00:09

Dave L said:
The glow plug will have got carboned up behind the glowing tip where it passes through the cylinder head.

Generic photo, but this gives an idea of what's up. My thoughts still stand, I reck it's head-off time

Cheers Dave L

I've borrowed your pic

Red arrow points to where the electrode snapped off, it's seized in place due to carbon build up as you said.

I've got some long drills and taps on order so will update when they arrive, going to try and drill out the ceramic centre and tap it.

Fingers crossed.

Fog