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Spark Plug Labor

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Keith Browning

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well I must have forgotten that it was a 2 valve.

 

We have a guy that bought a tool for removing broken 3 valve plugs from Matco. It looked like a nice tool for $100.00. The first time using it it broke. Posted ImageNow the piece that threads into the broken plug is broken off in the cyl head. It looks like the head is going to have to come off. Posted Image

2 valve? Kieths original post did say 3 valve.....

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well I must have forgotten that it was a 2 valve.

 

We have a guy that bought a tool for removing broken 3 valve plugs from Matco. It looked like a nice tool for $100.00. The first time using it it broke. Posted ImageNow the piece that threads into the broken plug is broken off in the cyl head. It looks like the head is going to have to come off. Posted Image

Funny you should mention that, I broke mine off this weekend in one, so I'm in the same boat. Looks like I'll be pulling the head as well Posted Image

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Don, The tech was able to drill out the piece of the tool and then use the Ford tool for removal.

 

Please forgive me Jim. I posted during the weekend and silly me, I forgot about all the vehicles that were waiting for me. Posted Image

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  • 2 weeks later...

We were demo'd the tool in Detroit 2 years ago. our FSE was issued a kit and it worked great, I was sold. we got our kit and could not get the damn thing to work to save my ass. so I bought a tool off the tool truck from Lisle the pushes the porcelain down and then you grab the shield. I have not looked back

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We were demo'd the tool in Detroit 2 years ago. our FSE was issued a kit and it worked great, I was sold. we got our kit and could not get the damn thing to work to save my ass. so I bought a tool off the tool truck from Lisle the pushes the porcelain down and then you grab the shield. I have not looked back

This tool was from Matco. I thought just the idea of pushing the porcelian down was a great idea. I was about to buy one too. I couldn't believe the thing would break the first time it was used.

 

Is the current Ford tool different than the first one that came out? the reason I ask is because The ford tool has always worked pretty good for me. I should mention that I have only had to remove three broken plugs in a 5.4L 3V. I'm usally too buried in other stuff to do tune-ups.

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The 3/8 impact trick DOES NOT work, by the way. I remember hearing that 'tip' about a year and a half ago. I was short blocking a 5.4 with the body off for a bent rod (stuck injector) and I thought I'd give that 'trick' a shot while the body was off. I had to replace the plugs and pull the heads anyway so it wouldn't be a big deal if it didn't work. 5 out of the 8 plugs broke right in half. That was all the proof I needed Posted Image

 

The ford tool DOES work though, for sure. I've used it many times. I have never broken any plugs off (except for the impact wrench test) but I usually did the repairs when other techs DID bust them in half. Cylinders 4 and 8 are a pain but it's still a lot more effceient than yanking the heads. And WAY less nerve racking than pounding down the porcelain. There's too much room for disaster with the porcelain bashing technique, I feel.

 

I usually soak the plug wells with Aero-Kroil and let 'em sit for about 20 minutes. Then, I crack the plugs loose MAYBE an 1/8th turn, let them sit for another 20 muntes or so, and then slowly turn them out. So far, i've never broken one like that.

 

It's always a good idea to have the customer leave the vehicle overnight though. I feel that it's worth it to them to let the plugs soak in the 'Kroil overnight, VS the potential for disaster if they break.

 

Dave

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  • 1 month later...

Thought I'd chime in again and mention that I just had an '05 F-50 with 116k miles on the clock. Not only did I break my 1st spark plug - I broke 6 of the bitches, hehe.

 

I'm not at a dealership anymore so I ended up snagging the Lisle tool.. very satisfied! I like the fact that you don't have to pound on the porcelain, but rather just push it down. It's also nice that there aren't any replaceable parts and you don't have to wait an hour before taking the pulg nubbies out. I'm sold!

 

Dave

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I usually soak the plug wells with Aero-Kroil and let 'em sit for about 20 minutes. Then, I crack the plugs loose MAYBE an 1/8th turn, let them sit for another 20 muntes or so, and then slowly turn them out. So far, i've never broken one like that.

 

Dave

Big +1 on that.

 

I found mixing the Ford penetrating oil and tune-up cleaner in the spark plug well works good too.

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Believe it or not, I just did my first 3 valve plug change.

 

One of the fleets we service has a "management" company run their maintenance or lack thereof. They normally don't ever do spark plugs or tranny services, period. They'll replace 1 plug and coil at a time if they come in with identified misfire codes. Such crap.

 

This one came in with multiple misfires and 150k on the clock.

 

Got them to authorize 1 hr to remove 2 plugs to check, and unlimited time to replace all if any break.

 

The engine was smoking hot when I started removal, cracked them all loose, filled the holes with PB blaster, and left it. All 8 came out, took about 3 hours of back and forth. Once all were out I saw only one started to separate. I couldn't believe the size of the gap on these when I took them out. No center electrode left at all.

 

I guess it's better to be lucky than good.

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  • 1 year later...

i was just thinking about this again today so i had to go look through some previous threads. i haven't done a 3v tuneup in a few months and i had an 05 expedition grace my presence today with a #4 misfire. 120k on the clock, never had plugs changed.

 

I charge 4 hours labor, regardless of how many plugs break. this particular vehicle broke 1,2,4,7,8. i've used the lisle tool with a 100% sucess rate so far. infact i'm on my second tool(ordering my 3rd here shortly). the bit tends to get worn out after 30 or so extractions.

 

It's funny, I still get stressed out with every one. I've had a few that were extremely difficult to remove and after a few failed attempts to grab i tend to get sweaty and red faced. then there's always the thought, lingering in the back of my head, of those horror stories of guys breaking off the lisle tool in the head.

 

Only one time did i have all the plugs come out in one piece. it was an 08 F-150 and for some reason i was thinking all 08s had a new design plug. well this was an early 08 and I only quoted my normal 8cyl tune-up labor. weird how it worked out

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A guy I know that used to work at my old Ford dealer had one come to him from an indy shop - tool broke off in the plug....he came up with this GENIUS idea....had a tool made, ground it out, then used his tool to complete the extraction....AMAZING!!

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I personally don't even soak them in kroil or anything. I just rip em out and if they break remove them with the lisle tool. Even if half of them break I can still do it faster then if I cracked them loose, soaked them, waited, work them back and forth...and end up breaking them anyways.

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I ran a few out with a gun before, no difference really. i was using my IR2115 though and that thing is a beast. it snaps them instantly

 

it'd be nice to have a little 1/4" impact. torque would be low enough it should vibrate them a little all while fitting under the cowl to get a straight shot

 

word on the street is the hotter the engine the easier they come out with a gun

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I've only done a few. The first was an 05with low mileage and they all cameout fine. The few others-on a tip from another tech, fill the wells up with pb blaster and let run for 20min. to 1/2 hour, let it sit for a while and they come out.

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I recently have had good luck with not using a plug socket, just a normal 9/16" deep craftsman chrome. I broke 4 off still, but didnt crack the porcelian, all the porcelain came out with the plug and only left the sleeve in the head. Took 5 minutes to pull 4 broken sleeves. I get nervous about pushing the porcelain downwards ......

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I just did one that I got 7 of 8 out fairly easy.

 

Number 7 opened the crimp and threaded portion came out, leaving the complete bullet and porcelain in the head.

 

I REALLY didn't want to break the plug off any worse. So, I put a moving blanket over the motor, and cranked it. BOOOMMM (I can't emphasize just HOW loud it was) and it came out complete, stuck solidly in the blanket.

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I just did another one, all 8 broke like yours, threads came out and left all the porcelain behind. Never thought of cranking it, i just broke them all off. At least breaking them that way they snap really low, so they only need to be pushed down 1/4" or less.

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