I was changing the plugs in the Trep and the porcelain piece broke off, along with the nut.
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp209/megatrep/the%20Trep/Trep2/SDC10388.jpg

I was cranking the engine over by hand, and that white porcelain piece just popped out. So now just the threaded piece is stuck in the head
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp209/megatrep/the%20Trep/Trep2/SDC10387.jpg

Any ideas how to get this out? I was thinking maybe taking a hammer and chisel to turn it, but i think thats pretty weak metal, and the exhaust manifold is in the way.

BTW, these are Bosch plugs, which I have never really heard a positive review of.

Those are nasty looking plugs. Good luck getting that stuck one out out. Maybe a pair of locking pliers? Hard to tell how much if and of the plug is exposed for you to grip.

You might try a large ez out now that you got the center out.

If just the threads are in the head I would soak the crap out of it in PB Blaster and get an ez-out and other than that you might have to pull the head and drill it out.

I'm guessing you've already used PB. And looks like that's an aluminum head, sucky.

Mash a hand full of modeling clay or playdough in there, let it dry and then try and turn it ?????

Any chance of metal shavings getting into the cylinder from using an ez out?

I think no mater what you do your going to get some debris in the cylinder.

You should be OK using and ez-out. you are still going to get some debris into there no matter what. I just hope that the threads in the head are OK.

Mash a hand full of modeling clay or playdough in there, let it dry and then try and turn it ?????

Intersting idea right there, maybe try it with JB welb.

if you do use a ez out,, stick a magnet in there to get most of the metal out,,

Intersting idea right there, maybe try it with JB welb.

Maybe JB weld a socket onto it that you can put a wrench onto after it cures.

Looks like the EZ out is the way to go lol. I'll put a magnet in there afterward as well.

This plug wasnt overly torqued or anything. I noticed the ceramic part was already loose when i put the socket on it.

An ez out should take it right out. You shouldn't get to much crap in there doing it that way. Just use a magnet after to get out whatever you can and then spin it over a bit before installing the new plug.

Maybe JB weld a socket onto it that you can put a wrench onto after it cures.

+1 on the JB Weld Idea.

That is teh suck. Use the square style Ez-out for best results in that situation, and stick a magnet down in there once you get it out. Soak it in PB for a while.

http://static.zoovy.com/img/usfreight/W250-H250-Bffffff/easyout6.jpg

Maybe JB weld a socket onto it that you can put a wrench onto after it cures.

That will likely break off, of course it depends on how seized the plug threads are in the head. If they were seized enough to snap the nut off, then JB weld would probably just snap off the rest of the metal. Only way I see it working is if the threads are relatively free, but that will come right out with an EZ out as well.

I bought the spiral kind of easy out. Unfortuantly, its in the teens and its too dark to see on something this important. The biggest easy out feels like it has plenty to grab onto.

I really didnt put much force on it to cause the nut to break. There is black carbon on the ceramic, so Im thinking it was leaking for awhile. 2 other plugs were almost finger tight, and the others came out with hardly a fight. So Im guessing this is more of a bad spark plug issue than a thread issue (hopefully!)

Before you drill it for an ez out you could try one of these bolt extractors.. I have had pretty good luck with them removing completely rounded off nuts and bolts when used with lots of PB Blaster and even an impact wrench if it is really messed up..They are left handed and tapered so they bite into the metal as you turn them with a ratchet...If there is enough of the round metal casing of the plug left sticking out it should work ..and if it is not really tight it will work for sure??.. Would not have to worry about drilling & metal shavings...

Cant get pic to post but here is link...

IRWIN Bolt Extractors (http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100512)

Good Lord Kyle! Thats sux!!!

Before you drill it for an ez out you could try one of these bolt extractors..

He doesn't have to drill it, it already has a hole in the middle. AN ez out is an extractor in case you didn't know that. There isn't enough sticking out to use the bolt extractors

He doesn't have to drill it, it already has a hole in the middle. AN ez out is an extractor in case you didn't know that. There isn't enough sticking out to use the bolt extractors

From the pictures it looks like the plug broke at the seam just below the hex...most plugs have a 2 piece metal casing and what should be left in the head is the other part which is the threaded end and about 3/4 inch of the round metal shell sticking out that is supposed to be welded or press fit into the hex ?? And the hole in the middle still looks like it has the porcelain and the center electrode in it which won't be good to shatter and fall into the cylinder either??

If there is at least a 1/2 inch of metal protruding out of the head and the plug was not put in that tight it will probably work...and there is little chance of it messing up the spark plug threads in the head or causing anything to get into the cylinder..

And if there is none of the shell sticking out, could also use a pipe extractor instead of ezout also:
http://www.generaltools.com/Products/5pc-Iron-Pipe-Extractor-Set-%2818---34%29__1395.aspx

I just hope no porcelain fell into the cylinder that could get nasty.

If you want to do this do it right. Take the head off then remove the plug. This way porcelain and metal doesn't end up in the cylinder. Most shops will drill it out then re-tap it but since it's a aluminum head you would have to use a heli-coil or replace the head all together. I would go with the drill as a last resort. Take off the head and try playing with a ez-out.

If you want to do this do it right. Take the head off then remove the plug. This way porcelain and metal doesn't end up in the cylinder. Most shops will drill it out then re-tap it but since it's a aluminum head you would have to use a heli-coil or replace the head all together. I would go with the drill as a last resort. Take off the head and try playing with a ez-out.

I actually do agree with you here.

If it were my engine I would be too paranoid about material ending up in the engine that unless I could get the plug out without drilling into it at all I would pull the head.

Well I got it out. An easy out made very quick work of it.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp209/megatrep/the%20Trep/Trep2/Picture.jpg

As you can see in the pic, the nut must have sheared off somehow. It was a very clean cut, so Im guessing the plug must have been a dud or something. Either way, very glad this was solved!

Cool! So does she run better now?

Looks like the plug came out pretty clean (in one piece). I'm sure thats a huge relief.

...the nut must have sheared off somehow....!

I hate when that happens.

Glad you were able to get it out!

I was afraid of the porcelain center falling in the combustion chamber, but I had forgotten about the ground electrode... with that curving around to the center of the plug, that would hold the center core of the plug UP away from the piston, and would be 'blown' up wards when turning the engine over... so, as long as it was in one piece, you should be good...

But...

Was it in one piece?

How's she run now?

I was afraid of the porcelain center falling in the combustion chamber, but I had forgotten about the ground electrode... with that curving around to the center of the plug, that would hold the center core of the plug UP away from the piston, and would be 'blown' up wards when turning the engine over... so, as long as it was in one piece, you should be good...

But...

Was it in one piece?

How's she run now?
Yep, all the spark plug bits are accounted for.

It drives much smoother, and runs "better" in every sense of the term. That is one good thing about these engines is the plugs only cost like $2.00 per plug

Over all, even though I'm switching to a 3.5, I'm really very happy with my 3.3, and not just because of the price of plugs *grins*

Glad you're getting it together!