Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:20 Post subject: Glow plug removal
So I have 3 glow plugs stuck in the head of a 3.0L with the hex head just spinning and the plug body not rotating. I'm thinking about drilling out the old plugs. Is the centre of the plug hollowed out so that a drill bit has a bit of a guide or are they fairly solid down through the middle? I was planning on drilling continually wider until I'm close to the thread and tapping out with narrow chisel. Anyone tackled this before have any pointers? Many thanks.
Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 8195 Location: oxfordish
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 19:30 Post subject:
if you can remove the hex bit and leave enough of the centre electrode showing so you can grip it, if you then twist it it snaps off near the bottom and you can pull it out leaving a hollow tube which is what you need to drill out. it's something like an 8.8mm drill bit that you need
Joined: 25 Nov 2014 Posts: 40 Location: north notts
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 9:26 Post subject:
Good luck. Let me know if it works. I have replaced 3 on mine and 1 sheared on the nut so I bypassed it. It could do with being removed but I don't want to turn it into a nightmare!
One plug I could get the grips on the electrode and as Ethan suggested I was able to twist and the electrode wire broke and I could pull out. I then went drilling and put a 8mm bit through the plug. Then I went tapping and the remaining plug was still stuck solid and started to break up. The plug was stuck solid so I left alone. The other two plugs had very little electrode protruding through the top of the plug so I had nothing to grip on to try and twist them out. I tried drilling carefully but the electrode material was far harder then the plug itself, so when I tried drilling the bit wanted to go either side of the electrode - not good. Did very little drilling on these 2 and left them alone. Left the job at that as I didn't want to go pulling the head off. As it is she starts without too much hassle so I've left it for another day!
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