I can't get glow plug out.

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Reggie
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I can't get glow plug out.

Post by Reggie »

I am unable to remove one of my glow plugs. I don't know if this is because the 12mm head was slightly damaged in an earlier attempt to get it out, or if it is because it is well and truly stuck. The 12mm head is now completely rounded, and I cannot get it out with a pair of mole grips clamped on tight, as they just turn, and there is not enough room for a plumbers wrench etc.

In actual fact, I am nearly resigned to having only three operational glow plugs, as I am now very worried that if I force it more, it may snap off, or destroy the threads in the head, causing me huge ammounts of misery and expense. (The car is only worth about £1,500 now).

But I was just wondering if anybody had any magic solutions, such as:-

If the engine was run up to operating temp, and then the plug was cooled down, is this likely to help?

Or liberal doses of parrafin or WD 40, to the thread?

Or any other solution that has worked for anybody else?

In anticipation.

Reggie
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

Which plug is it? and on what car? (don't tell, me... it's no 4, on a TD engine..)

you may find that giving it a dose of wd will help a little, and running the engine to temperature will help a little, as the aluminium of the head will expand a little more than the steel of the body of the glowplug.

There are some "universal" spanners available that have a hinged head, and work a lot like pipe grips, but are a fraction of the size. Possibly worth investing in one.

Have you tried tightening it a tiny bit to break the sieze? This can often help a fair bit.
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Reggie
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Post by Reggie »

It's a 2.1td in a 406.

In actual fact, it's the No. 3 plug. I tried to change them at first without removing the inlet manifold. I managed to do No. 1 & 2, and slightly damaged the 12mm hex on the No.3. No.4 was a non starter with the manifold in place, even with the pump cover off!

It was then that I got the Haynes manual out, and researched this forum, and realised that I should have removed the top half of the inlet manifold. (I hadn't realised that it detatched at the rubber pipes and thought the whole lot had to come off).

Access was so easy once I had done this and taken the injector pipes off for No. 3 & 4, but No.3 just rounded off and wouldn't shift. As I said, on my first attempt prior to removing the top half of the inlet manifold, awkward as it was, I had managed to get some purchase on the 12mm hex on No. 3, and it was slightly damaged either due to not having the socket on absolutely square, or because of this and it being so tight.

I have tried tightening slightly, but to no avail.

Do you know where I could get one of these tools? Or what they are called, or a make?

As I said I am now worried about doing some expensive damage, but I do like to have my cars right. If only I had taken off the inlet manifold first, I would know if it was due to the rounded head, or because it was so tight.

Thanks for your reply.

Reggie
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

The tools I have are rather nasty cheap own-brand tools, but have actually turned out to be very good indeed. They have undone some brake fittings that everything else failed on, and (like pipe grips) grip harder and harder the more you lean on them.

Glowplugs are often tight, and you do sometimes have to lean on them to get the dissimilar metal corrosion between the head and the plug to "break"

I have pulled rather hard on some in the past, and have yet to shear one off, but I'm sure it's not that hard to break them.
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Adstar
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Post by Adstar »

I have no idea what sort of clearnace you have, or access. But have you tried filing down 2 opposite sides to give you some thing to grip on? Had to do it with bolts before, but not anythign like a plug!
605 Only an SL but it is a DT with a shake rattle and role!
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Reggie
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Post by Reggie »

Thanks for the replies.

With regard to filing two flats, it would be possible, but would take a considerable amount of time, but I don't think that I could get a much better purchase on it, and I would be losing metal = weaker. I may give it a go though.

Thanks for the suggestions both of you.

Reggie
woodhead722
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Post by woodhead722 »

Dont suppose you could get a socket on it could you?

May seem a daft question, but if you can, are there not special sockets which GRIP THE FLATS rather than the corners?

They're more expensive.

Also have a good nosey round for an old size like whitworth - long shot but you MAY be lucky if it's slightly tighter.

Good luck.
Reggie
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Post by Reggie »

Thanks for that woodhead722, but I think that the mole grips have severely maligned the hexagon head as was!

What are these special sockets that fit on the flats. I've never heard of them.

The good news is that even with three working glow plugs, the 406 is starting very well in this latest cold snap. It doesn't push you on to get cold and risk severe damage..............although I still haven't ruled it out.

Thanks

Reggie
woodhead722
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Post by woodhead722 »

Sockets are a bit difficult to describe. Normally they have 12 triangualar notches, that will drop onto the hexagon corners of the nut.

However these have no contact with the corners but have 6 rounded points (a bit like 6 'fingers') which drop tightly onto the nut FLATS.

So when they are tightly on the flats, and then you twist, they take up the minimal 'slop' by moving a few degrees towards the corners before maximum contact is made socket to nut. You then have chance to twist and undo.

Still don't understand? Hold a hexagon head in one hand - slide 5 fingers onto 5 flats and turn with tight fingers - that's it's principle.

If only I could remember their name!!
Reggie
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Post by Reggie »

I'll make enquiries at my local tool shop.

Thanks again.

Reggie
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reblack68
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Post by reblack68 »

I believe they're called Surface Drive, although it's probably too late in this case.
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Post by Wookey »

'walldrive' is another name for those sockets, but it sounds like we are past that stage. I've had pretty tight plugs and not managed to break one yet. I'd recommend plusgas for solvent-loosening. It can be very effective. give it a squirt every day for a week or so, then have a real go at it. A blowtorch can also sometimes be effective in helping break a bolt free, but an alloy head will probably suck heat away too fast for this to make any difference.

I have a prilliant tool for getting stubborn things off, which can supply a lot more torque than mole grips, and is particularly good for gripping round things (designed for pipes I think) hbut I don't know what it's called. Same principle as a pipe wrench but a lot more compact. It's like the tool at the bottom of this page but the handles are half as long:
http://www.shop4tools.co.uk/acatalog/Pipe_Wrenches.html
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Reggie
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Post by Reggie »

Thanks for the replies.

I have never used plus gas and so have no experience of if it is effective or not, so may do this when I get time.

With regards to the glow plug and temperature, I wondered if I would be more likeley to have success if the engine was hot after use, and also if I attempted to cool the plug down, wouldn't this , if anything shrink the size of the plug in a similar way to dropping a bearing that is cold into a hot alloy casing?

Reggie
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Here's what is called a single hex socket.

Image

It's advisable to have a set of these, & only use double hex when you really have to, but not on tight components.

Hex is an abbreviation for hexagonal I.E. six sided.
1900sr
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Post by 1900sr »

I'd just like to say it IS possible to break a stubborn glow-plug, I did it a few weeks ago on my 106.
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