Glow plug broke off in head...great

[mjosco]

Well Fawk,

I went to unscrew the buss bar from the glow plugs to do an ohm test and the top of the glow plugs each disintegrated. So I decided to replace them all. I got 5 out fine and the 6th snapped off about even with the head surface. The thread is seized in the head. I tried to slot it and then use a large screwdriver to unscrew it but no joy. I then drilled into the body and tried to extract it with an easy out. The easy out snapped off again level with the head.

Is pulling the head my only option to get it out?

Any other tips or tricks before I order a gasket kit and new glow plugs? Do you have to replace the head bolts or are they re-usable?

Thanks

Mark
1978 HJ45 with H Motor

 

[gerg]

Punch and drill into the easy out with a drill bit and put a tap into it and it should bind on the easy out and normal rotation should back the easy out....out. I'd heat and add lots of oil to the glow threads and try another easy out again.

 

[mjosco]

Thanks, I will give that a try. I did try drilling into the broken off easy out but had a hard time getting a cut. I imagine the easy out is tool hardened steel. Should I get a cobalt drill bit? I have a dremel too, do they make cutting bits for dremels that would bore into the easy out?

 

[duncanrm]

Consider doing nothing.. ? Hopefully its still sealed in the head.. 5 working glow plugs on a H are sufficient.. if you get any further into this it could get a lot worse.

 

[mjosco]

Interesting. So with 5 new glow plugs firing, what will happen to the 6th cyl once the other 5 fire up and light off combustion. Will it naturally combust due to heat of compression?

 

[duncanrm]

Interesting. So with 5 new glow plugs firing, what will happen to the 6th cyl once the other 5 fire up and light off combustion. Will it naturally combust due to heat of compression?

For maybe 10 seconds or so you'll have one cylinder that might be a bit hit and miss. The compression cycles will soon bring the temperature up and it'll sort itself out.

You could continue to try and remove the broken one but you may end up with swarf or debris in the precombustion chamber and a damaged thread if you do. If the head comes off you'll be having to source a new gasket.. and one thing always leads to another with work like that. If its an ongoing project and you're comfortable with it being off the road for a few weeks (or months depending on what time you have) then consider proceeding..

 

[gerg]

Actually you know leaving it alone might be a good idea. You would certainly have to get a skookum drill bit to work on that easy out. I'm use to 4cylinders so starting on only 3 is a terrible thought, but starting on 5 is not so bad. I've had glow plugs where the tip had swelled so it was larger than the opening and tons of crap fell inside when I removed it. Quite a bad deal. You could always leave it until you do a head gasket job.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Or take it to a machinist or engineering workshop and let them loose on it. I have someone in my neck of the woods who is good with jobs like this.
Does having 5 glow plugs working off the bus burn them out faster with 1 plug not attached?

 

[ozcrusier]

I have had good results using a dremel with a diamond tipped Ceramic cutting tool cuts into high carbon steel. Take your time and use WD40 for cooling cutting paste.

 

[mjosco]

Great feedback guys. I ordered new glow plugs last night (from Australia) and some new filters. I am going to give it a go and just replace the 5 glow plugs and see how it runs. If poor, I will pull the head.

Is there a simple process to adjust the valves on the H motor? Is there an online service manual somewhere?

 

[duncanrm]

Valve adjustment on the H is super easy.. its well described in the manual.

I have the manual here: H_1974_engine_98112E.pdf

Also.. a good spec sheet on the H Engine thats useful: h.pdf

 

[mudgudgeon]

Consider doing nothing.. ? Hopefully its still sealed in the head.. 5 working glow plugs on a H are sufficient.. if you get any further into this it could get a lot worse.

Good call. Safest bet for sure.

 

[Gengis]

Yip, 5 is good hopefully it is still sealed.
No electrical strain on the system or other plugs . They are in parallel so will only draw what they need.

 

[too tall]

Take a plate washer with a center hole roughly the same size as the broken glow plug, stick it in a vice about a quarter of the way into the washer. Use a hammer and bend it to 90 degrees. Then take the washer and grab the little tab you bent into it with a pair of needle nose vice grips near the edge so that the entire center hole is exposed. Attach your ground to the vice grips and place the washer hole over the broken glow plug. Using the electrode first tack it to get it to stay in the correct position then give it a really good tach with the gun pointing the electrode down into the broken glow plug. Then grab the tab a little better with the vice grips and start working it back and forth. When it breaks free continue working it back and forth until you get it out. I sometimes use wd40 immediately after i get it to crack to cool/lubricate. If the weld breaks do it again until it comes out.

 

[too tall]

Posted from another thread in the 60 forum and swapped the word stud or bolt for glow plug. I have stopped using easy outs unless I am pulling out a piece of threaded tubing. This trick has saved many engines and other components that qualified mechanics have tried to tell others that is a hopeless venture or tearing the entire thing apart is the only way. Easier on aluminum heads but still works regardless.

 

[fitzmooney]

Better still drop an over sized nut over the plug and weld that to it.
Let it cool as this will shrink the plug and then work it loose.
I have used this to remove broken bolts, even if they break below the surface of the block.

 

[bigredmachine]

Thanks, I will give that a try. I did try drilling into the broken off easy out but had a hard time getting a cut. I imagine the easy out is tool hardened steel. Should I get a cobalt drill bit? I have a dremel too, do they make cutting bits for dremels that would bore into the easy out?

i ended up using a carbide burr to grind away part of the not so ez out and bolt that it was broken into, and yes it is hardened steel, my drill bits just polished it. i lucked out and it was a through hole so i was eventually able to punch out the broken e out from the back side and just continue to drill out the bolt and tap it when i was done.

 

[mjosco]

I may try this to get the glow plug out. Thanks for the tip. I have a MIG welder so the nut/washer welded to the remains may work too.

 

[mjosco]

My bus bar metal strip that connects the glow plugs together is in tired shape. Has anyone created their own? I was thinking of getting some aluminum 3/4" wide 1/8" thick flat stock and creating a new one. Copper would be better but I have not located any yet. Other ideas?

 

[too tall]

I have made them in the past. I used a piece of thin steel. You could use aluminum or a piece of 10 gauge wire and wire terminals to connect them as well. I have a nissan diesel in my excavator that is done that way.