Swollen glow plug removal

[Sam27]

I've searched a lot for ideas. I'm curious what input you guys have for getting out swollen glow plugs. I have just one that is stuck. It threads all the way but won't pull out. I haven't pulled real hard because I can't afford for the truck to be down right now.

I found this tool: http://jjandaracing.com/en-us/dept_9.html

It's pretty pricey, but might be worth it to avoid other hassle.

Someone at another forum suggested unscrewing it and then firing up the engine to blow the GP out. Sounds crazy, but also sounds easy. I'm not sure I have the nerve to try.

Ideas?

 

[mangus580]

May be pricey, but alot cheaper than pulling a head!!

 

[m4A1]

I've heard you could remove the injector and put grease or vasoline on your fingertip and pull it out. I've never tried it but it may be worth a try.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

Re: RE: Swollen glow plug removal

I've heard you could remove the injector and put grease or vasoline on your fingertip and pull it out. I've never tried it but it may be worth a try.

I dont know where you heard that, but the issue is that the glow plug itself has either swollen larger than the hole in the head, or that there is carbon built up on it.

I had a stuck GP, of course it had to be on the rear passenger side (pain to get at) without that tool i would have never got it out.

 

[Goatwerks]

I used to pull these out a lot working for GM, my best tip is to spray it with penetrant and remove it while it is still hot as the metal is more flexible . We just used vice grips or a small slide hammer puller with a vice grip adapter. I also used a couple of flat blade screwdrivers a few times. Any smoll pieces that break off are trapped in the pre chamber.

 

[Sam27]

I used to pull these out a lot working for GM, my best tip is to spray it with penetrant and remove it while it is still hot as the metal is more flexible . We just used vice grips or a small slide hammer puller with a vice grip adapter. I also used a couple of flat blade screwdrivers a few times. Any smoll pieces that break off are trapped in the pre chamber.

So you're saying basically to brute force it out and hope it doesn't break off? Wouldn't it be safer to remove the injector first and cover the hole so junk doesn't end up in the cylinder?

I've never removed an injector before. Is there any issue with getting the injector out of the way, because it's attached with rigid tubing?

 

[Djfreema]

I recently had 2 glow plugs break tips break off (about 3/4" long) inside the glow plug hole and there was no way of getting them out, so I thought. If the tip breaks off inside the pre chamber, remove the injector then stuff a paper towel or small rag inside the chamber to block off the hole going from the prechamber to the actual cylinder. Then use needle nose pliers to take the tip out of the prechamber. I had to use a big flat head screw driver to bend the glow plug tip into an "L" shape while it was partially still in the glow plug hole and partially in the pre chamber to be able to push it all the way into the prechamber to be able to retrieve it with needle nose pliers . Wasn't a bad job, just make sure you plug that hole so it doesnt fall into the cylinder.

 

[jeli]

I had one that wasn't too swollen I got out by firing the engine with it loose. Worth a shot.

 

[Djfreema]

The injectors are easy to take out, requires a 30 mm deep socket. You have to unbolt the injector line first then gently push it out of the way, try not to bend it too much or youll have trouble trying to bolt it back onto the injector.

 

[appnut1]

Probably shouldn't tell you this but I had a fleet of Fire Rescue squads with 6.2 's. If we had one swell we would grab it with needle nose vise grips and pull if it broke we left it. Can't get out of the pre chamber flame slot and hurt the motor.

 

[MILRET45]

Here's a homemade extractor approach that you might try. A mechanic buddy of mine came up with the idea and we successfully used it to pull some plugs from a 6.2.

 

[Goatwerks]

Probably shouldn't tell you this but I had a fleet of Fire Rescue squads with 6.2 's. If we had one swell we would grab it with needle nose vise grips and pull if it broke we left it. Can't get out of the pre chamber flame slot and hurt the motor.

This is exactly what they told us to do at the GM Tech classes when this engine came out(they only paid .3hrs to diagnose and .2hrs to replace them), so a lot of 6.2s are running around with debris in the pre chambers.
I however always pulled the injector to remove the debris, it is a simple operation, just takes a little patience

 

[CCATLETT1984]

Probably shouldn't tell you this but I had a fleet of Fire Rescue squads with 6.2 's. If we had one swell we would grab it with needle nose vise grips and pull if it broke we left it. Can't get out of the pre chamber flame slot and hurt the motor.

This is exactly what they told us to do at the GM Tech classes when this engine came out(they only paid .3hrs to diagnose and .2hrs to replace them), so a lot of 6.2s are running around with debris in the pre chambers.
I however always pulled the injector to remove the debris, it is a simple operation, just takes a little patience

OMG :shivers:

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

Just for curiosity sake...
So if this "fix" is done a few times on one cylinder you just have 2-3 plug ends in there? The chambers arn't real big...haha. Anyone wanna see how many GP's they can fit in a chamber??

 

[Goatwerks]

I pulled out 4 one time, the guy refused to replace a bad controller One of the most common ways to kill the glow plugs is a low coolant level causing the controller to cycle the plugs too long, resulting in melting or "mushrooming" of the tips.

 

[badgmc56]

If you are pulling injectors for any reason, be very carefull wth dirt and debris. A piece of dirt, sand or grime in the injector and it's history.

 

[majortom]

We have had about 200 CUCVs swollen glowplugs are a common problem Its not just carbon they go so big they will not come out the hole. Heres our removal process: first we get the engine warm, unscrew the plug, clap a vicegrip on it, pry with a large screw driver between the vicegrip and head, while rotating glowplug. When that does not work remove the vicegrip start the engine with the glowplug loose, if your lucky, The compression will beat the glowpulg up and it will fly out. When that does,nt work remove the injector and snap off the glowplug, usually the broken piece will be too long to slide into the prechambers use a small punch through the glowplug hole and tap the broken piece into the prechamber, typically this piece is about an inch long it is too large to fall into the cylendar, some glowplugs are magnetic, so try to pull it out of the injector hole with a magnet when that does not work, fish it out with a medical needle nose "hemostat". I have had several "mechanics" say just leave it in there and it will blow out the exhaust, i had one CUCV towed in with a supposed rod knock, what had happened was the glowplug tip had made it into the cylendar and was getting hammered between the piston and the head, I know one man that replaced an engine and then found out that this was the problem.
Just two weeks ago another guy called me confident his engine had just thrown a rod, I told him to pull the glow plugs, sure enough one was shorter than the others. He pulled the head carved the plug out of the piston smoothed in the dents and its happily thumping down the road. As far as not having a vehicle down or the time involved the longest it has ever taken me to remove a glow plug by snapping it off and fishing it out of the injector hole has been two hours, as to getting dirt in the injector hole, try to be clean, but the simple fact that your beating on a junk glowplug means you will knock all kinds of debre into the prechamber, thats why god invented the air blow gun

 

[soldierman79]

I realize that I am reviving an old thread, but i'd really like to get my hands on one of those glow plug removal tools mentioned in the op. The company doesn't seem to seel them any longer.

Any leads on where I might be able to track one down would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Westech]

Have you tried eBay or just googled it? I got mine off the Internet by google and seek g what was out there.

 

[soldierman79]

Have you tried eBay or just googled it? I got mine off the Internet by google and seek g what was out there.

I have seen the type that ebay sells, i'll probably settle and pick up one of those.

But, i'd really like to get one of those tools the OP was talking about. From what i've seen, they appear to be quite effective.

Oh well.