Help please!

[Sportster0817]

I just bought a Sportster with a 4 Tec. I tried to pull the plugs during the entire day but couldn't (topic for another day right now). At some point, I used a small deep socket with a powerful electric drill and the porcelain broke in little pieces on two of the plugs I tried it.

How can I clean and get this porcelain out because it makes it to the engine?!

Thanks!!

 

[delonnelj]

A vacuum cleaner. Pretty simple

 

[delonnelj]

You don't need to use power tools are spark plugs. Not wise. The threads on. The head are very easy to mess up.

 

[Sportster0817]

Thanks! I'm a total newbie to boats. Just learned the lesson.
You think the vacuum cleaner would do the trick?
I haven't put it on the water nor pull the plugs out yet?

Pic attached. Is there still time to use the vacuum cleaner? I'm very concerned the porcelain makes it to the engine. What do you think?

 

[JPass]

As long as the plug is still in the hole, there's no real chance of debris getting into the cylinder. Grab a shop vac and suck that garbage out of there.

Plugs shouldn't be that tight.

 

[Stevie White]

I don't know how you can get a vacuum attachment into the spark plug hole. Perhaps you can make a custom attachment with a small hose or tube. Do you have compressed air? blowing the hole out is another way to remove the busted porcelain. You are correct, avoid getting anything into the cylinder is important. Feel by hand if the deep socket grips the spark plug nut, I wouldn't use power tools for the spark plug. You should be able to remove the spark plug with a deep socket and ratchet of the correct size, and Counter Clockwise Rotation.

If the plugs are seized, it could indicate extreme corrosion, carbon buildup, past engine overheating, and/or improper installation due to cross threading, over tightening, or use of thread lock. Consider taking it to a Pro.

 

[MacSeaDoo]

First off, like mentioned, never use a power tool on sparkplugs. You need to be able to feel them to make sure you are not going to break them. You should be fine. Just find a hose that almost is the diameter of the sparkplug hole. Duck tape it to the end of your shop vac hose and vacuum it out.

Once it is all clean, then use your sparkplug wrench and take out the plug.

One other thing that I didn't know when I first changed my plugs. The normal plug end on the plugs needs to come off exposing just the screw tip. I have never seen that setup before.

 

[Sportster0817]

Hi guys, the previous owner put this plugs in, I just bought the boat. My first try was 5/8 but that didn't work and then I started to try other sizes and a power tool. At any rate, I got the message.

I got a 6.5HP vac (the highest I found at home depot). The air compressor isn't really helping, and the the vac has taken some outs, especially the bigger ones. I'm hooking up a small hose to the vac hose for more effectiveness. The issue is on cylinder 1 and 2. In cylinder 1, there could be probably 5-6 pieces of debris, I'd say the size or smaller than a grain of rise. In cylinder 2, there is probably 7-8 pieces, most of them smaller than a grain of rise and 2 bigger pieces, probably the size of two grains of rise together. While I'm seeing progress from not getting anything out to getting a debris or two here and there for the past few hours, I wonder is it a big deal if I'm able to pull the plugs out and some of it gets inside?

The engine is starting on the first crank at the moment. Thanks!

 

[MacSeaDoo]

It would be a major deal for ceramic to get in the plug hole considering the actual hardness of ceramic.



Another idea would be to wrap double sided tape on something that you could fit down there to try to get the pieces.

 

[Sportster0817]

It would be a major deal for ceramic to get in the plug hole considering the actual hardness of ceramic.

View attachment 51145

Another idea would be to wrap double sided tape on something that you could fit down there to try to get the pieces.

Thanks! Now I know, and will make sure to take everything out first.
Very useful graph!

I actually tried the tape, and even velcro and got some pieces out. Slow process too, just looking to kind of speeding it up without bad consequences.

 

[Sportster0817]

Guys! Thanks again for your input! Major update! I was able to get a straw down to the “floor” of the cylinder and got almost everything out. Cylinder 1 is completely clean. Cylinder 2 only has 1 piece badly stuck the size of two grains of rise. Should be done soon!

 

[Sportster0817]

All done guys, the final trick was with the straw. So, I had to use a long chopstick to move the debris around and better position, a hose, a straw and the vac. All clean now.

 

[MacSeaDoo]

Glad you are good to go. Put some new plugs in it and you can say you dodged that bullet.

 

[Sportster0817]

Glad you are good to go. Put some new plugs in it and you can say you dodged that bullet.

You have no idea how happy I am! lol
I pictured the engine getting all messed up with this tiny ceramic and it was not good.

So, pull the plugs is what got me into this mess. I've tried the standard 5/8 and many other sockets and it is not engaging at all. I've tried smaller and bigger ones too and nothing. I even went and got a spark plug 5/8 socket just in case and nothing. I just bought the boat.

 

[gacekj]

I'd recommend that you do a Google search on "how to get out a rounded spark plug" -- you will find socket adapters that you can get for this purpose and also tips from others who have had this problem. Looks like you've already sprayed some "rust bust" fluid down there, but you'll need something that will grip that spark plug better to twist it out.

 

[MacSeaDoo]

They are 5/8 Hex. Is it possible the socket is not deep enough? Look down the hole, if the hex is not rounded out, your socket is not deep enough.

 

[Sportster0817]

They are 5/8 Hex. Is it possible the socket is not deep enough? Look down the hole, if the hex is not rounded out, your socket is not deep enough.

The socket is deep enough. I just got back with a new set of tools just in case. Tried 14, 15, 16MM. Brought 17 but it's too big for my deep drive socket, I'll replace it for the right one. Also, tried 18MM the other day but it is way to big.

I'm sure it's touching bottom, I can tell (feel it) especially with the drive of course. The socket by itself would not be deep enough.

At first I thought the previous owner bought some different types of plugs (not 5/8), but after trying so many different socket sizes, I don't think this is the problem anymore. The reason why isn't engaging is that the plugs are too tight, too deep down, so there is no enough thread for the socket to engage, I believe. It's the only logical explanation. Remember, it is not that they are too hard to get them out, it's that they are not even engaging. When I turn the socket counterclockwise, it just spins and spins, not sound or feel of engagement... They're not rounded. I can see the thread on all 3 of them. The hex looks perfect.

Someone recommended to use a reversible driver, but for this to work I need to use a hammer. I don't want to use a hammer there and break more porcelain and go through the same again...

Unless 17MM works, I don't know what else to try. I haven't put any fluid in there yet, I was thinking to put some WD40, but again I'd like to see the socket engaging first anyways.

I got my new set of spark plugs just now and they are certainly 5/8, 16MM, both sockets fit there perfectly.

Thoughts?

 

[Sportster0817]

I'd recommend that you do a Google search on "how to get out a rounded spark plug" -- you will find socket adapters that you can get for this purpose and also tips from others who have had this problem. Looks like you've already sprayed some "rust bust" fluid down there, but you'll need something that will grip that spark plug better to twist it out.

They're not rounded. I can see the shape on all 3 of them. The hex looks perfect.

 

[Sportster0817]

 

[gacekj]

Got it -- that's a much cleaner pic of the plug than the one you previously posted above!

 

[Sportster0817]

Got it -- that's a much cleaner pic of the plug than the one you previously posted above!

haha yeah, the before and after! Super happy about that. Very frustrated that I'll have to pay a couple of hundred bucks just to take plugs out lol

 

[JoeMcc]

Can you post pictures of what sockets you are using. A regular auto spark plug socket is thin enough to reach down to the bottom of the hole and with an extension be able to remove the plug.