OK guys I could really use some suggestions. I'm in the middle of a major tune up right now. My uncle gave me his 88 camaro TBI 305. I dont think he did a tune up on it in years...so I got a new cap and rotor, 8.8 mm accel plug wires, bosch platinum plugs, and some cheap dynomaxx headers. I got both stock manifolds off yesterday, only took 3 hours and I only had to remove the air pump hoses. I changed the drivers side plugs and put the headers on...then I was taking off the last spark plug on the passenger side and SNAP! I felt a knot building up in my stomach...the rusted old plug snapped between the nut and the threads, so the nut part was in the socket, but the threads and half of the ceramic are still in the head! please tell me that theres something I can do to remove the rest of it without having to take off the head, this has to have happened to some of you before

 

That sucks. I had that happen once, and I had to pull the head to get it out. I don't think there is any safe way to do it without pulling the head. Once I pulled the head, I got a punch and punched the ceramic and the electrode through the plug threads, and then used an easy out on the rest of the plug. Becarefull not to damage the threads in the head though. That is a problem you do not want to have to deal with. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. but if you find a way to do it without taking the head off, let me know how you did it.

 

depending on how its broken you may be able to use a reverse drill bit or an easy out, might help to spray it with some rust penetrant first

 

The square type of screw extractor usually works on those. Better than the left-hand-spiral type.

 

Any decent hardware store should sell screw extractor sets. For less than 20 bucks id give this a shot before taking off the heads.

 

ya I have a set of those...too bad its the one on the passenger side against the firewall...

 

Put in a 350, problem solved

 

Unless the porcelain came clean out with the nut, I don't see any choice but the pull the head.

And I've never seen nor heard of this happening.

 

I've never heard of this happening before either, ever. Definitely try using a reverse drill bit if you can get to it like someone else said earlier.

 

If the threads are the only thing left it may not be that hard to get out. I'd try to get at it with a small punch and see if it would turn. But, like already mentioned, don't screw up the threads in the head!

 

is there any metal left sticking out of the head? if there is something that you can grab onto, try using a set of vice grips.

 

i hate to say it man if it was rusted enough to break off your probably gonna have to take the head off the engine and go from there i know its a pain in the **** ..but sometimes you have to do what you have to do ...

 

Never seen nor heard of that? It happens, expecially with standard AC/Delco plugs, Motorcraft, and Autolites. the lack of any plating and subsequent corrosion protection for the plug shell allows a lot of corrosion:



That's why I use Champions - That, and several other reasons. That may also be why most AC platinum plugs are plated or use 400-series SS as a shell. At the 100,000 mile projected service interval, plain plugs would never come out intact.

 

ya thats what happened with mine, except it broke further down, between the treads and the nut, and the porcelin actually broke in half too along with the center (wire)

 

HELP!!?? any more ideas?

 

What have you tried and such?

 

WOOHOO! I used an easy out and it came out!!! thanks guys

:lala:

 

A nice picture of the culprit would be nice.

 

congrats man you got lucky on that one ..ive seen guys have to take em to machine shops to have em fixed...