Hey there, I have a 1991 RX7 turbo with an old engine that I was attempting to clean. I used the ATF trick and after spinning the engine a few times with the spark plugs out I was about to start it.

So I screw them in like ususal, only I guess I used a little too much torque on the rear trailing spark plug and it broke off inside the housing! I took out what was left (the center electrode, porcelain and the end threads) but much of the threads and the 4 ground electrodes are left stuck inside the housing!

Are there any tricks I can use to retrieve this? It's not like I can take the head off to drill it out, so do I just have to rebuild? Ideas guys, please!

 

wait so the hex part where the socket fits over is gone too?

 

Wow, first time I ever heard of that happening. How old was the spark plug that broke off? You'v got to talk to NGK, if you'v used theirs.

Good luck.

 

Is any metal still accessible? I've rounded the hex of one of those BR10EIX plugs that sit deeper in the housing. I ended up having a friend use a cheap gasless MIG to weld a piece of pipe to the metal, and then a hex not on the pipe. so i turned the whole thing and that helped me remove the plug.

 

Wow... that sucks. My problem isn't nearly as bad.

In fact I got it out of the housing this morning! Here are the bits:



Look at the end of the NGK plug and notice that without the center electrode it looks remarkably like a phillips head screw. I actually managed to carefully back the broken plug out with a decent amount of torque on a screwdriver. There might still be some bits of metal stuck in the thread since my spare plug doesn't screw in too easily.

So just for future reference, how many ft/lbs do I use on this? Oh, and do you think there may be any problems from a couple flakes of metal getting into the chamber? I already have poor compression on the rear rotor.

 

I made the same mistake. I over tightened the spark plug and the center cracked from the electrode and threads and was stuck in the trailling housing. You were able to get it out with a screwdriver, lucky you. I had to make a few phone calls and get a snap-on deep socket extractor.

 

Is that so Roman Hummm.......

Makes me wonder when did you make all those phone calls
must have been while I was taking the broken threaded part of the plug out for you.

BTW it is not a deep socket extractor et is only called an left hand extractor.

J-P

 

wow, that's gonna make me worried every time i change plugs now, glad you got it out

 

That is why an intelligent mechanic reads the torque speck for fasteners and uses torque wrenches.

 

Wow..Carnage at its Best!
I use anti sieze on Plug threads,so they don't get stuck.(good thing to try to get into).
and I Never tighten the plugs TIGHT tight.just enough that the threads Lock,and then Slap the Socket wrench and Done.(that is my Torque Wrench..a Slap,..haha!).
but I have to say that the Above answers are good examples on HOW to fix Sht if it happens.I commend the Ingenuity.

 

I don't use a torque wrench on plugs, maybe I should, but I was taught by an old hotrodder (person that got me into cars in the first place) to just do them finger tight and then a very slight snugging (1/8 of a turn-ish?). he reasoned that they get very tight after some thermal cycles, and it's true that plugs always come out harder than you screwed them in.

Anti seize is also a good idea. I've never had an issue with any of my plug ever, whatever you do, do not torque the hell out of spark plugs.

 

yea, they dont need to be torqued very tight at all.