Glow plug stuck?

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

So I noticed this...

Pull the valve cover and went to pull the glow plug out and the whole time I was loosening it, it was extremely tight, and squeaking terribly. I know I unthreaded it completely because I wrenched on it for a long time to see if it would stop squeaking. But the glow plug will literally not budge in coming out. Even came down to clamping vice grips on the plug and prying it up and the vice grips would not hold and the glow plug never budged.

So I'm starting to think that the glow plug tip expanded/melted and simply won't fit out through the bore?

Has anyone heard of this?

It's really looking like it isn't going to come out, is this going to force me to pull the head in order to remove it? I feel like it's so stuck that if it does come out it will separate and break in half and leave me with the bottom part falling onto the piston.

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johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

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johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

It's not moving what so ever

Bustedknuckles · Jun 24, 2014

Go drive it and hopefully it will blow out.

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DEEZUZ · Jun 24, 2014

Are these heads factory?

I've had this happen on a 6.0 with junk Chinese heads. The glow plug sleeves were not totally seating, letting combustion by and seizing the glow plugs....

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

CTC DEEZUL said:
Are these heads factory?

I've had this happen on a 6.0 with junk Chinese heads. The glow plug sleeves were not totally seating, letting combustion by and seizing the glow plugs....

Yeah they're factory. It got a new short block but that came from ford. I think somehow the glow plug popped up, and like you said combustion got by and seized it. Or the end is expanded bigger than the bore. But there is no reason it shouldn't come out. I put an impact on it and spin it around for a minute and it still wouldn't pull up.

I would literally hate to pull a head for a 10 dollar glow plug.

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

But I'm also not going to drive it till it's fixed cause say if it broke off and fell down id have bigger issues than a stuck glow plug.

DEEZUZ · Jun 24, 2014

I put a vice grip on the tips, as hard as I could clamp it and then wedged a pry bar under and popped em up

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

CTC DEEZUL said:
I put a vice grip on the tips, as hard as I could clamp it and then wedged a pry bar under and popped em up

I did the same, enough to crush the tip actually. And it still wouldn't budge

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

And I'm curious as to why it was popped up in the first place..

DEEZUZ · Jun 24, 2014

The glow plug connector popped up itself, right? Usually just crankcase psi

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

The connector would only push down that far so it's like the whole glow plug did?? Or the middle part of it maybe?

DEEZUZ · Jun 24, 2014

Yea, something about it doesn't seem right. Like the inside blew up through the body... Like 7.3's do. Issue your having is its been like this for a while. Huge carbon build up. Have you ran the engine? It should help loosen stuff up

johnp115 · Jun 24, 2014

I've had a code for a whole but I tink it popped out recently cause I just recently noticed the extra oil under the truck. Not dripping but oil on bottom of engine like any diesel has.

It's all apart id rather try and get it out, I'm gonna try a heat gun to heat it up

DEEZUZ · Jun 24, 2014

Probably better luck just spraying deep creep down in there and letting it sit.

bft blue oval boys · Jun 25, 2014

Dang, this sucks man. Really hope you don't end up having to pull the head...

Sent from a Cummins plant, driving a Powerstroke, with a TDI on the side!

johnp115 · Jun 25, 2014

Yeah that would be really unfortunate and costly haha.

Say if I can't get it out, would it be stupid to wrench it back down so the seal will go on properly and tune out the code?

Luke@MillerPerformance · Jun 25, 2014

Try jumping the starter, key off. That should spin it enough to get some compression to pop it out. Only other thing is hook the glow plug harness back up and let the truck heat it up, might get whatever is holding it to break free.

SEABEE08FX4 · Jun 25, 2014

CTC DEEZUL said:
The glow plug connector popped up itself, right? Usually just crankcase psi

This

johnp115 · Jun 25, 2014

SEABEE08FX4 said:
This

No it seems as the glow plug itself popped up and that's as far on as the connector would go. Once the valve cover came off it was noticeable that glow plug was further out but still threaded..