fiesta 1.3 snapped spark plugs

[actionman]

Hi i was doing a basic service on my mk5 1.3 Fiesta today when 1 of the spark plugs snapped clean off!! I hardly put any pressure on at all & it just sheared!! i'd noticed it was rusted to hell around the spark plug but as i've changed them on most of the cars i've had since passing my test, which is 20+ cars & have never had this problem before!! I thought about it for a min or so trying t odecide wht to do about the other plugs so went t oremove the 2nd plug, same again!! sheared off!! 1st thing that comes into my head is that i'll have to get the head removed so i can remove the stuck in half of the pug without bit of it falling into the engine!! Anybody got any other ideas??? thanks Craig

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[st3v3]

i think the heads coming off matey, might be the only way.

[actionman]

Yeh that's what i'm thinking!! can't think of how you could remove the rest of teh plug with the head still on the in place without bits of the plug dropping into the engine!!

[wulliesxr4i]

i had this at work the other day mate all we did was chap a easy out in to it nd got the hot spanner onto it nd they came rite out, mite b worth a try mate b4 u go down the route of taken the head off,

[steanlol]

So your saying that the nut you put the socket on has snapped off the thread leaving that in the head ??

Never heard of that before , so its a head off job im afraid , nothing will drop into the engine if the threaded part of the plug is still in place .

[Shings]

Can you not tap an easy out into it?

[wulliesxr4i]

Originally Posted by Shings

Can you not tap an easy out into it?

thats wot we normal do wiv them

[Shings]

Was gonna say - it aint really rocket science.....

Its prob snapped because its never been changed...

Was it still hot when you tried to take it out?

[BIG.GEOFF.H]

the way to get it out with out taking head off is to get a torx 55 socket on an extension and get a hammer knock it into the bit of spak plug that is left in the cylinder head as far as you can get the ratchet on it and it will undo no problem. the reason why it has done it is because the plugs havent benn done for a long time and they have rusted and weakend. hope this helps it will take mins to sort out dont worry.

[benporter]

That is common on these , ive had one snap all 4

[MarkN]

This is a common problem with 1100 and 1300 OHV Fiestas, - I always give them a good soaking overnight in WD40 before changing the plugs and even then they can still be very difficult to remove.

Tbh - it's probably a head off job to get it drilled out. You might be able to get it out with the head on - but you'd have no way of stopping debris getting into the cylinder, which would then give you another problem.

When you replace them - some copper grease on the threads should stop it happening again. I always used to loosen them off and do them up again every three months or so as well. Once you've had this problem once, you don't want it again.

[actionman]

Originally Posted by steanlol

So your saying that the nut you put the socket on has snapped off the thread leaving that in the head ??

Never heard of that before , so its a head off job im afraid , nothing will drop into the engine if the threaded part of the plug is still in place .

nope!! i'm saying they snapped clean in half, there's nothing sticking out of the head at all now!!

I'd never heard of it before until it happended to me & i did a search & found quite a few people saying it's common on this engine!!

[actionman]

oh & for those that recommened using easy outs etc!! i've thought about buying a set as i doin't have any!! i've also nothing to heat up the rest of the plug with!!

I'm still unsure about the easy out as i don't wanna risk any bits of the plugs dropping into the engine. I'm also guessing the other 2 plugs will prpb snap as well!!

I's also had the engine running for quite a while before hand to get it hot, which is what i've always done when doing oil/plug change etc!!

[cabriolet]

fella i know welds a bolt inside the broken bit and unscrews them he says works every time then spins the engine over with no plugs in the crap flies out the plug holes

[xr2john]

heads got too come off mate

[RUPERT THE BIG HAIRY BEAR]

y r u saying the head needs to come of when uve read ways of doing it all ready and from people that have allready done it

[bigal1978]

Originally Posted by BIG.GEOFF.H

the way to get it out with out taking head off is to get a torx 55 socket on an extension and get a hammer knock it into the bit of spak plug that is left in the cylinder head as far as you can get the ratchet on it and it will undo no problem. the reason why it has done it is because the plugs havent benn done for a long time and they have rusted and weakend. hope this helps it will take mins to sort out dont worry.

i do it this way to

[actionman]

Originally Posted by RUPERT THE BIG HAIRY BEAR

y r u saying the head needs to come of when uve read ways of doing it all ready and from people that have allready done it

if you'd read everything i'd put then you would've seen that i put that i don't want bits of the plugs dropping in the engine so i'm thinking the only way to gaurantee that is to remove the head!!

Oh & that's the 3rd time i've said i don't want bits of the plug falling into the engine!! jus tin case you missed it!! lol

[Diesel combi pete]

I fill for you; I recentlygot my hands on a lovely little 1300 mk4 with only 5,000 miles on clock, the first thing I do is try to put in new plugs and stuff. well same as you I snapped two of they had not come out from new, it is a weak bit between the shank and the thread that goes. I had never seen this before then. We tryed easy out soaking first overnight with wd and a bit of heat but we found no way, in the end it is head off, sorry but it will all be back together one day good luck

[tabetha]

I've had loads of these engines, and never had that, I think if memory is correct the plug sticks out slightly so get carbone dup and can get tight, but f**k me they must have been done stupid tight, only done this job on a few pinto's and a french pain in the arse ww1/2 V8 tank engine helping a mate.
tabetha

[BIG.GEOFF.H]

Originally Posted by bigal1978

i do it this way to

its the easy way i used to get my engine man to get em out till i found out how he did it no bits in the engine done in mins easy peasey no head off

[actionman]

Right!! i took some advice from some of you on here & had a bash at it this morning!!

Only difference being i used a Torx T50 & not T55!! Hammered it straight in, attached ratchet!! Binlgo!! cracked it!! 2nd plug was as easy!! So then moved onto the other 2 remaining unbroken plugs, which funnily anough, both broke!!

Anyways, as i was on a roll i just usd the T50 again & out came the rest of the plug!! Fitted new NGK plugs & it started 1st time!! Although it did have the odd miss when sat idling on drive & the new clean oil seems to have made the gnine slightly noisier thna the sludge the previous owner had in!! lol

So i'd like to thank everybody for advice etc!!

Craig

[RichieST]

Good stuff! Now on to the tappets, made the world of difference to my missus's old mk3 fiesta when they were adjusted up properly! Sounded like an engine again rather than someone shaking their toolbox lol

[actionman]

lol!! well it's not actually that bad once it's warmed up a little!! Although i mus tadmit the 1st time i started it up after the oil change it sounded like a 5,000,000 mile diesel!! almost shat my pants wondering what was going on!!

Got quieter within a few seconds then after atrip to the gym & back is sounds almost like it did before the oil change