broken spark plug

[Steelbuddha]

This old dirtbag's trick: 1) Mix up your own penetrant from 50/50 acetone and transmission fluid. (Penetrates better than any commercial product.) Repeatedly treat the stuck fastener/sparkplug over the course of a day or so. 2) Put a blunt chisel in an air hammer and rattle the fastener/sparkplug. You may be surprised.

 

[Dejure]

Stupid old farts have been known to heat things just enough to melt candle wax, then let it wick into the threads to get bolts out. They thought just because it works it was a good idea.

 

[Ricko1966]

I've used 50/50 acetone and transmission fluid,it works well. The science behind it is the acetone thins the transmission fluid enough to let it weep in,then the acetone evaporates leaving the transmission fluid as a lubricant. I also use wax often. If you've sweated pipe you will understand it.You get the piece hot enough to run a crayon around the base and wick the wax in just like solder wicks in sweating pipe. This works really good because you have heat and lubrication. When I do this at a friend's house to remove a broken bolt etc. I tell them to get me a yellow crayon, I tell them the chemical coloring in the yellow frees the stuck bolt. It's funny how many people believe me.

 

[Edelbrock]

True story-

An old timer mechanic that I know said that when he owned auto repair shops in the city, various salesman would stop by his shop to sell "miracle penetrating fluids" that would loosen even the most stubborn bolt.

He put an large sheet of metal up against the back of his shop. He would ask them to pray their miracle fluid against the bottom right side of the metal, at the same time he sprayed his "miracle mixture" on the bottom left side of the metal.

The salesman never won, because his fluid always climbed much higher and faster than theirs. They always asked him what his secret was.

The secret mixture was a combination of gasoline and transmission fluid.


Its like using vinegar as a solvent / deodorizer. You can't take a simple effective solution and sell it for top dollar. What are you going to do, patent vinegar? You have to try to make a "special patented fluid" that tries to perform as well as the generic basic product, and then charge 50 times more for it.

 

[Grit dog]

I've used 50/50 acetone and transmission fluid,it works well. The science behind it is the acetone thins the transmission fluid enough to let it weep in,then the acetone evaporates leaving the transmission fluid as a lubricant. I also use wax often. If you've sweated pipe you will understand it.You get the piece hot enough to run a crayon around the base and wick the wax in just like solder wicks in sweating pipe. This works really good because you have heat and lubrication. When I do this at a friend's house to remove a broken bolt etc. I tell them to get me a yellow crayon, I tell them the chemical coloring the yellow frees the stuck bolt. It's funny how many people believe me.

I hadn’t remembered the wax trick until I read about it recently again.
Almost hoping to find a stuck bolt somewhere to try! Lol

 

[Dejure]

SNORT, Rick, your yellow crayon thing reminds me of when people see one of the unique walking sticks I make. They ask where I found the wood and I give some a BS story about wander the woods daily and for hours until I find just the right piece.

In truth, they are just the product of a barrel jig saw taken to a 2x4, then hitting the resulting curves with a 3/4 round-over router bit to, essentially, create a 1-1/2", curvy dowel.

HINT: Go a step larger on the bearing for the second side to reduce the amount of lip otherwise left because the original bearing would ride on the removed material, creating a line, which requires sanding to improve appearance.

 

[BadBowtie]

Any update??

 

[Troyport]

Hello all, was out of town plus this is a toy truck, no huge hurry ever. But yes! Inner wheel well out, perfect access, 10 seconds with any oxy/acet torch had the plug carcass slightly red. The backed out very easily. Only bad part, can now see that the exhaust manifold has a crack I would have never seen from the top. Wonder how many more bolts will break? LOL! THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS!

 

[Ricko1966]

Hello all, was out of town plus this is a toy truck, no huge hurry ever. But yes! Inner wheel well out, perfect access, 10 seconds with any oxy/acet torch had the plug carcass slightly red. The backed out very easily. Only bad part, can now see that the exhaust manifold has a crack I would have never seen from the top. Wonder how many more bolts will break? LOL! THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS!

Fender well is out so is the torch. Braze the crack.

 

[YakkoWarner]

If you do have to pull the manifold, use the heat pre-emptively on all the bolts. My friend Dave and I ended up having to pull a head from a Ford 302 and take it to a machine shop because of broken exhaust bolts, it never ran right again afterwards when reassembled.

My sister up in Kansas has a mid-late 90's Chevy truck that needed exhaust manifolds - I suggested she obtain one of those inductive electric bolt heaters (which I purchased after the Ford truck disaster) - she and her collage-age daughter were able to replace both manifolds without a single broken bolt. If you have good access without burning up other stuff, the torch oxy/acetylene is still probably the best game in town. I don't have one unfortunately.