broken spark plug = remove head?

[snag]

I just bough my second festiva (90 with fuel injection) on e-bay. To make a long story short, I have a broken off plug (the threads are flush with the head) with a hole straight thru. I have no Idea if it was drilled for a ez-out or the ceramic pulled out with rest of the plug. I believe that the only way I can tell if there is any bad stuff in the cylinder is to pull the head. It has 60,000 miles, If i pull the head I will replace the timing belt. Does anyone have any ideas other than pulling the head? If I end up pulling the head does anyone have any tips? Should I replace anything else while im in the motor. Ill keep you guys posted how it going. thanks.

[rotinaj13]

no it means ur have to heat the head up and use a screw extractor to remove it.

[andyj68]

Yup, EZ out, try when it's cold first! Trust me, same thing happened to me, wouldn't budge hot, came right out cold... or remove the head, it's actually not that hard of a job, just mark your lines and wires. Might as well, replace what u can while your in there.

[snag]

I tried 4 times with a ez out and it isnt going anywhere. Plus I have no Idea whats in the cyllinder, so I broke out the haynes book and started to take the head off. I got the valve cover off and am starting on the intake. Doesnt look too hard other than the rusted bolts on the exhaust manifold.

[rotinaj13]

u can take the head off with out taking the intake off, just remember the brace.

[andyj68]

Broken Plug

Yeah, just take it slow with the bolts... notorious for snapping. Out a bit... in a bit, lots of lube... slowly. Good luck

[andyj68]

Broken Plug

PS: magnet on a coat hanger in the cylinder if u suspect any steel inside.

[snag]

head bolts

So far so good. I got my engine stripped down to the head to be removed. The only sticker was the exhaust heat shield. My bolts were rusted bad so I cut the shield off. Here is the new problem. My manual doesn't help explain what kind of socket I need for the head bolts. Any help out there.

[andyj68]

Head bolts

Hmm metric for sure... either 12 or 14 mm? Yeah I know what u mean w/ the manifold shield... POS lol Be sure to put the socket extension or something on them and give'em a tap with a hammer... nice and easy extracting them, u dont want one of them to snap in the block. Good luck

[snag]

I was looking for what kind of socket. The corners of the bolts look round. Possibly needs a twelve point socket?

[Festy46]

It takes a 12 point socket for the head bolts.
John

[Pgh5spd]

If I read your original post right, you got this Festiva with the plug already snapped, so you don't know what's in the cylinder, right?

When you get the head off, then what's the plan? Take it to a machine shop?

Alternate strategy, if you have a set of torches and as described by a good friend of many years who I trust completely (meaning I have not done this myself, but he has): heat the remains of the plug with a cutting tip & just when it gets cherry red tap the oxygen. The plug threads should disappear, while the aluminum amazingly enough stays put - there's enough mass of aluminum to sink the excess heat on it and not melt. He fixed the head on his sister's [some kinda MoPar] that way. Just run a tap thru the threads to clean up any residual injury.

I thought I was going to have to do that on my '93 when I got it. One plug was absolutely stuck, both to my breaker bar and the local garages impact gun on low, but it came out on the intermediate setting . REASON IT WAS STUCK: whatever dimwit changed the plugs last time left the damn washer off the plug.

You can remove the bolts that held the heat shield to the manifold with heat, too. Heat the manifold around each bolt to cherry red, let cool a bit and then drip some ATF on it. Then grab hold with a vise grip and try to turn. It may take several attempts, but I got all out from a manifold that way that had no evidence of a hex head left.

[Pgh5spd]

Edit: [oops, somehow sent that twice]

[snag]

Thanks all. Got the head off last night. (12mm 12 point socket, thanks) There was 2 small chunks of metal in the cylinder head so I'm glad I pulled it. The cylinder has surface rust as well so I will scotchbrite it before I put it back together. I broke a second plug trying to remove them. I think there the original plugs? the metal was too far rusted to hold up to the torque. I spent another 2 hours trying to get the threaded part out. I will try the torch trick. If that doesn't work I guess Ill drill the threads out and install a Helli-coil. Ill take some pictures and try to post.

[snag]

Tried the torch trick last night and got scared I would melt or warp the head. So Does anyone know what size tap I need to run thru for spark plugs?