My new to me 95 powerstroke burned 2 valve cover harnesses a couple weeks ago and in the process of fixing that I removed the glow plugs. Well, I removed the 7 Beru/Bosch plugs and half of the autolite (it was already in there from the PO, I know enough not to use them)

Anyhoooooo.... here's where I am at:

I've tried the common cure - soaked with PB for a week and tried pulling up and down but eventually I pulled the centre out of the plug. Now I can't even reach it.

I have READ about people talking of pushing the broken tip in then fishing it out through the injector hole. I removed the injector and that hole doesn't seem any bigger than the GP hole?!?! Also, i tapped it in and it did move in but it seems to have bottomed out and not fallen in. I am pretty sure I am looking at head removal right now.

I haven't found a comment anywhere, on any Ford diesel forms where someone says "I pulled a broken glow plug tip out through the injector hole on a POWERSTROKE" It seems it has been done successfully on an IDI, and that the IDI has a much bigger injector hole.

So. Has anyone actually fished a broken glow plug tip out of the injector hole on a powerstroke? Not that you heard from guy who knows a friend of yours that was one married to this other guys sister. Have YOU done it? I'll even accept if you haven't done it yourself but were present when it was done.

 

Try this...

Reinstall the injector, leave the top off the glow plug and fire the truck up.

Let it run until it gets warm. Leave the valve cover off. Once the truck is warm bring it up to about 1100-1800 RPMs and see what happens. I have forced two out that way.

DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE NEAR THE MOTOR BAY WHEN DOING THIS!!!

It is NOT safe and the GP will come out with enough force to kill someone.

 

^That sounds dangerous and deadly.... It must work!

 

I think I made things worse and now the "bullet" method is more dangerous and not worth trying. i have tapped it in as far as it will go, and suspect that if I try to run it now it will be easier for it to fall in than get blown out.
Also, I should have done more research as I got confused on some forums where guys were talking about the tip dropping into the pre-chamber. Seems there is a lot of misinformation out there about this as some people are stating that the powerstroke has a pre-chamber, which it does not.
So i currently have my piston at TDC and I am pretty sure that the glow plug won't go any further in because it is hitting the piston. If I lower the piston, I should be able to tap it all the way in and I might be able to suck out through the injector hole using a shop vac with shop air through the GP hole, and/or using a magnet through the injector hole. I have some small rare earth magnets that might work but they need to be epoxied onto a flexible stick of some sort as it will quickly attach itself to the head or cylinder wall. Clearly that GP tip will drop to the low point in the chamber so that is where I will 'fish' for it with the magnet. If it lines up right (along with the planets ) it might come through the injector hole.

 

If it drops in buddy your pulling the head.

You can not and will not fish it out thru the glow plug hole.

 

If it were me I would begin pulling the head, cspid is right if you push it through you would have better luck winning the lottery and buying a new truck.

 

Thanks, guys, I figured as much. Damn!

off to search the forums on head gasket job info...