Glo Plugs problem

[may333art]

My Bongo has had trouble starting and the garage decided that the Glo Plugs needed changing. When I went to collect it they explained that these are delicate and break easily and that two have been replaced but two have snapped in situ and they have recommended that they take it to an engineering garage who can bore them out. If this is successful fin, it will cost me about £150 but it may not be easy and bits of metal may end up in the engine and then it will cost four times that because they will have to do a lot more work removing cylinder head etc. Does anyone know how common an occurence this is--- the garage says it happens often! HELP. may333art

[ELZE]

Hi there,
Well yes, I can just here them now Oh! they need drilling -£150 please Oh! The head needd to come off £440 please. Oh it needs skimming and new valve seats and stuff £900 please. Garages treat us like cash cows mate!

I have the same dilema with mine and my garage said that they snap easily so best just live with it mate! what a load of tosh and Boll*cks. Then I spoke to a proper auto engineer who said yes they do snap but depends how they are tackled. First they have to be soaked in release oil for a while, then you tighten first before you loosen..makes sence. This I will do when the weather is better. If they snap well so be it but it will have been me doing the snapping knowing that I has done all reasonably possible not to. If the garage had the work I would always be suspicious that they had prepared me for the worst then just tried to use brute force anyway not tyring to prevent the obvious outcome.

Drilling should not be too much of a problem as they should not go straight thro, but drill a hole deep enought to get a left hand tap in and screw the remainder out. Using a good Henry and not rotating the engine in anyway should be enough to recover any swarf. Remember swarf cannot enter the engine unless the plug is fully removed so a good vacuum suck should stop that from happening. So get the object loose first, then suck then remove?

If the head has to come off then so be it as I would then be able to inspect and make good any other problems at the same time which I know I have a few.

This is what I would do anyway. We have to be the master of our own destiny and not be taken down a path by fear of the unknown. This how garages work by spreading false fears. and getting you to bite the expensive bullet.

Good luck any road

[may333art]

Thank you for your post. Maybe the drilling will be successful and thus it won't be too expensive. The van is starting now and I will take my time and get as much info as possible before I deal with it. I just wish that the garage had given me the info regarding the potential difficulty with getting the plugs out before they tried.

[Northern Bongolow]

the plugs should be put in at the correct torque settings, too loose and they leak fuel or combustion gasses.
i used to advocate removing them when the engine was as cold as possible, but have found this to not always work.
the best way ive found is to run from cold for a few mins only, then use a good quality 6 sided deep socket, then use steady even pressure, not sudden twist, they do often make you cringe though as they squeak loose.

the bottom edge of the plug goes into a steel pocket, which has an open side to the chamber so swarf can enter the chamber when drilling out.

if drilling out use a very small good quality drill bit to start, then work up in size until you can collapse the outer thread area into the centre and hopefully remove in one piece.

good luck.

[helen&tony]

Hi Ady...
Is it any good using thick grease on the drill , and drill slowly, and pull out every millimetre and swab with a greasy Q-tip to prevent swarf, and re-grease the drill every time??????
Cheers
Helen

[ELZE]

When I eventually do mine I will give a blow by blow account of how it went on here with picures. That way we can all learn from the process as this is a common problem I believe.

[stefan442]

Oh dear, not good reading! Got a feeling one of mine has gone as I get a chug on start up, been avoiding it as its been starting fine in the cold snap we had!

The best of luck to you!

[lazyb5]

I changed mine last year and had no problem, as Ady says good quality socket and undo in a smooth manner even using an extension bar if needed. As for tightening before undoing these are put in at 17 NM into an alloy head and that is quite tight. I wouldn't do it.

[the laird]

I've always heated the engine up first then removed with care.working then back and forwards motion

[Northern Bongolow]

Hi Ady...
Is it any good using thick grease on the drill , and drill slowly, and pull out every millimetre and swab with a greasy Q-tip to prevent swarf, and re-grease the drill every time??????
Cheers
Helen

i wouldnt worry too much about swarf helen that would burn up or get blown out etc.
its the ceramic tip that is sticking out the bottom end i would be worried about. its thinner than the diameter of the plug so when drilling from the top you could reach a point where it just falls in or even shatters, this could make a nice impression on a piston crown or even bend a valve.

as its not magnetic you may have to go fishing with a sticky shaped probe, this could be done as the pocket it may fall into is fairly shallow.

[Simon Jones]

The tip of the glow plug (& the injector) sits in a chamber that is covered with a round insert that you can see at the bottom of the picture:



From what I recall, the actual hole is pretty small & I'm not sure if the tip of the glow plug would pass thru if it became detached.

[ELZE]

How about putting the piston your working on at TDC? thus closing the gap, then fishing with a sticky would be so much simpler?

Just a thought!

[mikeonb4c]

Might be worth speaking with a Bongo specialist? They must see lots of this.

[M 80NGO]

Sounds to me like your mechanics are hamfisted oafs who have wrongly tried to remove your plugs by trying to cut corners, I always take them hot warm after removing all the ancillaries to get the best possible access, I then give them a good squirt of wd40 and go in for a cuppa while the wd penitrates, then I use a ring spanner to rock the plug gently 3 or 4 times before slackening them off, I then put them back in cold after applying a little copperslip to the thread to make it easier for the next time. A lot of decent garages have enderscopes and Hoover attatchments to inspect and clean out bores after they have drilled or helicoiled. Where abouts are you located ?

[mikexgough]

Spot on Pete .....

Sounds to me like your mechanics are hamfisted oafs who have wrongly tried to remove your plugs by trying to cut corners, I always take them hot warm after removing all the ancillaries to get the best possible access, I then give them a good squirt of wd40 and go in for a cuppa while the wd penitrates, then I use a ring spanner to rock the plug gently 3 or 4 times before slackening them off, I then put them back in cold after applying a little copperslip to the thread to make it easier for the next time. A lot of decent garages have enderscopes and Hoover attatchments to inspect and clean out bores after they have drilled or helicoiled. Where abouts are you located ?