Got broken spark plug out, but .......

[ThePinkPanther]

Hi guys,

I put up a post quite a few weeks back regarding a plug broken off in my V8 inboard and after some great help from the responders, finally got it out with some heat, bashing and an ezyout!

But, the bad news is that done of the copper central anode and some bits of the ceramic casing dropped into the cylinder during the process!

Because the cylinders are slanted, the bits have fallen into the sloped side of the bore on top of the piston (TOPDC) and for the love of me I can't get them out!

I adapted a small plastic tube to a vacuum hose and pushed that into the plug hole but again the sloped bore made it nigh on impossible to get the end of the tube in the right spot.

Next I tried some thick wheel bearing grease on a piece of bent wire hoping to snag it that way but nothing!

My next idea is to pour either some hot glue or silastic into the plug hole with a piece of bent wire in the goo, wait till it hardens and the see if I can pull it out, kind of like an insect imbedded in Amber!

if anybody has any better ideas I would really appreciate it/them!

Thanks for all previous replies to my original post and for hopefully helping out here!

[Blackened]

G'day

Take the head off

Dave

[peterbo3]

Could you rotate the crankshaft by hand to get the piston in question lower down & reduce the angle that the vacuum tube will be? Sounds like you are working around the corner ATM.

[tunaticer]

Bring the motor to bottom of the stroke then go the vaccuum run again.

Fear is that some of the ceramic pieces might fit down the side of the piston, if that happens you will be up for a rebuild shortly.

[station-rat]

Zip tie your vacuum hose to a stiff piece of wire that you can bend to the shape you require to reach the spot, but I would take the head off to be 100% sure before you rotate the engine

[docaster]

Get a camera scope and see if you can see beside the piston. They have a piece of wire you can put on it too. That with the vacuum might give some joy.

[The Woo]

Take the head off. You've know way to know if you got absolutely everything. Anything else is grasping at straws and inviting more trouble than you're already in.

[FNQCairns]

Pull the head off.

how did it go anyway?