Glow Plug Reamer Disaster

After painstakingly removing all glow plugs from my 2006 2.7 Freightliner Sprinter. I used an aluminum body reamer to remove carbon (BIG MISTAKE). Two went fine but in the #3 cylinder it got stuck. I was only using a 1/4 inch drive and not using a lot of torque, however I did bottom it out. I couldn't back it out and it snapped! NEVER USE AN ALUMINUM REAMER!
It broke off with about 1/2" proud of the hole in the head but it's in that recessed hole so I cant get at it. I'm afraid to try anything. I'll probably just get one shot at removing it. I'm thinking about those external bolt/stud extractors and I have been experimenting with aluma weld and such products but I'm not a welder. I might call one but they may not want to touch it. I know the local machine shops haven't been very helpful, except telling me I'm SOL.
It runs and starts fine except for the engine codes it causes. I have a scan gauge so I'll know if another code comes up. What could happen if I just leave it?
I'm in the Pacific NW area (Bellingham, WA) any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and stay away from aluminum reamers!
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
After painstakingly removing all glow plugs from my 2006 2.7 Freightliner Sprinter. I used an aluminum body reamer to remove carbon (BIG MISTAKE). Two went fine but in the #3 cylinder it got stuck. I was only using a 1/4 inch drive and not using a lot of torque, however I did bottom it out. I couldn't back it out and it snapped! NEVER USE AN ALUMINUM REAMER!
It broke off with about 1/2" proud of the hole in the head but it's in that recessed hole so I cant get at it. I'm afraid to try anything. I'll probably just get one shot at removing it. I'm thinking about those external bolt/stud extractors and I have been experimenting with aluma weld and such products but I'm not a welder. I might call one but they may not want to touch it. I know the local machine shops haven't been very helpful, except telling me I'm SOL.
It runs and starts fine except for the engine codes it causes. I have a scan gauge so I'll know if another code comes up. What could happen if I just leave it?
I'm in the Pacific NW area (Bellingham, WA) any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and stay away from aluminum reamers!
Well first you are not SOL!
Being alum you can drill it out with aircraft length precision drills!
You will need a 10 mm or perhaps 3/8th since the fractional size is slightly smaller and enough to collapse the broken tool.

To protect the upper cylinder in question so that swarf (debris and chips--American terminology ) does not fall down into combustion chamber we use a shop compressed 80 psi air source introduced into the the injector hole by using a dummy hollowed out original injector. This will blow out the debris as you cut it. So eye protection is essential.
We use a a small pneumatic hand drill for this job because space is tight.

As I see it you must remove the broken part since I doubt it will seal the combustion pressure. It will end up sounding like my late Aunt's ex WW2 UK Mil BSA M20!

I suppose in closing this post on cutting threads & metal work in general; understanding pitch and metal cutting tools were in my schoolboy days part of the learning curriculum all focused on how to enter an industrial world and compete for job opportunities as a younger.

All the best and if you have more queries on how get it out--- post!
For the benefit of others having a "bash"!
Cheers Dennis
Mechanic
 
After drilling, do you just tap it out? After using a 3/8" drill I guess that's all you could do. Nothing left for the dreaded "easy out". Should the cylinder be at top dead center?
 

MillionMileSprinter

Millionmilesprinter.com
Can you post a photo of the broken reamer stuck in the glow plug hole? I thought I understood what you were describing until you said you put everything else back together and the engine ran fine. Seems to me that if you had a reamer in the glow plug hole, compressed gasses would escape on the compression stroke and I would image the engine would behave as if it were only operating on 4 cylinders.
 
What you see above is the end of the aluminum reamer where the 10mm hex head broke off. The reamer has the same dimensions as a glow plug except there is no electrical connector and there is a steel reamer attached to the other end of the aluminum body where the glow rod usually is.
I don't see any air escaping and the engine runs fine except for the codes it's throwing out. How long it will run fine is another question. I would like to get it out of there. Thanks for your help!
 

220629

Well-known member
Can you fit a Dremel tool or perhaps a trimmed down Fein tool hacksaw style blade down to the remaining part? I would try cutting a slot to use with a screwdriver blade.

You can run the engine to get the metal up to operating temperature before trying the screwdriver removal. The heat may make things loose enough for the screwdriver to work.

Even if the slot extractor method fails, the slot shouldn't interfere with any easy out/drill style extractor preparation which is needed.

Added:
There are slot screwdriver bits which fit a rachet like a socket. That may allow better downward pressure on the slot which will help to keep it from jumping out. Alternatively, a square shank screwdriver used with an adjustable wrench or proper sized open end wrench applied to the shaft will allow better down pressure and turning torque than just a normal fist grip on the screwdriver handle.

The threads on the reamer may hold compression for a time. The threads are not tapered. The glow plug depends upon a seal face not the threads.

158GlowPlugsTextSm.jpg


Good luck.

vic
 
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talkinghorse43

Well-known member
You seem to say the reamer has the dimensions of a glow plug. Is the sealing surface the same as well? If yes, then it's unlikely to leak in service. I'd be tempted to leave well enough alone. That's IF the steel reamer is securely attached and won't some time in the future detach and fall into the cylinder. My engine has no working glow plugs and starts & runs w/o missing (or other issues) down to 30F (and maybe lower). I usually, though, heat the engine for 30 min. with my aux htr before starting at anything below 50F.
Added: Have you thought of a bolt extractor? Has flutes that bite into the broken or bunged-up bolt when turned counterclockwise.
 
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Probably no sealing surface. I'll have to find a picture of it from the manufacturer. The slot and bolt extractor are good ideas. I eventually try them all.
If I fill the bottom of the hole with heat sink paste and tin the end with alumi weld which melts well below aluminum, then take some 3/4' aluminum rod with the right size hole machined into the end, also tinned and filled partially with alumi weld, set it on there and hit it with the appropriate heat, the large rod should slip over the broken reamer and weld itself. Theoretically.?? I have been trying this at the bench and it's been working pretty well with test rod. I have tried aluminum brazing rod and flux, but its a steep learning curve and I usually just melt the rod. Thanks again
 

talkinghorse43

Well-known member
Welding sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Both the reamer and the head are such good conductors of heat that if you put enough heat into the system to weld, you'll probably damage the head. If you feel an insatiable desire to do something "off the wall", then try liquid nitrogen before trying to remove with a bolt extractor (first try the extractor w/o the liquid nitrogen to dig in the flutes, remove the extractor and flood the glow plug socket with lots of liquid nitrogen (use a funnel) and quickly position the extractor and try). This has much less potential to cause harm and might just work.

Caution!!! If you do decide to try liquid nitrogen, be very careful as it can freeze unprotected skin instantly. Full face shield, rubber apron, and long, impermeable, insulated gloves required here!
 
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I GOT THAT POS!! REAMER OUT OF MY ENGINE:cheers::cheers:

I used a Irwin brand bolt extractor size 3/8"-10mm size. It was the smallest size of a 5 piece set I got at Lowes for 20 bucks.
 
Thanks to TALKINGHORSE43 You mentioned the bolt extractor. The reamer broke off 6.6mm above the head just enough for that thing to grab. I used a specialized glow plug impact wrench from across the pond and let it vibrate untill my trigger finger got tired then did it again and again. used Deep Creep and some heat from my propane torch.... I finally got the damn thing out!! I hope the threads are not damaged. I'm going to look up the torque for glow plugs now and go install it. Then reinstall the fuel rail and wiring harness I had to get out of the way. Thanks everybody! I'm a happy camper!!
 
The threads were bad enough that I couldn't seat the new glow plug. I got the right tap (10x1) to chase the threads. Before doing so I stole an idea from Wise tool web site and put a balled up piece of toilet paper in the glow plug hole. Just a quarter sized piece or you will have trouble getting that out. I chased the threads with the tap and then taped a small piece of poly tubing to my shop vac and sucked out the hole. I hoped the TP would get sucked out too but I had to make a tool using a BBQ skewer taped to a sewing needle bent into a small hook and fished it out. After a couple tries I got the TP out. Don't know what trouble toilet paper would do. I don't think it would last long in there. Don't drop the needle in there! I used dental floss threaded through the needle wrapped and taped the the skewer to make sure I didn't loose it.
o codes
After all this, all is well. The new glow plug seated while torqued to specified torque, and no codes!! (after plugging in the glow plug wires I forgot). WHEW!!!
 

220629

Well-known member
Here's the dreaded reamer :thumbdown:
The design doesn't appear to have a proper stop either in the form of a top shoulder above, or a suitable stop collar at the lower seal position. The seal provides the stop for the GP. the reamer looks long to me. (I can't compare to a GP though.)


158GlowPlugsTextSm.jpg

Based upon your experience and comments, it appears that anyone using a similar tool should not run the tool all the way in and expect that it will be properly stopped before binding.

Overall it does seem like a pretty poor design to me too given the aluminum body and all.

Thanks for the follow-up. :thumbup:

:2cents: vic
 
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