64cv

Spark plug came apart using the Lisle tool and a piece dropped into the cylinder. I need to remove the head to get it out but going over the procedure, the shop manual talks about moving the crank to 12:00 then 6:00. I don't want to move the crank until I get the junk out of the cylinder. What will go wrong if I remove the heads with the current crank position? Looks like I just need to remove different valve followers. When reassembling I just need to set up the timing with all the marks, right?

ghunt

I think they say to do that because that way you don't necessarily have to redo the entire timing setup. You could just remove the head, and reset the timing later, but generally you have to remove all the followers to do that otherwise there's a risk of a valve hitting a piston and bending at some point while trying to get everything lined up correctly. Plus, the spring tensioner on the followers makes the cam want to "snap" to certain positions and makes lining up the marks pretty difficult.

bl817

was the small piece metal or porcelain? I would try to use a small flexible tube adapted to a shopvac or a small magnet retrieval tool. id almost try turning the car upside down before cracking into the motor. but..... if it comes to having to remove the head, might as well replace all the timing pieces i.e. phasers, chains, guides, tensioners, Melling oil pump, etc so you know its done. good luck

jwog666

turning the crank by hand even with the piece in the cylinder wont damage anything, now turning it a 900 rpm will cause damage. lol how big is the piece that fell in?, is it metal or the porceline? i have changed a ton of these plugs and it always seems like you get a bit of the ceramic in the cylinder, but its so small in size and doesnt cause any damage if ignored. when i say small, i mean little chips before anybody comes on and flames

64cv

The piece that came off is a 1/4" piece of the metal spark plug strap. It's non-ferrous (maybe aluminium?) so I can't fish it out with a magnet. The shop vac is a good idea; have to figure out a way to see it come out before it disappears into the vac so I know whether or not it actually comes out. Really don't want to crack open the engine but I've got all the parts and tools now. ($500 worth) but I can get a refund for most of it. I've done Toyota timing belts and Chevy cylinder heads before but nothing on a modular Ford.

One of the spark plugs on the other side won't come out either even with the special tool; couldn't get a bite with the threads. I know there's a way to work that a little more with glue/loctite/epoxy or something to try again to get a bite for the extractor.

Thanks for the ideas.

bl817

use an empty shop vac.

P51C

Easy, get a reducer for the shopvac, they usually sell them to blow up kids toys. flexible hose on that, stretch a light cheescloth or a couple layers of women's pant hose over the end of thebig pipe and install the reducer. Still plenty of airflow and it'll catch the foreign object easily.

64cv

Vacuuming out the piece didn't work. Didn't want to crack open the engine but did. Pulled the heads, retrieved the spark plug remnants and put everything back together. Major PITA. Engine in the car; didn't pull the engine to pull the heads. Other deviations from the shop manual: 1) didn't remove crank seal, 2) didn't remove exhaust manifolds, left them on the heads and instead removed the two catalytic converter bolts, 3) didn't remove the camshafts, left them on. Spent a lot of time thinking through valve timing, removing valve followers, putting chains back on; it was all well worth the time. Engine runs great with new spark plugs. Thanks for all of your posts.

bl817

pics of what you pulled out of they cylinders? sounds like PITA for sure. glad your back up and running.