120k Miles on my 07 GT. Been putting this off forever due to fear but finally broke down and dove in this weekend. Using the Champion 1 piece. I let the engine cool down Friday after work then I cracked each plug 1/8 turn at most and hosed them down with PB blaster and let soak overnight. Saturday morning I worked them out 1 by 1, using more blaster if I felt uncomfortable. Broke the 1st and last plug. Went to O'reiley's and bought the stupid extractor tool. So the tool got the 1st one out but it busted the electrode shield off and into the cylinder along with a small piece of porcelain. The shield came off in 3 pieces. I have 1 and know the size of the other 2 which are very small. Same thing on the second plug, despite my best efforts to avoid that outcome. I will say that on this second broke plug it busted the shield open but not off, just a small frag of porcelain. Not too worried about this one.

What I did to retrieve the pieces:
Shop vac with a 1/2" pvc tube on the end shoved down in the cylinder. No luck. Did not expect that. Got a highly magnetic rod which also did not work. Turns out those pieces arent magnetic. Put very stick tape on the end of that rod and fished. Still nothing. More attempts to vacuum. Nada.

I feel I've exhausted all known extraction methods so back together the car went and I started it up. Idles just fine for the 5 min I let it sit to blow out the PB blaster. I'm hoping and praying it just blows the small pieces out the exhaust. What an awesome weekend!

 

That sucks! So a piece of the metal shield stayed in the cylinder? I never heard of the metal part breaking into pieces.

If this ever happens to me, i'll use my usb mini cam to locate the piece, then try to grab it with something sticky on the end of a coat hanger.

The shop vac might have worked if you had brought that cylinder to top dead center before trying or did you do that.?

 

Yeah the sides of the shield fell in. I'm hoping they have blew out by now. I took the filter out of the shop vac and made sure it was clean before vac'ing it out. I found nothing inside afterwards. Plus I used clear tubing so I could see if anything came through, and I didn't.

No one I know has a bore scope unfortunately. Gonna have to sweat this one for awhile I guess. If it doesn't start smoking in the immediate future I'll start relaxing.

Edit: I didnt try bringing the piston TDC, but it wasnt down too far to begin with. The hose bottomed out after like 2 inches.

 

I broke three pulling them at 82k. One of the worst experiences of my life. The grinding noise, the porcelain chips and dust, shop vacs and air compressors. I actually used a chop stick, fondue skewer, and a drinking straw in the process. The engineer that came up with this design should spend their days in hell with a Lisle tool up his a$$.

 

Ouch, I hope it doesn't do any damage man.. I learned the hard way by breaking off a piece of porcelain into the cylinder and thinking it wont do anything (small small piece).. And I was wrong, it must have caught just right and ended up needing a new head. This wasn't a Mustang by the way..

 

I thought you were using a hose the size of the spark plug hole. The reason for bringing that cylinder to TDC is so both valves are closed and you get good vacuum. I'd be more worried about it damaging the valves seat on the way out, than it damaging the pistons, rings or cylinder wall.

 

10 days since the incident. 70miles driven per day. No issues so far. I assume I'm good to go. Pretty scary, though.

 

These motors are tough.

 

If something was gonna happen you would think it would have happened by now. Good luck.

 

Thanks Man. I've pretty much put it out of my mind at this point. I should probably buy a lottery ticket too. lol.