[Asterix]

Wanted to change the glow plugs. They seem to be very tight, or whatever you say, I don't want to use so much force to unscrew them. The first one I tried just turn in the thread but the glow plug doesn't come up...

Anybody aware of a method to get the darn thing out without having to take off the cylinder head...   I'm afraid it's either the glow plug that's broken inside or the threads in the cylinder head that have come loose...

[PhireSideZA]

Ai! Sorry to hear, Henning

I have no advice for you but is there a way you can tug on it while turning it, maybe it will budge?

[Asterix]

Ai! Sorry to hear, Henning

I have no advice for you but is there a way you can tug on it while turning it, maybe it will budge?

No, it's mounted pretty deep, so need to use a deep socket to unscrew the glow plug.

[Dazzler]

 

Can you magnetize the socket or put something sticky on it to help? Say a bit of silicone inside the socket then push it down on the the glowplug and leave it there for say ten minutes to cure/set a bit before pulling it back out?

 

[Phil №❶]

Oh dear, I warned people to let the dealer do it.

"There was an instance mentioned here about a glow plug disintegrating when trying to remove it. It was at a dealership I think and not easy to resolve. Be aware." 

[rustynutz]

Link doesn't work, Phil.... 

I get: AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED!
You aren't allowed to modify just any post.

[cruiserfied]

It doesn't sound good Henning.
I cant recommend much more than a bit of WD-40 or equivalent and let it soak. I haven't had it personally but have had very tight threads. I always refit with plenty of copper anti-seize.

[Phil №❶]

It appears that the stuck part in the 2012 post, was drilled through the centre and a screw extractor used to retrieve the part.

[sundiz]

All I can think of is what cruiserfied said. Put wd-40 and let it loose things couple of days. I've heard that some have used impact wrenches, but that might be a bit risky. Most diesel shops should have tools to drill and pull those plugs out without removing cylinder head. Costs a little bit, but much cheaper than removing cylinder head.

[Asterix]

Thanks guy's

I did use WD40 and I tried both with cold engine and warm engine, no luck. I did grease them with copper grease when I mounted them 4 years / 100,000 km ago.

Now my local ex-Hy dealer have the car and they said they have had the issue before and removed the plugs without removing the cylinder head, so here's me hoping for good news tomorrow...   

[Dazzler]

Everything crossed for you Henning. Hopefully no damage and minimal cost!! 

[Paolo5]

Good luck!!!!

[John B]

Eagerly waiting for the outcome , hope its a positive one.

[diesel1984]

What you need is penetrating oil not wd40, soak it for a few days and then it should be all fine.
Really cooper grease on threads can make things worse on next plug removal.

[sundiz]

What you need is penetrating oil not wd40, soak it for a few days and then it should be all fine.
Really cooper grease on threads can make things worse on next plug removal.

Would glow plug grease work better than copper grease? At least febi makes some sort of ceramic assembly grease for glow plugs. It is especially recommended for mercs. I would guess its main purpose is to get the plugs out at some point. Mercs have had lots of issues with stubborn glow plugs what i've heard.

[Asterix]

Well, popped in at the workshop after work today and the verdict is the top has to come off...

They tried different methods and even have some special tool for this scenario, but all 4 plugs have decided not to leave the threads..

Life sucks now and then. Hell, I wanted oil & coolant changed anyway..

[John B]

Unlucky. The workshop could not do it and now you know that you tried your best and did not fail. Always a positive no matter what. If like me when its all fixed and your car is running well you feel good and the cost becomes history.

[Dazzler]

Sorry to hear that Henning. Hopefully they are gentle on your pocket! 

[Paolo5]

OUCH!!!!

[Phil №❶]

Oh dear 

[PhireSideZA]

Well, popped in at the workshop after work today and the verdict is the top has to come off...

They tried different methods and even have some special tool for this scenario, but all 4 plugs have decided not to leave the threads..

Life sucks now and then. Hell, I wanted oil & coolant changed anyway..

Could they tell you why they seized? I'm not too familiar with these engines but did the thread inserts (if this engine has them) come loose or did the glow plugs seize inside the threads?

On the positive side, at least you will as you said get new coolant and oil. Maybe you could check out the valve seats and report back on their condition if you wouldn't mind? I'm sure there aren't many teardowns on these engines as they sound like they are super reliable, so see it as an opportunity to remedy anything else you can find while you have the head off.

All the best

[Asterix]

Update.

After removing the cylinder head they succeeded removing 2 glow plugs, but the last 2 won't budge. They even send the head to a specialist, who also gave up. The specialist refused to drill them out and insert a new thread (helicoil) because they can't guarantee it will be 100% ok.

Now a second hand cylinder head is ordered from a wrecker arriving late Thursday or Friday morning so won't have the car back for the weekend.

Apparently removing the head on a i30 CRDi is a big job, very time consuming, so before everything is ok again I'm facing a bill of around 4000,- AUD...    ( which is ca half the car's sales value)

[Shambles]

Faark

 

[eye30]

Wanted to change the glow plugs.

Bet you wished you had left well alone now!

[Asterix]

Wanted to change the glow plugs.

Bet you wished you had left well alone now!

Not really, it was needed...

i30 startup - YouTube

[beerman]

whats the cost of a second hand engine? Over here you can get an engine with 53k on it for $1700.

I don't know what they would cost to install though.

[Dazzler]

Far out brussell sprout! That is a terrible outcome Henning. Had you known that I guess you may have attempted to do it yourself. 

[John B]

Sorry to hear that.    Makes you wonder if the glow plugs should be removed periodically to make sure they do not seize up.

[Lakes]

Sorry to read this Henning!!
i used to have a Ford V8 3 valve per cylinder 330 cubic inch in falcon ute had alloy heads the spark plugs where deep and needed a special socket, so went out to my friends who has machine shop & engine dyno. when he went to turn them he said thread sounds dry & if he tried to get them out would strip the threads so soaked in WD40 left them to soak then got them out by first turning clockwise then anti clockwise kept that up & they came out ok friend said factory should coat with copper anti seize but they don't sounds like Hyunday the same.
saw Tim posted that too. a lot of people here & USA all had troutle with those spark plugs striping threads so i did not want to trust a dealer as some had threads strip at dealers dealer blamed the owner saying left too long & carbon on plug thread stripped it, well mine had 200,000 when we removed and the WD40 was the trick