Swelled up glow plugs...extractor tools??..other tricks??

[diesel4me]

Got some glow plugs on my "new" 85 Suburban that'll unscrew,but refuse to come out ,probably the tips swelled up--my '82 K2500 has one I never could get out all the way too,and for fear of breaking it off,I left it in it,and settled for 7 out of 8 new ones..this burb has A/C and its ten times worse getting to the glow plugs than my pickup is without it--I seem to recall seeing a tool that extracts stuck glow plugs mentioned here long ago,anyone use one with any success?..

I cant really take the injector out of either truck if I do break a tip off,because the lines are crusty and will not survive being disturbed...this sucks...
.

 

[mtnman]

Loosen them, start engine, DUCK AND COVER!!!!
seriously, I have done this on 7.3 Fords and an old Cat 3406

 

[bigblock72]

Loosen them, start engine, DUCK AND COVER!!!!
seriously, I have done this on 7.3 Fords and an old Cat 3406

X2. I put a heavy rug over the motor to slow the offending glow plugs before they put a hole in the hood or your head.

I don't know of any other way to get them out without risking breaking off the end in the motor.

 

[diesel4me]

I did some googling and found a few "glow plug extractors" that "might" help,one in particular that traps the glow plug and a shell threads over that part and eventually bottoms out on the head and "pulls" it straight out,without spinning it..bummer is it costs 110 bucks,more than a set of 8 glow plugs do!..the OTC tools are not much more than a split nut,that works much the same way,BUT you must turn the glow plug while its being "pulled",and I would tend to think that would greatly increase the chances of it snapping off in the head,versus a straight pull..

I'm leery of using the "blowout" method,but it might come to that..its WAY too cold to be outdoors today,its only 15 degrees with a 40+ mph gusty wind for the next few days here..I'll stay inside,thank you!..

 

[6.2Blazer]

When I replaced the original plugs on mine several were swollen. I don't know if the amount they were swollen was average, less, more, etc... in regards to how hard they were to remove. Several of them I had to twist back and forth while pulling on them for several minutes before they came out. Maybe I was just lucky but they all came out without breaking, and this was years ago before I ever heard of swollen glow plugs.