So, after months of deading the thought of removing my plugs I did it today.

2005 S'Crew, 5.4, auto, 47768 miles, Edge Evolution,
normally set on the "high performance" tune. Normally stick with Shell, Cheveron or BP, premium grade fuel.
Only exceptions are when towing, then the Evolution gets changed to "tow tune".

I followed the TSB. I let the engine cool to "room temperature", actually Miami temperature. I removed coil packs,
loosened all plugs 1/4 turn. I deviated from the current TSB and used Kano Kroil, aerosol, sprayed about a
2 second shot in each plug well. Placed the fluid level to the lower side of the "nut" on the plug.
I waited 1/2 hour, and started with #1 cylinder.
Removal was farly easy, very little noise. I proceeded with 3, 5, and 7.
All removed fairly easily, a small about of screeching as I removed #7.
I switched sides, removed 2, 4, and 6. Six was very stubborn, worked it and added a bit more Kroil. Eventually it camo out.
Then came #8, thought it was coming out fairly easily, on par with #7. Thought it was removed, picture 1 was all I got out,...
Busted! Drats!...see first pic below.
Decided to reconnect the battery and blow out all the cylinders of any residual Kroil.
Followed up by installing new plugs in all cylinders other than 8. Followed the TSB, coated shrouds with nickel anti-seize,
torqued to 25 lb ft of torque.
I now moved on to #8, test fitted a piece of standard "gold" wire coat hanger, taper pointed the end to about a 30 degree angle.
Overall length was about eight inches. I used some two part clear epoxy, coated the wire about 1.5 inches, and fitted it into the
center of the stuck plug.
I allowed this to dry while I installed all coil packs. Dry time was about 30 minutes, this epoxy has a
5 minute cure time, but I wanted to be sure it was dry. I eventually tried to pull the center of the plug out, no luck with that idea.
What I did do was pull the ENTIRE remaining piece of the stuck plug out!!!

See the pictures, I have tried to detail best that I could. If anyone has any questions, pm or e-mail me.

 

Wow, nice save!

 

Very nice.

I really want/need to change my plugs but I don't want to pay the dealer to do it but at the same time I don't know if I could handle the removal of a broken plug. I've changed the spark plugs on a Tahoe before so I know a decent amount of what to do but these plugs scare me.

 

They are intimidating,.......

I was going to wait over night to let the Kroil do it's magic.
I was able to wait 30 mins. Overall time before I pulled #8 was about 1.5 hour soak time.

I have wrenched on aircraft for right at 24 years, I do have a bit of experience with mechanics. But,........
I got very, very lucky!

 

aero kroil rocks,i use it at my job daily,pb blaster doesn't even compare to kroil- btw-great job!

 

i might give it a try in the spring, when it warms up a little. ive got 52000 on the 05 now. ive been working on aircraft since 1975 and this has me concerned. i can see the day going to ***** when i try this. aircraft and auto engineers never fail to amaze.

 

The coat hanger and double-bubble idea was an attempt just to remove the porcalean(SP?) to make way for the Rotundra tool. Damned if it didn't just remove the whole piece!

 

I don't see how those damn things break so easily. Good job on the plug removal man!

 

good job

 

Man what an amazing save, if 7 of my 8 wouldnt have broke it wouldve been a good day at the dealer a year ago.

Glad someone was able to work it out on their own!

 

Excellent job! Two questions: You guys that are breaking the ones at the rear of the engine, how in the world are you seeing down into the plug channels, to guide the extraction pins/tools down into that little electrode hole??? I haven't changed plugs on a 5.4L yet, but looking at the rear most plugs, it looks hard enough to even get the plug socket down there, let alone seeing what you are doing when using the extraction tools!!! Second, how hard was it to yank that electrode and porcelain out, with the coat hanger? Did it take a lot of force? Again, excellent work, and it gives me a little hope for when I do mine someday.

My truck has just under 32,000 miles, and I think, if I get the courage up this summer, I will try to replace them. I am pretty handy with fixing things, and have worked on my own vehicles for 18 years. I will definitely follow the TSB and use the aero Kroil, because that seems to have the best success rate. I will probably have the Matco tools onhand, or the homemade version of the tools, before I even begin. Then again, it is hard for me to risk such a headache of breaking off the plugs, when they are working fine at this point, and very well may work fine for another 70,000 miles. What to do, what to do....

 

I can not confirm it, but due to the limited access, I may have "helped" # 8 break. Following removing what was in the first picture, I used a 2" diameter inspection mirror and mag-light. Mirrors like this can be found at Sears.
I epoxied the wire into the remaining pirce of porcelean, in an attempt to remove it. I bent the wire ad shown, used a set of 8" vice grips, using the boss for the coil pack as a fulcrum, to pull the stuck piece from the well.

Like I said before, I got very, very lucky!

 

Very nice. Did you use the mirror when guiding the coat hanger into the porcelain? I can't imagine how to get that little wire down into that little hole, unless you can see what you are doing. Glad it worked out for you!

 

Nope,.... needed three hands.
I did it once without the epoxy to be sure I could do it.
Then I checked it with the mirror. I then epoxied the first 1.5" of the
wire, and inserted it into the hole. I did start out with the wire being straight.
It helped a great deal.

 

I can't speak for the others, but I use a combination of mirrors to peer down in the plug wells and feel. Do enough of them, you get to the point where you know what to expect and where to go.