Glow plug tip broke off while engine was running.

[Charles29er]

I have a 2005 M1123 with a 6.5 liter motor. I have a knock in the motor and removed a glow plug and the tip has broken off and apparently is in the cylinder and can not be remove from the injector hole. Has anybody else experienced this and are there any recommendation on the best way to fix this.

Thanks for any help that can be provided
Charles

 

[Mogman]

Welcome to the SS forums!!!

 

[TOBASH]

Did you try compressed air? In through glow plug hole and out through injector hole.

 

[Charles29er]

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[Mogman]

If it is truly in the cylinder then the only way is to pull the head, the injector/glow plug holes only get you to the pre-combustion cup not to the cylinder itself.
You need to pull the injector and make sure it is not in the cup, that may or may not be the knock you are hearing.
Usually when the pieces are small enough to drop into the cylinder they are chewed up and spit out the exhaust valve pretty fast.

 

[mgFray]

bits of (the previous owners) 10mm glow plug tips went through my engine. When my head gasket failed, I had to pull the heads and there were definitely flat marks on a few of the pistons. Shop wanted me to know, as well as make sure the piston hadn't hit the valves.. when I explained the condition of the glow plugs when I originally got it, we both agreed the dents were benign, replaced the gaskets and moved on...

Point being that if it's small bits, chances are it'll just "leave on it's own". If it's big bits, then ya.. bite the bullet, pull the head and get it out (or at least inspect everything).

 

[Mogman]

The "bits" have to be pretty small to get out of the pre-combustion chamber, not saying they cannot damage an engine but the likelihood you would get in there while the bits are still there are relatively small, usually the engine chews them up doing whatever damage they might inflict and are gone before you can shut down the engine, now back in 1978 I dropped a valve cover screw into the intake port of a 5.7L Detroit without knowing it while doing an IP swap and that was a different story, one reason I preach "PLUG THOSE HOLES!!"