Ground strap broke off down spark plug hole

[Infomercial]

The ground strap broke off installing a new spark plug. I tried sticking a magnet in there and got nothing. I tried cranking with no plug in the hole. It rattles around pretty fiercely when I start the engine now. Anything else I should try at this point?

 

[kschachn]

What is a ground strap and why was it near the hole during plug replacement?

 

[TCL]

What is a ground strap and why was it near the hole during plug replacement?

I think he's talking about the ground on the plug tip. How it broke off is another question.

 

[kschachn]

Oh the ground electrode?

If so, why were you messing with it and why directly over the open hole?

And that little piece of metal is rattling around “pretty fiercely”?

Just don’t drop Power Bait in to try and retrieve the other piece.

 

[Infomercial]

Yes the metal ground on the tip of the plug. I was installing the plug into the hole.

 

[Dave Sherman]

If it's copper, a magnet won't pick it up. Maybe find one of those tools that has the little grabbing claws at the end of a cable and see if you can fish it out that way? Turn the engine slowly with a wrench until the piston comes up, and hopefully you'll be able to see it.

 

[Dave Sherman]

If it's just the ground electrode from the spark plug, maybe a piece of 3/8" vinyl tubing inserted into a shop vac crevice tool would be able to suck it out. May have to use some duct tape to seal the tube to the crevice tool.

 

[kschachn]

If it's copper, a magnet won't pick it up. Maybe find one of those tools that has the little grabbing claws at the end of a cable and see if you can fish it out that way? Turn the engine slowly with a wrench until the piston comes up, and hopefully you'll be able to see it.

If he’s been trying to start the engine as stated and it’s making a fierce noise then damage is done.

 

[Chris142]

Since you already ran it just pull that plug out and start it.

 

[gathermewool]

One thing not covered in explicit detail. Don’t crank the engine over while this thing is in there. You’re just asking for trouble.

I like the shop vac idea

 

[vw7674]

wooden dowel with some grease?
there are those flexible flashlights with the neck on them if you need an angle. grease up the tip of one of those.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

The ground strap broke off installing a new spark plug. I tried sticking a magnet in there and got nothing. I tried cranking with no plug in the hole. It rattles around pretty fiercely when I start the engine now. Anything else I should try at this point?

Do not run the engine.

Get a vacuum and try to suck it out. Empty the vacuum completely so you can observe it and find it if it comes out.

You might have to get a probe type camera, they make the so you can use a wireless computer or phone screen. See if you can find it if suction does not work.

 

[CharlieJ]

A thin dowel or rod with some type of tacky putty balled on the tip, insert down the spark plug hole, stick the metal ground with the putty, and remove. Why is this so hard...

 

[PimTac]

One thing not covered in explicit detail. Don’t crank the engine over while this thing is in there. You’re just asking for trouble.

I like the shop vac idea

Dittos on the shop vac. As for the other part, it’s too late.

 

[kschachn]

I predict that next up will be how to remove putty, sticks, plastic hoses, vacuum cleaner tips, camera tips, flexible flashlight tips, dowels, magnets and grabbing tools from the cylinder.

Then how to repair a scored cylinder wall or remove an embedded ground electrode.

Can you tell us again how it broke off and what you were doing to cause it to break? And why it was directly over the 1/2" hole when it happened? It doesn't break off just from installation.

 

[Barkleymut]

I had a tough spark plug extraction once and had to basically demolish a plug to get it out...some of the porcelin and a ground strap dropped. I took a couple of cheap Bic ball point pens and taped them together, then used more duct tape to connect it to the end of a shop vac. Worked like a charm.

Don't worry about the damage you MAY have done until you solve the current problem. Once you get it out, then do a compression test.

 

[Infomercial]

Can you tell us again how it broke off and what you were doing to cause it to break? And why it was directly over the 1/2" hole when it happened? It doesn't break off

Can you tell us again how it broke off and what you were doing to cause it to break? And why it was directly over the 1/2" hole when it happened? It doesn't break off just from installation.

It seems to be something with the spark plugs hitting the piston with this engine from a YouTube video I've found. Now I'm thinking the noise is the plug itself. They get crushed like this when I pull them. It is not rattling like that without the plug removed. All of the plugs are same size as the factory set I removed.

 

[kschachn]

You mean piston, not cylinder.

Are the plugs the correct ones for the engine?

 

[PimTac]

The pistons hit the plug, not the other way around.

If that is happening then something is wrong.

 

[atikovi]

It seems to be something with the spark plugs hitting the piston with this engine from a YouTube video I've found.

Well yea, if you put in the wrong plug that can happen. Why is that such a mystery?