'99 E300 Glowplug Change-Only 1 Stuck - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

SpeedRacer · #31 01-05-2007, 12:07 PM

Bio - my camera was dead when I went to take the picture, but here are the links above for the two different extractors that work. My mechanic who I borrowed them from, said he purchased each set for about $30 off ebay. But these work.

nhdoc, when I went to get this info for bio, my mechanic recommended trying the same thing, said it had worked for him in the past, so I will try.

My mechanic also told me straight up, do not try pull the head myself, take it to a shop. Said he did these type once and swore he would never ever do one again. Told me where to take it to get it done, so I am off to haul it down to this shop. This guy owns a fairly decent size shop, and all they do is work on diesels, so I trust that he telling me straight.

Will update yall on the price of this wonderful endeavor.

Thanks,

Sorry, just tired the MacTools link, it defaults you to the home page, the tool is a 25SE.

kerry · #32 01-05-2007, 12:22 PM

Anyone tried this technique which I found by searching on google:

" I don't know where to get it, but nitric acid will eat the steel bolt and not touch the aluminum. It will also eat flesh, lungs, clothes and the like.

" The nitric acid should work. The anodizing process uses acid, often chromic, phosphoric, boric or sulfuric acid. I once had some aluminum parts made for a project at work (I'm an engineer in the aerospace industry) and the mechanic who built them thought he could save some time by installing helicoils before he sent them to the anodize shop. When they came back, the helicoils were gone. The acid in the anodize tank ate them clean away.

MadSci Network: Chemistry Query:
Re: Which chemical will disolve steel?

Date: Mon Jan 3 11:31:16 2000
Posted By: Joseph Weeks, President, Thermal Products, Inc.
Area of science: Chemistry
ID: 943033523.Ch
Message:
There are two considerations in attempting to dissolve one metal in intimate contact with another. The first is their relatively solubility in different solvents or acids. The second is their relative position in the electromotive series.

Steel is iron with about 0.6% dispersed carbon. So for the sake of evaluating solubility, we can assume that it is iron. When I look in the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (CRC Press), I see that iron is soluble in acids, insoluble in alkali, alcohol, and ether. Aluminum, according to the same reference, is soluble in alkali, HCl, H2SO4, but it is insoluble in concentrated nitric acid, HNO3. So it looks like concentrated nitric acid could dissolve the iron without dissolving the aluminum. If I look on the electromotive series, however, I see that aluminum is more reactive than iron, so there is a chance that the aluminum might attempt to dissolve to electrochemically protect the iron. Here is an example where you will need to run an experiment to determine if the iron can be dissolved, leaving the aluminum.

Another place to verify if nitric acid will selectively dissolve the iron is to talk to those who are in the business of chemical etching or anodizing. Aluminum parts which are in the process of being anodized are first etched in a basic solution of sodium hydroxide. After coming out of the etching solution, the surface of the aluminum is coated with a thin layer of iron and other alloying agents. This black film is called smut. And smut is removed by dipping the parts in a 50% solution of nitric acid in water. So give it a try and see if it works. Please be careful, however. Anything that can etch metal can do a real number on your skin!

Maybe if someone has an old aluminum head hanging around, along with some Nitric acid, they could screw in the glow plug or spark plug, build a little dam around it and experiment with the Nitric acid.

What we really need is an initial technique to break the threads free before the plug breaks.
Has anyone tried warming up the engine and then putting a chunk of dry ice on the plug to try to shrink it away from the aluminum? Or is this impossible because it takes too long to get the intake manifold off?

aklim · #33 01-05-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry edwards

Has anyone tried warming up the engine and then putting a chunk of dry ice on the plug to try to shrink it away from the aluminum? Or is this impossible because it takes too long to get the intake manifold off?

You can run it with the manifold off. Been there, done that.

nhdoc · #34 01-05-2007, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

You can run it with the manifold off. Been there, done that.

Yes, you can do it, it will throw some smoke in the air so you don't want to stand over it when it starts up...and also it will trip a CEL, at least on the turbo engines it will because the EGR will not be working right without the IM on, but you just need to reset it once the manifold it back and all will be in order again.

BioPOWER · #35 01-05-2007, 08:36 PM

Thanks a million guys, here's an update:
Put 5 new glowplugs in (used antiseize), sealed everything up, put IM back on, took it for a drive. Still has all its old punch, definately firing on all six cyinders. #4 bad GP is still in there, has a little hole drilled in for the easyout but the threads still hold, and thus no loss in compression. Glowplug light does not come back on after engine start (good), CEL remains on..I'll fix that soon. This morning from dead cold it started much easier than on two working GPs, fired on five cylinders for ~5sec and then smoothed out. With two GPs I had to crank it twice and floor it. Sac is cold enough in the winter to require glowplugs.

At this point I'm gonna go with Parrot's Option 2, I definately feel this one can come out...none of my other 5 had any problems at all. Tonight I'll soak it in PB Blaster and tomorrow I'm taking it to my MB diesel tech to see if he can help twisting it out with an impact wrench.

The car is running fine, everything is bolted up and the threads on No. 4 are holding....I could definatey leave it in there but I would just like to do this the right way and get that bugger out.

TMAllison · #36 01-05-2007, 10:06 PM

Impact wrench is pretty strong and will probably just spin the extractor or break it....the OE torque is only 27nm i think. I like Marty's suggestion of using an electric drill in reverse with teh clutch set down at a low setting frist and tehn gradually increasing the torque as needed.

You could always use the impact wrench afterwards if that didnt work.....

BioPOWER · #37 01-06-2007, 01:06 AM

I'll see what my tech can do. Removing this plug is some serious work...not just like fooling around with the IM and shutoff valve o-ring or fan clutch...it's either I get that thing out in one piece or the head comes off. I'd rather leave it to the trained tech.

McCool300TD · #38 01-06-2007, 06:36 AM

Hi

BioPower, give it serious thought about leaving it the way it is. I know if it was me i would want to try and fix it and have it right. But it could all go belly up if your not careful.

McCool300TD