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2005 GT broken spark plug. Dealer says the head has to be replaced.

12K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  al_1776 
#1 ·
I bit the bullet and started replacing my two piece spark plugs with 90,000 miles on the clock. 1 came out clean and the other 7 broke. I was able to extract 6 of the broken plughs, but the last one in cylinder #4 would not come out. I had it towed to a local shop with a good reputation and they couldn't get it out either. I was quoted a price of $5k to pull the head and remove the plub (machine shop, parts, oil change, coolant change, labor). This sounded to expensive to me, so I called the local Ford dealer ship and they quoted me a price of $3400. So I had the car towed there for them to work on it. I just got a call from the service rep and he said the remainder of the plug was pushed to far into the head and the head will have to be replaced. $5,500 to do the work.

My question is how much of that is accurate that the head would have to be replaced? I find it hard to believe that the broken plug can not be taken out with the head off.
 

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#2 ·
what concerns me from your pic is that #4 is just the porcelain piece. so the threaded body and ground strap/snout are still in the head. with 2651 posts, I'm sure you know your way around this car and the others you've owned. the threaded body of the plug still being in the head is not good. the extraction tool as you know needs to thread into the head to allow the removal of the broken tip. if the body has stripped the threads and wont come out then removal of the head I would think is the solution. depending on how bad the threads are and if a helicoil kit cant be used to repair, then a new head is in order. if this isn't your DD and can have it down a week or so, the head removal isn't a hard job, just tedious. while the parts are off, might as well replace the timing components, water pump, oil pump, lash adjusters, etc. I hope others will chime in. this is just my $.02. good luck
 
#5 ·
whew, at least the threads should be good. at this point, I don't think the shop has pulled the engine apart yet. what are they going on that tells them the ground strap has gone to far into the head? they cant get their removal tool to get a bite on it, just as you couldn't?
 
#6 ·
Exactly. I had the car at an independent trusted shop and they couldn't extract it either. I haven't talked to the dealership in full yet. I was in shock and awe from the $5.5k price tag they put on the repair. No clue how they determined the head couldn't be salvaged unless the tunnel the spark plug passes through into the cylinder is messed up from the extractor tool.
 
#9 ·
Welp! The dealer started the motor with that spark plug extended to far into the cylinder and ruined the motor! The service tech just called me to tell me they are putting a brand new motor in the car. Should have it back in about 2.5 weeks. Need to make sure it doesn't have 2-piece plugs in it when they put it in.

Total cost to me for a new motor installed is $5,500. That was the original quote he gave me to replace the one head.

I have an integrated dash cam in the car. I can't wait to get the car back and see what the tech did and said when he heard that death rattle in the engine.
 
#13 ·
Welp! The dealer started the motor with that spark plug extended to far into the cylinder and ruined the motor! The service tech just called me to tell me they are putting a brand new motor in the car.
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Now why would a person try to start the engine with broken spark plugs when pieces could be drawn into the cylinder. Did they think turning the engine over would blow the plugs sleeve out? Maybe the porcelain but not a steel sleeve with a hole in it. Sounds kind of irresponsible to me. I think I'd be going after them to change the affected piston and head on their dime.
 
#10 ·
Are they footing the bill for cratering your engine?
 
#11 ·
although the$5500 for the work is excessive IMHO, $5500 for a new ford engine with a warranty, well, you just can't do better then that!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!
 
#12 ·
Where are they getting a "NEW" '05 4.6 from? They found one sitting in a dusty warehouse somewhere?
I'm pretty sure it's a reman, which is alright. Is $5k the priced installed and out the door? If so I guess that's about par. Here's a reman for $3,500. So if you bought that one you'd be around $5k by the time labor was figured in.
https://www.powertrainproducts.net/Ford-Mustang-3-valve-4-6-engine-p/l4605r3m.htm
 
#17 ·
which is crazy high for a head, but not bad for the entire engine . . . I guess you have to decide if you are OK with that or if you want to argue that they should not have messed it up at all so it should be 100% on their dime
 
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#21 ·
Coyote swap is more like $10K when all is said and done and all the bills are paid. $5,500 is a lot for a head but not bad for a new 4.6 . . .
 
#22 ·
As far as your tune is concerned, I'd take your tuner to the shop and re-flash the PCM to original. Telling them about the tune and not to re-flash is great, but no guarantee that they won't accidently re-flash your PCM and you won't know until you try to adjust or return to original. Better to be safe than sorry. They wouldn't cover getting you a new tuner or pay for costs to modify your tuner.
 
#23 ·
Picked up my car last Thursday. Dealer had to put a new intake manifold on it as well as they broke mine. the only unexpected things I had to buy are a new battery and alternator. Ford alternator at $450. That hurt.
But she is quieter under the hood now and runs like brand new. The dealer installed new bolts for the header and did not have to reflash the PCM so I kept my performance tune. 3yr. warranty on the motor.

I think now is a good time to sell it since I have been thinking about it for a couple of years now.
 

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#25 ·
If the threaded part is still in the head, and the socket head is broken off, you can use an easy out and still extract it without removing the head. I am guessing though that it is not broken off, since it is not in your picture, which means that you can still put a socket on it. The bottom line is it can come out with out pulling your head.
 
#26 ·
I did not see your second post.... If the threaded part came out, a broken plug extractor tool can extract the rest of it. I have done it with only the pieces coming out that you said. The head definitely does not have to be removed. Sounds like the dealer is trying to take you to the bank...
 
#28 ·
Did you at least keep your old engine????? You could have kept that and torn it apart to sell for a pretty penny. I still think you should have just bought a new cylinder head for $500, paid some mechanic the 5-6 hours it takes to replace them and be done with it. Oh, and sue that dealership for grenading the entire engine if you got to that point. What a waste if you are selling the car man lol. If you want the best bang for your buck at this point you might as well boost that new motor.
 
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