shattered spark plug 2.7L

Returning from a road trip, my 2002 Tacoma (4x4, 2.7L, 300K) started missing and showed a trouble code of P0303. I was about 100 miles from home and was able to nurse her home despite the missing and loss of power getting progressively worse.
P0303 is a generic code for misfiring in cylinder #3.
I decided to start by changing out the plugs and ignition coils as these were the original coils and just the second set of plugs and everything was way overdue.
1,2 and 4 were no problem. #3 spark plug was shattered. The igniter was in horrible condition and all the ceramic insulation was broken and had filled in the spaces around the plug nut so that the socket was unable to go over the plug and seat on the plug nut. The ceramic seems to be fused or jammed around the base of the spark plug blocking the socket. The plugs sit about 3 or 4 inches down a narrow tube which limits access and visibility.
So far I have removed the old electrode with a magnet and tried using a dental pick to lossen up what i could of the ceramic and snag it with forceps to pull it out. I got a little of it but not enough. I wrapped duct tape around the forceps, sticky side out, and tried to fish out what I could using the adhesive. I got a little but not enough. I used a deep, thin wall 5/8" socket (not plug socket) and tapped on it with a hammer to try to break up and loosen up the ceramic around the plug. Was able to get out a bit more but the socket still will not fit over the plug sufficiently to screw it out. I have used my shop vac with a funnel on the end to get down into the hole in which the plug sits but it was unable to suck much out. Like everything else I have tried, I got a little out but not enough.
Is my only recourse to spend the next week digging bits of ceramic insulation out or is there a quicker way?
Thanks for listening.

 

That stinks. Don’t have a great answer but maybe a small punch to fit between the plug wall and plug itself to try and break it up?

 

Now might be a good time to change the valve cover and spark plug tube gaskets

 

Ive had to deal with this before on other engines, What your doing works it just takes a lot of time and patience. A very thin long flathead screw driver or pick works well to knock the pieces loose, if you have a air compressor get a long tipped blow gun and use that to try to blow them loose(make sure to wear goggles), a very strong shop vac is good to suck the bits out, make sure its got a tight seal even if you have to tape the hose to make it smaller. The worse thing you can do is to loosen the spark plug before you get all the pieces out.

Make sure you reinstall the other 3 cylinder spark plugs and coils to make sure if any bits of ceramic fly out you dont risk it falling into another cylinder.

 

Agree with the shop-vac method. Keep working the porcelain bits with a pick or small screwdriver, the finer the better. Patience & time are your friend.

 

You are on the right path I think.

Persistance is the key, and remembering you are smarter than the plug.

After all, you have opposable thumbs.

Below is the successful result in my most recent lesson in persistance

(Not a vehicle part, but over an hour fixing someone else's ham fisted work)

 

Patience....I sure could use a lot more of that. Progress is being made with slow chipping with a long shank very small flat head screwdriver and blowing out with compressed air. I'm afraid I might be rounding off the plug nut despite trying to be careful of placement. Time will tell.
Two questions about two different scenarios.
First, if I can get a socket on the plug do you think I can take it out one turn at a time with turning the engine over between turns of the plug to blow out the crap on the compression stroke? So turn the plug one turn, crank the engine, stop and repeat until plug is out.
Second, if I have screwed up the plug nut beyond redemption, is there such a thing as a long shank easy out that might be used on the plug?
I have had all the mechanicing fun I can stand for one day, so thanks everyone for you responses, they really helped. Tomorrow is another day.

 

So if you have a compressor put a long blow nozzle, the really long skinny like a straw. Blow high pressure in and around the plug to see if the pieces will bounce around and suck up with the shop vac attachment at the same time. DO NOT remove the plug till the pieces are out so they don’t fall down in the cylinder.

 

Long reach / double jointed needle nose pliers helped me so much when I had a spark plug boot melt over the plug and create a similar situation. The second joint allows you to open them inside the spark plug tube. I think I was at it for 2-3 hours but eventually it did work.

 

Time for an engine teardown. You can use this opportunity to replace all the replaceables and worn parts. That way you can get another 20 years out of the truck

 

Oh, and when you have maxed out your patience, get away from it and do something else-- take a sanity break.

 

Wanted to put this up here. I recently came across this spark plug removal tool which is perfect for our trucks. This makes changing our plugs super easy.
swivel and magnetic.

https://amzn.to/3e8xPPu

 

Try wrapping something sticky e.g. duct tape, around a long screwdriver.

 

Maybe get an inspection camera from ebay so you can see in there.

Example:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2647975599...MIiM2b7aTM-gIVSFtyCh0ZwAYLEAQYASABEgIAaPD_BwE