Sparkplug, too rusty to replace?

[BiggerZ]

Engine displaying signs of worn spark plugs so decided to replace, pulled off the HT leads to find bright red rust flakes in the spark plug wells, sprayed with penetrating fluid and had a bit of a clean with a rag and hoover but still looks like it’s been pulled from the bottom of the North Sea . Do you think I should still have a go at replacing or take straight to garage?
I can’t post a photo for 14 days as I’m new to the forum

[bennno]

BiggerZ said:

Engine displaying signs of worn spark plugs so decided to replace, pulled off the HT leads to find bright red rust flakes in the spark plug wells, sprayed with penetrating fluid and had a bit of a clean with a rag and hoover but still looks like it s been pulled from the bottom of the North Sea . Do you think I should still have a go at replacing or take straight to garage?
I can t post a photo for 14 days as I m new to the forum

A garage would probably blow out any loose bits with an air hose, perhaps try a can of compressed air

[steveo3002]

run the engine up to full temp and attempt to move them when hot

[E-bmw]

They will almost certainly be fine, the rust will be from water at the top of the plugs & likely can't get in between the threads.

I would definitely try again to get all debris out first or it could end up in the cylinder though.

Only a proper air line will manage to blast this well enough.

[catso]

E-bmw said:

They will almost certainly be fine, the rust will be from water at the top of the plugs & likely can't get in between the threads.

I would definitely try again to get all debris out first or it could end up in the cylinder though.

Only a proper air line will manage to blast this well enough.

As above, make sure you get the loose crud out before removing the plug or it will end up in the cylinder.

My Son had a Clio on which the right side scuttle vent would block with leaves etc. and then rain water would overflow onto the engine where it would pool on the cylinder head around the first spark plug hole, into which some would seep.

First noticed when it developed a misfire due to the plug recess being full of water and the plug was rusty and the coilpack dodgy.

As long as it's not really corroded there should be enough left of the plug to get a socket onto but avoid getting debris into the cylinder at all costs - airline is the best way but if you've not got one a thin pipe on a (powerful) vacuum cleaner might work?

[Panamax]

catso said:

airline is the best way but if you've not got one a thin pipe on a (powerful) vacuum cleaner might work?

or just drive to your local petrol station and blow it out with the tyre inflator. A nice hot engine when you get home might help as well.

[Smint]

Make sure your plug spanner is a snug fit and keep the socket and ratchet dead straight as you attempt to loosen it.

With a poor quality plug spanner especially if access is restricted its too easy to break the porcelain insulator if the plug is really tight, once that happens the plug is scrap and its got to be replaced, if its seized that hard in place you can in extreme circumstances end up with the head having to be removed and the plug drilled out, this happened to me once because a now gone out of business cowboy garage charged for supplying and fitting new Iridium plugs several years previously when they converted the car to LPG, this wasn't done hence they'd been in situ for anything up to 10 years.

[E-bmw]

Panamax said:

catso said:

airline is the best way but if you've not got one a thin pipe on a (powerful) vacuum cleaner might work?

or just drive to your local petrol station and blow it out with the tyre inflator. A nice hot engine when you get home might help as well.

Sadly, a modern tyre inflator will get nothing out as the nozzle isn't narrow enough.