This sucks. Broken spark plug

[forcedboost]

Hey guys. Well I just intalled my ghl after my car sat for almost 5 weeks. Took it out for a test drive and it pulled well but on my way back it was misfiring like ass and making knocking sounds. Car threw a code p0303 which is misfire cyl 3. So I check the plug in that cyl and the god damn ground electrode (the L shape part) was broken off! completely gone! I was like wtf! And it didn't look like it was due to detonation. I know deto on plugs and this wasnt it. it was cleanly broken off like just a clean snap. I never checked my plugs since I bought the car since ive only had it a few months. and only put maybe 500 miles on the car since ive had it. So the metal piece was causing the knocking sound but Im not really sure if it was pounding around in my cyl , or a valve was chipping away at it. I figure it would have blown out pretty quick and into my turbo where it probably chipped a few blades. Well directly after I pulled the plug out I instantly grabbed my magnet on a stick and went metal hunting in the cylinder. Found some dust here and there but no chunks. Then without plugs in the head i cranked the engine to let any debris blow out. Replaced the plugs and started her up. runs perfect now. NO loss of power and no audible problems. All in all I just hope I didn't chip any valves so Im gonna do a compression and a leak down test as soon as I can and if I pass those i'll consider myself very lucky. I dont really care if I chew up the turbo, I'll just upgrade if anything, but im not looking to pull the head for some time. Im wondering if the previous owner gapped the hell out of these plugs or something and weakened the electrode. BTW these plugs that failed were ngk bkr7e.

 

[randyscycle]

I've seen electrodes break off before. Probably just a manufacturing defect. Nobody's perfect. I once pulled a plug out of the box with no threads on it!

Usually the ground electrode is small enough that it won't do any damage and goes out the tailpipe. If it runs OK and doesn't miss or make any noises, I'd say drive it. Valves don't chip. If there were a valve problem you'd have a miss for sure. I doubt it did anything to the turbo either, because it most likely went out so quickly.

Consider yourself lucky!

 

[orng1]

If it were me I'd start pulling stuff apart but I'm just paranoid about my car. Yeah consider yourself lucky, you still got a well running car.

 

[forcedboost]

Yea I normally would have just decided to screw it and pull the head, inspect everything and throw it back together with internals. haha. but thats a little extreme since it seems to run ok.

 

[Maxx Mazda]

A T-25 can spin over 60,000 RPM. ANY defect in one blade at that RPM will cause failure down the road. If it's unbalanced, you can blow your bearings in a hurry. Have the turbo checked.