Help! I'm having a nightmare, I've spent most of the afternoon changing the glow plugs. Fitted 3 out of 4, the 4th nearest the timing belt is a wench without the inlet manifold off. When I fitted the first glow plug, the one nearest the oil filter, it didn't seem to want to bite as it got near its correct fitting depth, so I decided to move on and see what the others did, all okay so far. I then ran the car with 3 new plugs in (1st plug still being iffy) and it ran okay, I then decided to remove plug 1 again as it just didn't feel right, to my horror the outside casing of the plug came out (with little alloy spacer and plastic seal) but the plug core remained in the engine. I've since tried to use spacers and a nut to "pull" the core out but no luck.

What can hold a plug core in place in the engine? Anyone had this before and fixed it?

I've not over tightened the plugs as I know they should have 8ft lb so not much at all really but this plug (genunine ford) just didn't feel right from the start. I've looked at the 3 old plugs and tried unscrewing the small alloy spacer, it rotates but wont unscrew up the plug core thread, something must be wrong with that new plug as this spacer had a screw thread and seems to of come undone.

Help! I'm having a nightmare, I've spent most of the afternoon changing the glow plugs. Fitted 3 out of 4, the 4th nearest the timing belt is a wench without the inlet manifold off. When I fitted the first glow plug, the one nearest the oil filter, it didn't seem to want to bite as it got near its correct fitting depth, so I decided to move on and see what the others did, all okay so far. I then ran the car with 3 new plugs in (1st plug still being iffy) and it ran okay, I then decided to remove plug 1 again as it just didn't feel right, to my horror the outside casing of the plug came out (with little alloy spacer and plastic seal) but the plug core remained in the engine. I've since tried to use spacers and a nut to "pull" the core out but no luck.

What can hold a plug core in place in the engine? Anyone had this before and fixed it?

I've not over tightened the plugs as I know they should have 8ft lb so not much at all really but this plug (genunine ford) just didn't feel right from the start. I've looked at the 3 old plugs and tried unscrewing the small alloy spacer, it rotates but wont unscrew up the plug core thread, something must be wrong with that new plug as this spacer had a screw thread and seems to of come undone.

I've looked at the plugs again, old and new and cant see what can hold just the core of the plug in place? Perhaps it just needs a little more encouragement to come out, then I can fit a replacement plug again...I also wonder if I should just screw the outer casing back in and bolt it all up/forget it, then see what she runs like. Anyone know what the plug core might stick on inside the engine?