2003 GO glow plugs RHW engine

[MikeMaxo]

So my GV would not start at 6 am today, AA man got it started and said probably glow plugs. ...
Anyway picked 4 new ones up but can only get 3 old ones out... 4th will not budge...
Tested the 3, one is dead other two seem ok.
The new ones I got are wrong so will change tomorrow, question is would you risk busting the last one trying to get it out (2nd from back on engine) or just put 3 new ones in?

Won't even mention the amount of oil I can see around the bottom of the engine now I have looked with a torch....

[Anton]

Try soaking it with a little low viscosity oil overnight - something like WD40 that can take advantage of capillary action. A lot of people in the US make an emulsion out of automatic transmission fluid and nail polish remover - the nail polish remover is more likely to take advantage of the capillary action, and draws some ATF with it.

Although this article suggests using 90% vegetable oil and 10% acetone (nail polish remover) works exactly the same as ATF/10% Acetone.

[ROBBIE]

Anton, I used to put a bit of acetone in my veg oil for my old pug. Can't remember why but think it had something to do with cleaning carbon deposits. So if that was the idea I can see why putting that on overnight could work

[MikeMaxo]

I soaked it last night in wd40, going out now to try again. Will try to make access a bit better too
Thanks for the suggestion. Will see how I get on today.

[Anton]

Anton, I used to put a bit of acetone in my veg oil for my old pug. Can't remember why but think it had something to do with cleaning carbon deposits. So if that was the idea I can see why putting that on overnight could work

That's not even something I thought of, but good point!

The idea is that the acetone thins out the oil and makes it seep into the thread of the bolt/nut/spark plug/glow plug/whatever. It uses capillary attraction. Essentially a little oil is sucked up by the threads in the same way a sponge or cloth sucks up water (it uses the same principle of physics).

The acetone lowers the viscosity of the oil and makes it more likely to creep into a joint. Acetone/veg oil is supposedly twice as good as WD40.

But if it can also break down the gunk (and that's what acetone is famous for, after all - breaking down solids into liquids) then I can see that helping even more.

[ROBBIE]

The acetone lowers the viscosity of the oil and makes it more likely to creep into a joint. Acetone/veg oil is supposedly twice as good as WD40.

Always had to thin the veg out with something be it acetone, white spirit, petrol or kerosene