so i tried doing it, couldn't do it, thought it was just me

took it to a (waubonsee) communty college (number one auto tech program in the nation) they couldn't get them loose said the car was poorly maintained and they don't wanna strip it

(and thats great saying i was told when i bought the car 3 months ago that the engine was rebuilt with only 60k mi on it, i'm a dumbass)

so, how can i get these suckers loose

or if i took it to a garage would they take care of it for me?

i was told 65 bucks by one garage to change my wires and plugs, but is that price gonna skyrocket if they strip a plug, or can they not do that

HELP!!!!

modern spark plugs last a long time . if the engine is running ok , just leave them alone and drive the car the way it is .fix em with a motor swap when that engine dies .

Buy a can of PB Blaster. Soak the plugs down a LOT. Make sure that there is no sludge or dirt around the plug.
You want a good pool of the stuff sitting down there in the plug recess.

Leave it sit for several hours that way.

I have also started and run a car until the heads had warmed up pretty good, and then pulled the plugs that way. Once the engine reaches temp, the heads expand, and you should be able to gently pull the plugs...

Do NOT try that last one on Aluminum heads.

the spark plugs do sit in pockets, so it is easy to soak them with PB Blaster/WD-40/whatever you choose.

but - overall - only 2 choices - leave 'em OR try to get 'em out. its rare to strip them. but, it is a nightmare if you do.

just make sure the socket is fully on & square, get a nice breaker bar on, and heave-ho.

Yea, soak em even overnite with PB. Ive seen some you could break loose by moving them tighter slightly first, then backing them out. Most important is make sure you got a good 6 point socket and its on fully and straight before you pull. If the plug itself breaks, its a PITA, but still doable getting the remains out.

get a big pipe and put it on the end of your wrench they should next to fall off.

If its running fine then I suggest you just leave them. I had a stubborn O2 sensor and fought with it for a few hours trying to get it out, ended up stripping the socket, I had to take off the exhaust manifold and then weld a nut on it. Cast Iron is not fun to tap new threads into. It ended up working out but would have been less trouble to not mess with.

quote Originally posted by Ace McCloud: get a big pipe and put it on the end of your wrench they should next to fall off.

my favorite "ratchet" extension is using the top half of my floor jack shaft. I lost the screw that holds the 2 together, so its just sitting there anyways. slides right over the ratchet handle nicely.

You want to try to remove them while the engine is still warm. Let the car warm up, drive it a couple of miles and remove the plugs directly after. The idea behind this is that, as the heads get hotter, they will expand - hopefully enlarging the plug hole just enough to be able to break them loose without any damage.

Carefull - things will be hot!

If you do get them out, make sure you apply some anti-seize compound on the new ones before you install them. It will make taking them out a lot easier the next time.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 11-27-2007).]

Which ones are you haveing trouble with?Use a breaker bar on the easy ones (V6) closest to you.Don't worrie if you brake the porcilan head off,you can still get them out.As for the side under the window,it's a little more difficult,because your working in reverse,so your going to have to stand in the trunk and lean over the engine.It might help if you wear gloves so you don't end up with a knucle buster.An easey way to rember,which way to turn is...Righty Tighty...Lefty Loosey.

[This message has been edited by James Bond 007 (edited 11-27-2007).]

After 50K miles and eight years, I took about three weeks to get the plugs out on my 88. Lots of PB blaster and other penetrating oils. The let them sit, more oil and time. The ones on the firewall side were the hardest. I removed the deck lid and climbed into the trunk to reach those plugs. I never put too much torque on them as I didn't want to snap anything. They did finally come out and when replaced I used anti sieze compound on the threads.

Its sooo much easier lying under the car to get to the plugs under the back window. That way they are the right way.

To gain more access (depending how old your engine bushings are) you can get a ratcheting bar clamp, and put one end in the space at the upper intake, and the other side in the trunk, then ratchet and the engine will pull to the back, maybe even enough to significantly make a difference.

REMOVE THE DOGBONE BEFORE DOING THIS

Like I said about the busings, I tried it once on a car with a brand new engine mount, and it only moved an inch.

quote Originally posted by wftb: modern spark plugs last a long time . if the engine is running ok , just leave them alone and drive the car the way it is .fix em with a motor swap when that engine dies .

Exactly what I'm doing in a few weeks.

Ryan