Hey,

So I decided to work on my back four spark plugs. Things went bad, for some reason, and 3 out of four of them broke. I used my Lisle Tool to successfully remove the back two on the passenger side, but it wouldn't pull the one from the driver side rear. It got most of the fourth thread into the shell, but then it felt like I was turning a screw in a stripped thread. When I go to pull it, nothing comes out, just the puller and shaft. There's very little room in there and my hands have seen better days.

I need my truck ASAP and can't really afford a trip to a mechanic. I can't even get the second spark plug from the back on the driver's side. I can't tell if there's a rock or something down there, but my socket won't get a grip on the spark plug. I do have the Rotunda tool, as well, but I don't have anything to use on the threading tool and there's definitely still porcelain down in the shell (which, of course, the Lisle tool has compacted into the base, now).

Does anybody have ideas? Any ideas at all? I was hoping to get this finished up today because I'm back to work tomorrow. I've stopped for the moment because I was getting rather pissed off with nothing working.

 

Anyone? Don't mean to be pushy, just need some help and suggestions.

 

make sure the porcelain is pushed down plenty far, so you get enough thread engagement. my first plug, i didn't push it in far enough and pull the treads. pushed the porcelain some more and was able to get enough threads to pull it. you need to get the broken porcelain chips out [from the pusher]to make room for the tap. small hose on a shop vac works real good. the s.s. threaded part of the plugs also seperated from the porcelain. used needle nose pliers to get them out. WHAT A PAIN!!!

 

I finally managed to get #7 changed (oddly enough it came out unbroken). #8 is still fighting me, though. I've got the top of the porcelain out and the thread, it's just the base stuck. The Lisle tool isn't working and now the tap from the Rotunda tool is stuck down there. I'm getting seriously testy and I was supposed to be at work 5 minutes ago. This one spark plug I've been working for a combined 7 hours on (2 last night and 5 today).

 

UPDATE: Ok so FINALLY #8 comes out. After about 10 attempts with the Lisle tool and numerous drownings in Carb Cleaner I pulled out a crowbar. I think part of the problem was I couldn't get enough downward pressure on the ratchet and for some reason the removal tool wasn't digging in. So we put the crowbar between the firewall and the ratchet and my dad used it to push down on the ratchet. I finally felt it really dig in and came to a stop after a few good turns. The second bolt pulled it quite effectively, at that point.

So, out of eight spark plugs, three broke and five were ok. The crud on cylinders 3, 4 and 8 was disgusting, even after some 15,000 kms on high quality gasoline. Ah well, the deed is done and I'm feeling a lot of satisfaction that I was able to do it, rather than take it in to get it done. I figure the front four took about 2 hours and 3/4/7 took an additional 2 hours. #8 on its own took about 9 hours. All that fear and procrastination and it was relatively painless, except for that one.

Cheers!

 

Good job! Congrats!

 

Yea see my luck isn't that good, sure enough all of mine would break or something would go wrong....I need to get mine done, I am at 119,000 and still have never been changed.

 

Thanks!

"I need to get the Lisle tool!", say that, rinse, repeat. That tool was the lifesaver, though be prepared for a couple of the threads to degrade. Part of my problem with the Lisle tool was that the second and third threads degraded to still working, but not as effectively. The first thread was only around half the circle and, I'm guessing, got pushed off to the side. The crowbar was key, here, because it gave enough downward force for the fourth thread to grab on to the piece that was stuck.

 

How much does the tool cost?

 

Amazon has it for 55 bucks, but there could be better prices if you shop around.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-LIS65600...6270276&sr=8-1

 

9,000 miles on a 2005 truck and they were that corroded ? wow

 

"I need to get the Lisle tool!", say that, rinse, repeat. That tool was the lifesaver, though be prepared for a couple of the threads to degrade. Part of my problem with the Lisle tool was that the second and third threads degraded to still working, but not as effectively. The first thread was only around half the circle and, I'm guessing, got pushed off to the side. The crowbar was key, here, because it gave enough downward force for the fourth thread to grab on to the piece that was stuck.[/QUOTE]

I just ordered my tool. Stealer wanted 450 to start and 50 per broken plug. No way!

 

Thanks Ford!!

 

Awesome buddy! How long have the plugs been in there? 2 times I pulled and both times the plugs were just discoulored but no carbon on them, but i run 91 all the time, wonder if that has anything to do with it too.

 

I had roughly 127,000 kms (80,000 miles). The gap on the plugs had doubled and I was down to about 8-10 mi/US gallon (on mid-grade fuel). After changing the front four, my mileage jumped to average about 11-13 mi/US gallon on regular grade gasoline. Haven't filled up since I changed the back four, so I guess we'll see. I wouldn't mind my average fuel expenditures going down a little.