Allright, here's the problem. Today I was putting in my TP Ignition package. Everything was going great until I got to the 3rd sparkplug back on the passenger side. The damn thing won't come out. I tried everything. Rotating the socket and tapping it with a hammer, yelling, cursing, etc. Everytime I would bring the socket out the bottom of it would be covered in dirt, grease, grime, etc. Any ideas? I just skipped that plug and did the rest, along with the wires. It's still running good....

 

Engine degreaser?

 

A friend of mine and myself changed plugs in a 98 4.6 and we had one stuck the same way. I came up with a very unorthodox way of getting it out. The muck that was down in the plug hole was like concrete. It was packed clear up above the hex on the plug. We tried gumout,degreaser,compressed air you name it nothing worked so we took a cheapy 5/8 spark plug and cut (ground) notches or "teeth" in the bottom of the cheapy plug socket. Using moderate pressure by pushing on the ratchet the socket cut through the muck a little at a time until it finally bit on the plug. We removed the socket from the hole and blew as much dirt out as we could before we took the plug all the way out of the hole. Hope this helps and Good luck.

 

try some Classic Coke soda pop- dont laugh, it might work.

 

Tomlin, I think I might have to give that a try, we're gonna try compressed air tomorrow. And I'm a little leary of dumping soda pop into my engine, wouldn't that hydrolock it? And I don't really think engine degreaser would help me in this situation, but maybe if I let it soak for a while and try what Tomlin said.

 

i think tobin meant to pour some coke to clean up the grease around the plug.

hydrolocking happens after a good amount of liquid gets into the combustion chamber and the compression stroke (all valves closed) attempts to compress the liquid/air/fuel mixture. water isn't as compressable as air so something has to give....piston, rod, HG, etc...

 

I realize that, but I'm guessing that you have never seen where the sparkplugs are on the 4.6. They're down inside a hole would be the best way to put it. Dumping anything like coke down into that hole would get into the cylinder as soon as the spark plug would get out.

 

Pour the Coke in, let it sit, use compressed air to blow out the coke/gunk.

 

I thought about trying that, but at the moment I don't have a source for compressed air, but I'm working on it.... Would one of those cans of air for the computer work? Or would it not be enough pressure?

 

It depends on what all is in there, but I would try to get something stronger.

 

I'm working on it........ :o

 

I had a similar problem with several plugs on my '97 4.6L. I had to break up the rust and crud with a screw driver and then blow the hole clean with compressed air. The OEM plugs weren't platinum plated on the outside so they pretty much rusted into dust. There wasn't much left for the socket to grab onto. One plug, in particular, required a shot of PB Blaster to set it free.

 

It's not rusted in there, when you take the socket out you can see the dirt/crud on it.