I get under my car today, going to try to pull my spark plugs and see why the car won't turn over. I was told that you could pull the 2 bottom spark plugs, and then unplug the coils and try to turn the car over. And it would blow all of the old crap out. Well, I get under there today and unplug the wires and i put them to their sides so that i wouldn't get confused which wire was which. Well with out thinking I pushed them both up and it moved them. Now i have no clue where they used to go. Which side does the white strip go on?

And another thing. Why in the world would it be so hard to get a spark plug out of a motor? I have tried and tried and tried to get it out, My brother come in and tried and tired and tired. We can not get it out for nothing. It doesnt budge. Either way you go. So... do i take it to someone? Or is there a tool that will help me pull the spark plug?
Here are some pics of under my car... might help someone help me.
thanks
eric

 

The one with the pink tape on it is for the front (1st) rotor.

 

the coils say L1 L2 T1 and T2.

L = Leading = Lower
T= Trailing = Top

1 = front rotor
2= rear rotor

 

MAN HAS SOME ISSUES!!!!!

 

Don't take it to someone, there is a tool you can use, its a spark plug socket 13/16, about $8 at kragen http://www.partsamerica.com/PartDeta...oryCode=3411S.
I hope you dont have huge hands, and even if you do, it shouldnt be that hard. I had a lead plug fall off as I was driving to school one morning and had to put a new one while on the side of the street. So its not hard.

 

lmao... oh i see it sounds like i was trying to do with my hands.. I had a 13/16 socket and a wratchet... It's just impossible to turn. i litteraly had my feet on the bottom of the car trying to pull with all of my might. One of my friends told me to get a compressor torque wratchet or something. I don't think it would fit in that little area tho..

 

A whole lot

 

For bolts I usually use this stuff called "break away" it dissolves rust and such. I'm not sure how that'll do with sparks, and also... make sure you're torqueing the right way with that ratchet for some reason I always think of working under the car facing toward the front bumper.. which would make pulling wrong.

 

Yea, if you turn the wrong way, the plug might snap off and break, and then of course, you get to have fun doing some precision drilling!

the socket and ratchet is all you need, maybe WD-40 the plug and then try.

 

Righty tighty, lefty loosey.

It actually doesn't matter which way around the leading plugs are connected, because both are fired at the same time anyway, but whatever you do, DO NOT mix up the trailing plug wires. Follow the wires to the coil and read the markings.

 

After you get the old plugs out, be sure to put some anti-seize on the threads of whatever plugs you put back in and you won't have this problem ever again.

 

Amur_ is very, very right about the anti-seize.

In fact, you should track down the person who put the plugs in without the anti-seize and . . . . . . . inform them of their mistake.

The plugs on my car when I got it were completely messed up, trailing and leading were switched on one rotor, and the wrong lead went to the wrong rotor!

I've noticed a good way to get those stuck plugs out is to spray it with bolt penetrator or WD-40, then bang on it for a bit (not TOO hard, I know its tempting) then spray more and leave for about 15 minutes, come back, bang on it a bit more, then try to get it out. If it fails, repeat. If it fails again, let it soak overnight.

Turning the plugs the wrong way is counterproductive, and dangerous. Remember, looking at the engine, with the ratchet's handle up in the air, you want to push it down, turning it to the FRONT of the car (turning it left, or counter-clockwise)

 

When putting the plugs back in with the Anti-Seize on them (as Amur suggested) make sure you do not overtorque them. They are just plugs, do not need alot of Torque on them. Get them till they are snug and then give them like a 1/2 turn tops and your good to go. Makes it a lot easier upon removal next time around.

 

Let me add (let's see if anyone screams foul ) that I would not recommend torquing them to spec. I did this once, and one of the plugs backed itself out. I found it shortly after this had happened - I was hunting around under the hood trying to figure out what was making the noise. The plug was loose in its socket (I think it was T1) and all of the anti-seize had been blown out of the threads. Never again.

Now I tighten it until it's good and snug, and then punch the rachet handle once with my palm - now the plugs stay in like Felix intended.

 

so the Leading plugs go on the bottom most part of the rotor housing? The diagram i looked at showed the leading on the top and i just thought that that was the first plug to fire so i put the leading on the top. Was i wrong?

 

nevermind i think i got confused w/ theonlygreat's post i didnt see that it was about the coils

 

If you install them correctly to begin with, you do not need to put anything on the plugs' threads. I've never used anything in over 15 years of swapping plugs, and I've never had any trouble removing a plug I installed.

 

sirkus - get NZConvertible to install your plugs from now on.


And get him to do mine, too.

 

NZ: You dont have a problem because you probably change your plugs on time, and torque them correctly.

I've noticed the longer the plugs stay put, the less likely they are to come out. I consider it a nice thing to do, especially when I'm working on someone elses car, to put the anti-seize on. It's also nice for the next person who works on that car.

Who knows, maybe the plugs don't get changed for a year, maybe the car will sit for five years. It's a small amount of effort to prevent things, like this plug sticking problem, from happening.

 

Same here!

 

Not doing so, will cause carbon build up on the threads. That's how it was explain to me, so I don't take my chances, and of course don't go through the issue

 

Why don't you try removing the spark plugs from above, rather than from below?

That way, you will have space\room for a cheater pipe.

 

i hope that when or if you do get your plugs out the threads from the housings dont come with the plugs cause that really sucks

 

Yeah that's true, although strictly speaking I don't "torque" them at all. All I use to remove and install plugs is a short-handled socket wrench. The very short handle makes it much easier to use in amongst all my A/C and P/S pipework, and ensures you can't tighten them up too much (unless you really try to).

 

I do the same thing pretty much.

Thats still considered 'torquing' as you're applying torque. When I said "torque correctly" I was implying putting the right amount of pressure on it, not nessisarily advicating, or advising, putting it in very tightly.