LS6427

iTrader: (2)

First time I did my plugs after about 3 years..I had to hold the ratchet in place with the socket on the spark plug while a friend had a 3 foot long piece of wood, like a broom handle but square, that I held against the ratchet...he had to hit it with a rubber mallet to break those ******* free. I don't see how you can hurt anything. Ain't know way your going to break the base of a spark plug. Only way to do that is by putting them in with like an air-gun. I broke the first 3 we did. Ceramic fell off but the nut part of the spark plug remains and thats all that has to come out.

I don't know why people put plugs in any more than finger tight, then literally a little ***** snug with the ratchet, I've been doing that for the past 8 years and my plugs come out with one hand and hardly any effort.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Heating it up shouldn't help. Heat expands and everything tightens up.

You're misfire causes the backfire and pops out the pipes. The fuel is still going in there, then when it does finally fire the mixture...it pops.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

This is how I get to my back 2 plugs on the passenger side, they're out and the new ones in, maybe 15 minutes. The drivers side is literally easy and I can do them all in about 15-20 minutes with normal sized ratchet handles.

I think someone kind of screwed you by tightening the **** out of them when they put them in.

Passenger side, back 2 plugs:

Grimes

iTrader: (3)

I usually use a mini ratchet, then stick a large socket+breaker bar over the handle for leverage.

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

I second trying to get some heat into the engine. Wear some good mecanics gloves so you don't wind up burning up your hands/arms, but I think heat will help. My factory plugs were tough, but the engine was hot and even the passenger side wasn't that bad.

TORCHD 02 TA

iTrader: (39)

any update? Where you able to get them out?

Make sure that when you put the new plug in, put some anti seeze on the end of the plugs. what happens is a chemical reaction with the aluminum and metal

Soul TKR

iTrader: (4)

I haven't tried again yet... I've been a little under the weather yesterday and today... plus I had work... But i'm scrounging up the nuts to get back out there with some more leverage and give it a shot...

lol... you don't have to worry about the anti-seize.... I'll cake so much of that on there after this!

Sbertolone

iTrader: (5)

I found the best lubricant for stuck stuff is master blaster. but the easiest way to get the plugs out for me, is a swivel head spark plug socket from craftsman. i was going to say if your car is very cold, try warming the area up too, but you are in phoenix so i doubt thats the problem.

worst case, use and impact and if the threads are messed up helicoil it.

HavATampa

iTrader: (49)

Exactly!

philntx

iTrader: (8)

When you put the plugs back in, I think the torque spec. is somewhere around 11 ftlbs for the plugs.......Confirm with AFR

Viper

iTrader: (6)

My AFR build sheet states hand tight.

blk99sleekbeak

iTrader: (2)

I dont think letting the engine heat up will help any.the heat will cause the metal to expand and the threads to tighten.i would think it should be as cold as possible to get the threads to loosen

Soul TKR

iTrader: (4)

That was my thinking as well... but then again... if you think about water in your freezer, when it gets cold and turns to ice, it expands... so... i dunno... I'm still sick as a dog, but thinking by Wednesday I'll hopefully get to feeling better and go give it another shot... we'll see...

GMRL

Long handle swivel 3/8 ratchet, maybe a short extension on the socket.
I did all 8 in a little over an hour yesterday. The longer ratchet helps alot. The hardest part was removing the last coil pack bolt on the passenger side.
I can do the other car(LT1) in 45 minutes.

madmo

iTrader: (2)

WD and a breaker bar apply slow pressure, heat might help too, check maysure all plug wires are on secure too.

AxisOfOil

Heat would help if you heated the engine and then let everything even out in temp by letting it sit for 10-15 mins.

Steel expands less than aluminum when heated. I assume your plugs have steel bases.
When you heat a plate with a hole in it (i.e. Heads with a spark plug screwed into it) the hole expands in diameter at the same percentage as the whole part expands.
So long as the spark plug base and heads are made of a different material, heating or cooling will have an effect.

If the plugs have steel bases, and the heads are aluminum, then heat will definitely help you get them loosened up.

Soul TKR

iTrader: (4)

^^My plugs are the NGK 55's

tording99Z28

iTrader: (3)

I agree with this guy. Get big on them plugs and unscrew them out of there. Make sure you have a good angle on the wrench so the torque is being put on the plug and not on a header primary or some other part of the car.

David_viny

+1

Aluminum expands almost twice as much as steel so if both were the same temp the spark plug would come out easier.

Lickeyman

iTrader: (1)