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Spark plugs boots will not budge - grrr....!

Elite6

Elite6

New member
Fronts required massive force to remove, rears no frickin hope - barely get arm in there & with a Raped Ape grip no chance of getting those off. I actually ripped out the wire portion leaving just the boot. I gotta ratchet the engine up so what ratcheting point is best to use (pics would be nice) & how far should you pull engine forward?

I got some new wires & plugs so I don't care how they fair during removal
 
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Re: Spark plugs will not budge - grrr....!

Take a long flat blade screwdriver and a hammer and break the porcelain on the plugs off. The boot will come off with it. That way you can get to the base of the plugs with a socket and pull em. Do this at your own risk. I only suggest it since you've got new wires and plugs. Also only do this if you don't care about the steel plug boot protectors.
 
Re: Spark plugs will not budge - grrr....!

I've done them this way. The one caviat we should mention is when breaking a plug..part could go into the cylinder. Like I said though..i've done it and never had an issue.
 
Re: Spark plugs will not budge - grrr....!

So, this post isn't about spark plugs, but spark plug wires, right?

Just jerk them off.

You think I'm kidding. Hint: I'm not.

Twisting a little bit doesn't hurt, either.
 
Re: Spark plugs will not budge - grrr....!

If nothing else run them out with an impact, or put on your big boy pants grow a pair and get them out of there with a socket.
 
Re: Spark plugs will not budge - grrr....!

dsmuts said:
If nothing else run them out with an impact, or put on your big boy pants grow a pair and get them out of there with a socket.
Click to expand...

The title is misleading, it's the spark plug boots & at 265lb & benching a lot more than my weight I figure I need to ratchet the motor forward... Was thinking of smashing plug tips off but worried about damaging head threads or pieces falling in.
 


OK so got them all off... No ratcheting engine forward, plugs are OEM 144K miles, all wires broke off boots in rear.

The following instructions are pure gold & will provide results if conventional methods don't work:

1. Fire up & consume a medium rare to rare steak (t bone of course) and a minimum of 12oz
2. Take down 2 beers at a brisk pace & follow with one red bull (30 min max)
3. Wait an additional 5-10 mins for personal supercharging effect (beers & bull)
4. Throw yourself on he motor (dress pants and all)
5. Remove big bracket at rear
6. Take the hand that best fits, combine that with supercharging effect and imagine your hand is the same one in the Foo Fighters music video "Everlong" - sweet vid please watch
7. Let out savage native indian scalping cry
8. Grab boot & treat it like your worst enemy
9. Boot will yield
10. Explain to wife & kids the screaming in the garage
11. Go watch the game
 
Elite6 said:
OK so got them all off... No ratcheting engine forward, plugs are OEM 144K miles, all wires broke off boots in rear.

The following instructions are pure gold & will provide results if conventional methods don't work:

1. Fire up & consume a medium rare to rare steak (t bone of course) and a minimum of 12oz
2. Take down 2 beers at a brisk pace & follow with one red bull (30 min max)
3. Wait an additional 5-10 mins for personal supercharging effect (beers & bull)
4. Throw yourself on he motor (dress pants and all)
5. Remove big bracket at rear
6. Take the hand that best fits, combine that with supercharging effect and imagine your hand is the same one in the Foo Fighters music video "Everlong" - sweet vid please watch
7. Let out savage native indian scalping cry
8. Grab boot & treat it like your worst enemy
9. Boot will yield
10. Explain to wife & kids the screaming in the garage
11. Go watch the game
Click to expand...

lmao....i can see someone doing that lol
 
Elite6 said:
OK so got them all off... No ratcheting engine forward, plugs are OEM 144K miles, all wires broke off boots in rear.

The following instructions are pure gold & will provide results if conventional methods don't work:

1. Fire up & consume a medium rare to rare steak (t bone of course) and a minimum of 12oz
2. Take down 2 beers at a brisk pace & follow with one red bull (30 min max)
3. Wait an additional 5-10 mins for personal supercharging effect (beers & bull)
4. Throw yourself on he motor (dress pants and all)
5. Remove big bracket at rear
6. Take the hand that best fits, combine that with supercharging effect and imagine your hand is the same one in the Foo Fighters music video "Everlong" - sweet vid please watch
7. Let out savage native indian scalping cry
8. Grab boot & treat it like your worst enemy
9. Boot will yield
10. Explain to wife & kids the screaming in the garage
11. Go watch the game
Click to expand...

Dear god in heaven
 
I remember a picture of 95NASTA kneeling barefoot on his motor to do a plug change or something like that. Funny as heck.
 


All humor aside, I spent the better part of 5 hours today replacing all plugs and wires except #'s 4 and 6 in the rear. I pulled the engine forward to the 2nd hole in the mount( this was the easiest part of the operation, and I'm not musclebound) After that I still did not have enough room to get good leverage on the wire boots to pull them off. I could twist them fairly well, but there is not enough room to pull them off. My car is a 2001 GT, 3.8L . I assume the engines and room in the engine bay are pretty similar to other years. Those of you who claim to change all your plugs in 10 minutes, well......Interested in buying a used bridge? After my hands heal and I get some relief help for tugging on those boots, I'll give it another shot. Give me any pre-80's car and I will do fine working on them. I've been a backyard mechanic for nearly 40 years, and I'm convinced of the back-scratching relationship between car design engineers and the auto service and repair industry. Either that or they were just idiots when designing things. Godspeed to all who venture on this painful but neccessary maintenance task on their vehicles.
 
let the car run a minute and let everthing warm up (it should expand everthing), but of course the motor will be hot. I did mine when it was hot, took me like 30 min to do it.
 
I know I am gonna get called a wuss but oh well. O2 socket and pull it out then even though you have the same amount of room, there is nothing too fragile you need to be careful of back there. For me that made it much easier
 
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