Stuck spark plug, any ideas?

[Kayos]

Giving the freelander a quick pre mot service and one of the plugs is pretty solid

The 3 that came out easy were full of oil (rocker gasket) but this one is dry, I've not swung on it as a snapped plug will mean no car for at least another week.

My initial plan is plus gas and try when the engine is hot?

Any other tips and tricks I can try?

 

[steviec_lj]

As you say..


Plus gas, allow it to soak, then run the engine up hot and try tightening it a little before undoing..

 

[DanielW]

Hang on,if he runs the engine up hot then the sparky body will also get hot and expand.......strikes me he needs to heat the area up around the sparky and trying to keep the sparky coolish.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Can you get in there with a windy gun and socket?

 

[DanielW]

Get some electronic freeze spray.
Run the engine to temp then spray freeze the sparky body only

 

[Kayos]

I thought the aluminium would expand more than steel, hence trying it hot.

Can get straight in with an extension, my impact gun is rather powerful, 240v dewalt that either undoes or snaps bolts, no in between and I don't want snapped

 

[DanielW]

A sparky socket on a longish socket bar with a wide tommy bar should shift it....the more leverage you have the more chance it will crack the seating

 

[octo0072000]

do as said with plus gas get it warm not hot big bar try to tighten first then loosen if still tight keep tighten loosen a bit at a time and don't brake the wiring clips on the coils causes loads of misfires

 

[dobbslc]

Soak it with plus gas (wd40 isn't really much good) Get it hot then try back and fourth with a 1/2" ratchet, I did the same with the glow plugs on my Toyota Surf before taking the head off and they all came out easily. ( The head was coming off anyway...)
Same with the exhaust studs on my bike, got it hot and they came off no problem.
PS I wouldn't spray a hot spark plug with freezer spray as it'll shatter the ceramic insulator!

 

[BrokenBiker]

i had to take a plug out of the megane earlier after it developed a misfire 2 mins before the mot, it was jammed solid when i tried with a half inch drive ratchet, but the breaker bar got it out no problem at all. i just used a gentle push on the end of the bar rather than yanking on it and it broke the seal quite easily and out it came.

 

[penfold]

Soak it with plus gas (wd40 isn't really much good) Get it hot then try back and fourth with a 1/2" ratchet, I did the same with the glow plugs on my Toyota Surf before taking the head off and they all came out easily. ( The head was coming off anyway...)
Same with the exhaust studs on my bike, got it hot and they came off no problem.
PS I wouldn't spray a hot spark plug with freezer spray as it'll shatter the ceramic insulator!

They tend to come with a straw for directing, squirting at the plug body when the engine's at operating temp ought to shake it loose.

 

[wristpin]

Plus gas definitely, then a "tall" plug socket, extension bar and a T bar. Use the T bar even with a bit of tube on each side of the T so as to stay vertical and not lean on the plug which is the danger with a conventional breaker bar or ratchet.

 

[Kayos]

I don't have T bar, so I will get one from Halfrauds after the mot

 

[dobbslc]

True about the T bar wristpin, I said ratchet to prevent the use of long extension bars.

 

[MattF]

Shred a bit of candle wax and place that around the plug base. It won't burn off like a solvent based spray will, so has more chance of working in. Either that or just some engine oil. Pretty much anything will work in as it warms, provided it doesn't burn off or evaporate first. Just don't go at it like an ape. Apply steady pressure instead of yanking. It's usually easy enough to tell whether something is going to either give else break if you're steady.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I've read [possibly on here somewhere ] that a mix of Acetone and ATF is the best penetrating solution you can use.....?

 

[Kayos]

Thanks for the suggestions, if plus gas, heat, bar and patience doesn't do it I will chuck some engine oil down, as the 3 that were full of oil came out easy....

Did look like it was on fire when I fired it as so much ran down into the bores