Rubber thingy from spark plug socket is stuck on the spark plug :(

[Robert F Merrill]

Apparently this happened when I changed the spark plugs… over a year ago, and it’s now like baked onto the inside of the spark plug well. This is on a 2000 civic ex with the stock d16y8 engine.

Any tips for how to get it out without having to take the valve cover off? It’s preventing me from getting a socket over the spark plug.

Topic

[Billy]

Tap the socket on with a rubber mallet.

[Richard Kirshy]

Might try spraying solvent on the rubber to soften it up then get a pair of these and pick it out of the spark plug well.

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[Robert F Merrill]

I thought of that. Any suggestions which solvents are safe to spray down a spark plug well? (won’t damage the plug or destroy my engine if they get down in the combustion chamber)

[Billy]

Gasoline

[Robert F Merrill]

[quote=”relative4″ post=194590]Tap the socket on with a rubber mallet.[/quote]
The problem with this is that since the thing in my way is rubber it just bounces off, lol.
I wish I could get a good picture, the rubber ring has like smooshed itself down so that it’s taking up all the space around the outside of the hex faces on the spark plug, plus a little bit is on top of the spark plug too. I’m scratching my head as to how it ended up that way.

[Richard Kirshy]

[quote=”grievre” post=194600]I thought of that. Any suggestions which solvents are safe to spray down a spark plug well? (won’t damage the plug or destroy my engine if they get down in the combustion chamber)[/quote]
Could try silicone spray.
May even soften the rubber a bit.
WD-40 may also work.

[Billy]

Xylene, acetone, MEK

[Robert F Merrill]

Well, I did it. It went something like:

– steal one of these from work: https://www.mcmaster.com/#7426a11/=1c5490w
– pick around in there and break a few chunks off before I realize it’s mostly solid
– drive home, spray some penetrating oil down the spark plug well
– realize I can’t see anything with the oil there and try to blast as much of it out with canned air as I can. Fail. Manage to get most of it out with a fluid exchange pump
– The penetrating oil did in fact soften the rubber quite a bit and it’s now easy to break apart, which it very readily does.
– mess around with the pick some more, alternating between that, other pokey-proddy tools, differing applications of canned air to try and coax the bits of rubber out
– finally manage to get the last few big chunks out
– stick a rag down the plug well and spin it around to try and get all the little pieces off the side that I scattered everywhere
– pull the spark plug out
– apply brake cleaner copiously
– put the spark plug back in
– freak out as my car now doesn’t want to start
– it starts and runs fine, victory

[waleed]

Had that happen on a nissan altima I was working on. Used a screwdriver and pick to get it out.

[Author]

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