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From Bad...To Worse...Please Help w/ 3.4 DOHC!!!


WhiteOut

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Well, today I got sick of the oil that has started to leak from my engine again so I decided to do something about. I bought a bunch of crap to do a tune up with and started tearing down the top end of the engine to fix the oil leak and replace the spark plugs. The oil leak portion of the fix went well enough but the spark plugs are gonna be the end of me yet.

 

So here's the problem. When removing one of the rear plugs the metal portion of the plug wire that contacts the plug broke away from the wire when I removed it from the plug. So it was left sitting on top of the plug still firmly attached. I was like D'oh!!! So the wire is busted...no problem I needed new ones anyways. I then proceeded to jam a socket down the hole in an attempt to fit it around the plug so as to remove it from the engine. That didn't work...the clip potion of the wire made the plug too tall for the socket to reach to nut portion of the plug. Again I'm like hey...no problem...so I took out the trusty extension and pounded down on the socket. Now I have a socket lodged around the plug with the clip portion of the wires sticking up so high that you can't fit a socket extension onto the socket, and I still don't know if the socket is down far enough on the plug to even turn it effectively. So WTF do I do now??? I took off the valve cover and I still don't have enough clearance to jam a pair of pliers down there to remove either piece...I'm screwed.

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no way!! my rear center plug did the same thing! ok, go get a pair of the foot long pliers. the metal plug thing is probally jammed throught the hole on top of the socket. you might need to cut a notch in the metal flap where the weather strip is.

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i've been there before, it was a pain but i got it out, first thing, get the socket back out, wiggleing ans such will usually free it, then get a big long screwdriver or 2, and use it to remove the clip (pita) and then use a magnet-on-a-stick type deal to get out out, pain but it worked, if you need any more assistance, hit me up on aim.

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LOL, same thing happened to me when I was changing the back 3. 3.4 DOHC's suck to change spark plugs/wires!!! Keep at it man, you'll eventually get it outta there. It took me forever and alot of freaking swearing to get it out. I was so pissed lemme tell ya! :roll: Try rocking your engine forward any if you can...pry not though cause they don't budge, well at least mine don't.

 

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

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F'n'A. I just got a set of 10" needle nose pliers from a friend tonight, so tomorrow morning I'm going to try and remove the weather stripping at the bottom of the wind sheild so I can jam them down in there and hopefully remove the damn socket. What a PIA, all I wanted to do was a quick check of the plugs since I had the intake off. So much for a simple job. On the plus side I have discovered that I badly need new valve cover gaskets both front and rear...woohoo...so I guess those will get replaced too.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

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mine did the EXACT same thing stock wires except i didnt hammer the damn thing on there lol

 

i ended up putting a magnet on a string and fished the socket

 

now that you have hammered the socket on there all i can say is you might have to drill! :shock: drill enough of the top to let the socket sit down right or drill ito the socket itself ot tap it out

 

after you successfull pull the socket youneed to get that boot off the plug. anyway you can its gotta be done.

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Actually the boot wasn't stuck in there, just the metal clip that attaches the spark plug wire to the spark plug, and I finally got the damn thing out after about 45 minutes of cursing this morning. Sucks to the window licker who came up with the DOHC design, its a pain in the ass, this kind of thing simply doesn't happend to pushrod engines.

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Actually the boot wasn't stuck in there, just the metal clip that attaches the spark plug wire to the spark plug, and I finally got the damn thing out after about 45 minutes of cursing this morning. Sucks to the window licker who came up with the DOHC design, its a pain in the ass, this kind of thing simply doesn't happend to pushrod engines.

 

yes the boot i was speaking of is the metal clip.. the whole assembly i think it refered to as electro-rod(correct me if im wrong)..

 

anyway congradulations on getting it out!

thats the exact same time mine came out lol. about 45min on working on it in the morning

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If you used a regular spark plug socket, get a standard socket of the same size and drop it over the nut end of the spark plug socket. Thats why they designed spark plug sockets like that. Then crank the whole thingy ma bober out. Tada, You win. Easy as Pie.

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If you used a regular spark plug socket, get a standard socket of the same size and drop it over the nut end of the spark plug socket. Thats why they designed spark plug sockets like that. Then crank the whole thingy ma bober out. Tada, You win. Easy as Pie.

 

well thats what normal people do, then theres people like me, stupid people, tht choose the hard way out.

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If you used a regular spark plug socket, get a standard socket of the same size and drop it over the nut end of the spark plug socket. Thats why they designed spark plug sockets like that. Then crank the whole thingy ma bober out. Tada, You win. Easy as Pie.

 

you mean Deep well socket

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No, a spark plug scoket is different.

 

sparkplugsocket.jpg

Sparkplug sockets have that sixpoint fitting at the top and a rubber boot inside to protect the ceramic insolator and to help hold the sparkplug.

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No, a spark plug scoket is different.

 

Sparkplug sockets have that sixpoint fitting at the top and a rubber boot inside to protect the ceramic insolator and to help hold the sparkplug.

 

Werd.

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i dont think a deep well would've done it, i tried 3 different 5/8" and that metal clip didnt allow it to go down far enough. if you have this chainsaw socket, it fits over the 5/8 spark socket top and you could undo the plug

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Hmm...should have used an actualy spark plug socket I guess. I was just using a regular deep well socket. Son of a...well it doesn't matter now its out of there anyways.

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Hmm...should have used an actualy spark plug socket I guess. I was just using a regular deep well socket. Son of a...well it doesn't matter now its out of there anyways.

 

It makes it a ton easier.

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