Brent B

I have a 77 911 with 3 stuck plugs. Is there a trick to getting them out besides force and eventually heli-coil?

Eric Marsh

I don't know if this will help or not, but I'll pass it along just in case.

I changed the plugs on mine the first time about two days ago. (Without the right socket its a major ordeal :-( ).

Anyhow, when I started the engine was still kind of warm. The first one I tried to remove was #4 and it immediately felt wrong. Not wanting to strip the threads I set it aside and did the other five.

Well I noticed that as the engine got cooler #4 got even tighter. Makes sense as the aluminum head would expand faster than the steel plug. So once the other plugs were in place I warmed the motor up, said a brief prayer to a variety of different deities and bit the bullet.

The plug came out hard but there was no aluminum stuck to the threads so I loaded the threads on the new one with anti-seize and put it back in place. Whew!

I can't say for sure if warming the engine back up helped or not but you might want to consider it.

Eric

Brent B

I tried warming it up some and that didn't work so I ran it until it was hot and that didn't work either (I have arm burns to prove it).

91C2wrencher

This is why it pays to make friends with yuor local shop. No matter how sure we are of the things we can accomplish, once in a while its worth running over to the shop and asking them to help you out. In this case I would do just that, Let's see what the one thing the weekend wrench doesn't want f!!k up? that's right, anything on that expensive motor. FWIW I've heard that anti-sieze on the plugs is not reccomended as it interupts the free flow of electrons in the ignition circuit.

Bill Gregory

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><strong> so I loaded the threads on the new one with anti-seize and put it back in place. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">If I remember correctly, the factory doesn't recommend anti-seize on the threads, as it can effect the grounding of the plug.

hmintz

My personal experience has been that if you use a SMALL amount of anti-sieze, limited to the threads, there will never be a removal problem. The electrical ground at the seat is unaffected. 1976 911S, 98,000 miles. Has always run great (don't believe everything you read).

Howard

Eric Marsh

I imagine that the factory knows what its doing, but I put anti-seize on the threads all my plugs and the car runs fine.

I will say that Porsche seems to use high quality metal in its heads. Even though one of my plugs came out tight there was no metal sticking to the threads.

RoninLB

I'm not a pro.. but I can understand that computer controlled ignition systems can be very ground sensitive.. but that wasn't noted in the factory bulletin.. anyway, I always use Loctite Graphite-50 on my plugs.. it's much more conductive than copper anti-seize.. and it's mentioned on the Graphite-50 can that it's to be used for plugs.. that's not stated on the copper can.. whatever..........Ron

Brent B

Guys the anti-seize argument is not helping. I'm still trying to get the plugs out. They were installed by a shop about 5k miles ago. I will never go back there for many reasons. Anyway if nobody has any secrets on how to get the last 3 plugs out then I guess I'll have to trust another shop to do the job.

greglepore

Don't know if this relates or not, but here's a sheepish story from Sunday morning's change. Did the pass side first-working around the hoses etc is a giant PITA even with the air filter assembly out. The rearmost one was very tight, but those 3 all were changed eventually. Went around to the other side of the motor, put the wrench on, and pulled towards the rear of the car. Stuck, damn it. Tugged and tugged. Dopeslap. Of course, to loosen the drivers side plugs you need to push, not pull the wrench-lefty loosey.

Are you as dumb as me? Are all 3 of your stuck plugs on one side of the motor?

BTW, the factory socket is very nice when coupled with a metric allen socket.

jet911

Brent,
I know about poor service at shops, however if I were you, I would go back to the shop that installed them and require/demand they remove the plugs they installed (10 to 1 they over torqued them).

I had an issue with a shop that rebuilt my tranny and was relentless with them, even threatening to sue if things were not made "right." After they had the car for 4 months and dropped the engine/tranny 5 times, 4 at their expense, the tranny was fixed. Still not 100% happy, but didn't want to deal with them any longer.

IMO, shops that represent themselves as P-car experts/professionals need to be just that and held to that standard.

After my experience, I reported the issue to the BBB and sent an e-mail to all PCA members advising them to stay away from the wrench. The word spread like wild fire and I'm sure his business in P-cars if off! Wish I could offer help with your problem. Good Luck!