ajd0002

I'm replacing all vacuum hoses, getting injectors rebuilt, and figured changing plugs would be a good idea as well. 7 of the 8 plugs came out no problem. The front plug (#5?) on passengr side won't budge. I have put a fair amount of pull on it, way more than with any spark plug I have ever changed and still nothing. Any advice on what to do? At the moment I have penetrating oil sprayed in the plug well, maybe that will loosen it up.

As I see it, there are 2 options, 1) pull like helll and hope nothing breaks or strips and, 2) leave it in....car was running fine before, I just figured changing plugs was a simple job with intakes etc off.

Is there any way to tell if a plug has been broken in there before and there is an insert?

TIA for all suggestions

Rich9928p

You have a "sooner or later" type of problem, eventually that plug will have to be changed. My experience is that after soaking with penetrating oil (not WD40) and a good hard yank with a long enough lever arm yields a loud "crack" and things come loose.

Likely who ever changed the plugs previously didn't use anti-seize.

Good luck.

Lizard928

1/2" drive breaker bar time, just make sure that the socket is over the spark plug and then wrench away,
when the spark plugs are done at proper intervals there is no need for antisieze, and I have never used it on the spark plugs and I have had no problems

Garth S

If you have access to air and an impact gun, then a deep well 6-pt socket pushed firmly over the plug, and a light setting, will shock the threads loose with much less torque than a breaker bar.. If not, then as Rich and Lizard say - the 1/2" drive tools: careful to not let the socket 'lift off' when torquing. In pre-928 days, found that to be the best way to recover half a plug - the wrong half.

UKKid35

An impact gun will only exert a turning force, unlike a breaker bar, and is therefore somewhat less likely to cause damage.

ajd0002

Plug is out! Soaked all night with penetrating oil, then use a breaker bar this morning and out it came. Many thanks to all for the advice.

Jim V

....and you coated the new one with anti-sieze, right?

ajd0002

Oh yeah,don't want to go through that again!

Grey Guy

My 1 year old 87 with 110k miles that had been serviced about 4 years ago by the PO. Along with a lot of other stuff, I decided to get the final touches on my plan, including an oil leak fix. The oil leak turned out to be more than the oil filler neck gasket, it was also the valve covers.... So I decided to have my mechanic finish off a years worth of maintenance with: plug wires, plugs, caps, rotors, and filters. He couldn't get the #5 plug out. The other 7 plugs looked good and he recommends changing the 7 and leaving the 8th. I agreed. Am I a puss?