helmet993

My 90k service is coming up in 1400 miles and recently I discovered my RH lower valve cover gasket was leaking onto the heat exchanger so I decided to do get started and do the 12 plugs, caps, rotors, air and fuel, filters, and belts. I also found during this one my RH chain cover had two nuts loose and I was able to finagle a tool on those bolts and give them some love…they seemed finger tight! No oil dripping on the ground so who knows if that will prevent weeping in the future or not.

The biggest thing I want to share here is the tool I chose to use was the KD Tools magnetic swivel spark plug socket: KDS3928. I needed to grind down the black band at the base of the spark plug socket so it would fit into #12…otherwise I was not able to slide the spark plug socket into #12. There were witness marks of the interference on the spark plug (black band at the base) and in access port through the valve cover as shown on my inspection mirror. That clearance is not shown in the pictures but I only took off just enough so the black band was the same diameter as the plug socket itself.

I took a picture of the tools I used and would be happy to share any assistance anyone may require as best as I can.

Overall…the spark plug job is NOT HARD at all. Just hard on the neck and back if you are not used to crawling around on the ground. All the other 90k items are cake...depending on your spark plug wires condition (mine all tested fine).

Tools shown below that may not be in the every day DIY’s box: 10mm and 13mm ratchet wrench, 10mm and 13mm ratchet wrench driver for ¼” and 3/8” respectively (the best thing you can put together for spark plug changes on a 993), 10mm swivel socket, super long needle nose pliers (think clutch vent tube clamps!), Expand snap-ring pliers (for exhaust clamps)…and one key tool is the 5mm socket used to remove those two valve cover bolts hidden behind the heat exchange riser. That is not needed if you are doing plugs only, but I needed to fix that oil leak so you see it in the pics.


Car in the garage getting some love:


Shot of the KD socket in #12.


Valve cover removed…


And…my understudy was very tired after the job.

KNS

Great info! I've got that same KD spark plug socket, I got it because I hate it when the rubber plug on a spark plug socket stays stuck on the spark plug! They should all be magnetic.

Can you show a close-up picture of how you ground down the black band on the socket..?

Thanks.

helmet993

Sure will...I just ground the black band with my Black and Decker rotary tool uniformly all the way around. I'll snap a pic and post it tonight.

BradB

Your understudy is adorable!

helmet993

Pic of the modified ring on the KD swivel magnetic spark plug socket. I took maybe 2 millimeters off in diameter.

KNS

Interesting... Just that small amount was causing a problem? Hmm.

Thanks again.

BobbyT

helmet993,

I had a Snap-On swivel socket with the same problem, an annular ring that was just a bit too large to get in the spark plug hole on an Acura engine, and took some serious grinding to make it work.

After reading your insightful posting, I order this socket from Amazon, which looks like it won't need grinding: GearWrench 80546 5/8-Inch x 6-Inch Swivel Spark Plug Socket.

I also had a rubber insert come off on a spark plug in my 993, didn't realize what had happened, and spent a frustrating while trying to get the spark plug wire back on, even magic words didn't help.

helmet993

That gear wrench socket looks like it would work well.

I'm glad this little bit of insight will be of use to someone.

In my case...it was visually obvious the swivel assembly reinforcement ring was just a tad larger in diameter than the spark plug socket itself.

At first...I thought I wa just not getting the socket lined up properly and it was getting stuck between the plug and the head...but after checking with the inspection morrow it was easily identified as a clearance issue given the witness marks on the socket and in the plug access hole.

It IS tighter in that #12 hole than the rest.

IXLR8

After doing my initial spark plug change using a standard spark plug socket and extensions, I bought the KD Tools 41740 3-Piece 5/8-Inch Magnetic Universal Spark Plug Service Kit on the recommendation here on Rennlist. I just wish someone would have mentioned the issue before I made the purchase.

You're right though; I just went into the shop to check and that black ring is a tad larger than the actual socket. I guess I'll find out when I do my next spark plug change if it'll be an issue on my engine. Could be that cylinder head castings aren't that precise from one engine to the other.

bruce7

I used the Snap-on retention spark plug socket S9706KRA and Snap-on 4 inch wobble extension FXWK4.

Here is a shot of snaking it into the #6 top plug hole.

-bruce

helmet993

Bruce, no doubt as you can see in my picture I am a snap on tool rat (started when I was a wrench back in the day) but didn't want to deal with a socket coming off the extension...thus why I ordered the KD Tools version.

bruce7

Hi, I guess you could use one of those locking extensions as an alternative.
Haven't had much use for one but this job would be the ideal time to try it.
Thanks for the writeup.

-bruce