LbecomesGTintoSTI Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Okay, I was changing my spark plugs today & I had completed all but #4. It would NOT budge. I pull ALL of my effort into twisting that thing & it would not budge. I even put pb blaster & let it sit & it STILL would not budge. I took a breather for about a half hour & tried it again. No go. Can someone please explain what happened to that spark plug? I would definitely appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 It's siezed in the cylinder head. I would suggest getting a breaker bar and GENTLY trying to twist it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I would take it to a dealership that has experience with this issue.. So that way, when you strip the threads on the heads, you don't need to tow it anywhere. My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Or you could do that, whatever floats your boat. Depends if you want to spend $4 or $400. Totally you're call. They don't call 'em Stealerships for nothing though. Doesn't matter, if the car is out of warranty... So whether you strip the threads or not you're still probably going to wind up paying the same amount when they strip the threads for you. That being said, what kind of car is this? People love to post help threads without giving proper info.... Like year, model, engine type, tranny type, or trim level. Not that all of these are relevant, but for crying out loud it really does help more times than not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberman Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Since you've already hit it with PB Blaster, you could start the car and let the motor get hot. Heat & material expansion / contraction with the PB Blaster could help free it up. I know it's not preferable to try and remove a spark plug on a hot motor (or let it cool a bit), but just an idea. Also, if that doesn't help, you could try to respray with PB Blaster after it's hot & try to barely tighten the spark plugs first (just enough to barely move), then loosen it. I've had luck with seized fasteners by doing these things. Like others said, be careful and don't force it. On new plugs I actually put a small bit of antiseize on the threads and hand thread the plugs in, then tighten the last little bit with a rachet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LbecomesGTintoSTI Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 ...That being said, what kind of car is this? People love to post help threads without giving proper info.... Like year, model, engine type, tranny type, or trim level. Not that all of these are relevant, but for crying out loud it really does help more times than not... It's a 1997 Subaru Legacy L - EJ22 - 4EAT. I tried going back @ it again slowly & still no go. I mean the plug will not budge. At all. What could have caused this? I have no idea when the plugs were last changed but I knew they needed to be done when I scanned it & found that plugs 1 & 3 weren't giving out enough spark (it wasn't the wires or the distributor). I mean, I COULD get the spark plug out but that would mean literally stripping it out if it's place, which I most certainly don't want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Sometimes they do go hard, but definitely don't cross thread the cylinder head. The previous set of plugs probably didn't have any anti seize on them. I wonder if whoever did the spark plugs last damaged the threads when he put the new plug in.. Probably not though, it's probably just seized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LbecomesGTintoSTI Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 Sometimes they do go hard, but definitely don't cross thread the cylinder head. The previous set of plugs probably didn't have any anti seize on them. I wonder if whoever did the spark plugs last damaged the threads when he put the new plug in.. Probably not though, it's probably just seized. I KNOW this is a stupid question but do I REALLY have to go to a shop to get that spark plug removed? I'm so used to doing automotive work by myself.... Also, if the thread is damaged then the head becomes worthless, right? (Sorry for all the questions but I'm in school for automotive tech & our class hasn't gotten to engines yet. We're on Drivetrains right now ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeyMcShanker Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 No, a machine shop will be able to put a helicoil in it to repair the threads. Chances are the head has to come off though. Don't want to risk metal shavings in the cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 This is mostly true, although it is possible to do this repair with the head on the engine if your finances don't allow labor charges to remove the head. The easiest, safest way is to remove the head. The financially economical way is to retap the threads for the spark plug, turn the engine over with a breaker bar and a socket on the crank pulley so that the exhaust valves on the damaged cylinder are completely open, then blasting the metal shavings out of the engine with compressed air through the spark plug hole for a couple minutes (To be on the safe side). Machine shops can do just about anything. I know, I work at one. (Although we make aircaft engine parts for GE and Rolls Royce, not car parts, but still... We can do anything if we wanted to.....) And I'll be totally honest, there isn't anything wrong with going to a shop for repair after you've tried it yourself. If you gave it a go, or already know from the beginning that you don't have the proper tools or time to complete the job then you Should go to a shop. Otherwise (In my opinion, which means nothing in the scheme of things) you're a girly girl. Unless you're rich, in which case you should pay someone else to wipe your butt in addition to fixing your car........ I just don't see why so may people (Especially on these forums) allow themselves to be ripped off many hundreds of dollars for simple $50 repairs. Everytime I see it I die a little on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I didn't know you could use the words "breaker bar" and "gently" in the same sentence. I'm with wiener on this one. It is still ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I had a plug that was fairly stuck. I gave it hell and it finally came out. I guess it buggered up the threads when I pulled it out because about 3000 miles later the plug came flying out of the head. I had to have it towed to a shop and heli coiled. They didn't have to pull the head, it cost about $80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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