Alfa 147 TS Spark Plug Jammed! HELP!
Discussion
Hi
Car is a 2004 147 1.6 TS Lusso.
On removing the rail with the coil packs, No 7 Spark Plug and lead were very rusty and damp. I have cleared it out using WD40, a long brush etc but I just cannot get any decent purchase with the socket. It did grip it but just slipped as it is not going fully over it. I think there is probably rust jammed under the plug which I just cannot get at. Any ideas without having to take the head off?
Mollytherocker
Car is a 2004 147 1.6 TS Lusso.
On removing the rail with the coil packs, No 7 Spark Plug and lead were very rusty and damp. I have cleared it out using WD40, a long brush etc but I just cannot get any decent purchase with the socket. It did grip it but just slipped as it is not going fully over it. I think there is probably rust jammed under the plug which I just cannot get at. Any ideas without having to take the head off?
Mollytherocker
Patience and WD40. The usual trick is to drown it in WD40 and leave it over night, then have another go tomorrow and hope the WD40 has soaked into the rust and done its job. But don't force it or you'll snap the top off the plug and then you're buggered.
You might find you can turn it, say, 90 degrees tomorrow and then you'll have to leave it another day while the WD40 soaks down a bit deeper.
You might find you can turn it, say, 90 degrees tomorrow and then you'll have to leave it another day while the WD40 soaks down a bit deeper.
OK, heres an update.
Left it overnight soaked in WD40 and seems to have freed up the rust a little bit but not enough. I have managed to scrape away a little more rust with a thin sharp screwdriver but there is still too much holding the socket back.
Luckily, we can do without the car this week, so I will get some proper penetrating oil tomorrow and grind the edges of the socket to more of a sharp edge to see if it will cut through it.
MTR
Left it overnight soaked in WD40 and seems to have freed up the rust a little bit but not enough. I have managed to scrape away a little more rust with a thin sharp screwdriver but there is still too much holding the socket back.
Luckily, we can do without the car this week, so I will get some proper penetrating oil tomorrow and grind the edges of the socket to more of a sharp edge to see if it will cut through it.
MTR
Helped a mate out with one of these... he had soaked it in WD 40 for a few days but when he tried to undo it the plug snapped, leaving the thread in the head. We took the head off and I made a jig so we could drill the remaining plug out accurately. Easy enough as the remaining bit of plug made a good guide. I used a drill that was the root diameter of the thread and was able to peel the old plug out without damaging the head. I then cleaned the thread up with an old plug with a couple of slots ground in the thread.
Good luck, and as someone has already said, proper penetrating oil is the way to go, its much better then WD40 for stuff like this.
Also make sure you use a six sided socket as this is less likely to round off the plug.
And use an air line to blow out all the crud before you try to remove the plug! this is quite important as it will allow the socket to sit lower and prevent crud dropping into the cylinder when the plug comes out (hopefully in one piece!)
Good luck, and as someone has already said, proper penetrating oil is the way to go, its much better then WD40 for stuff like this.
Also make sure you use a six sided socket as this is less likely to round off the plug.
And use an air line to blow out all the crud before you try to remove the plug! this is quite important as it will allow the socket to sit lower and prevent crud dropping into the cylinder when the plug comes out (hopefully in one piece!)
Edited by buzzer on Monday 27th September 12:07
mollytherocker said:
Great advice guys thanks. I got some proper penetrating oil today.
I will also get a 6 sided socket as suggested.
And yes, I have wacked it!
The main hindrance is the build up of rust around the base of the plug not the actual tightness, although I dont know that yet!
MTR
Any luck?I will also get a 6 sided socket as suggested.
And yes, I have wacked it!
The main hindrance is the build up of rust around the base of the plug not the actual tightness, although I dont know that yet!
MTR
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff