An idea for a useful little tool

[Rovinghawk]

Replacing the spark plugs on my XK, the little rubber insert that goes inside the spark plug socket managed to come out of the socket & get lodged on the plug. I didn't notice as the plug sits very deep in the hole; trying to put the coil pack on I managed to wedge the rubber insert on good & firmly, very low on the plug.

How to get it out? The plug socket wouldn't fit over the plug now, so simply taking the plug out wasn't an option. I needed a long, thin, strong but slightly flexible hook that I could slide into a narrow gap & then rotate despite a bit of resistance. A coat hanger was too big a diameter to do the job.

The answer, as daft as it sounds, was an egg whisk- one of those with the big loops of wire folded back on themselves to make the handle.

Clip off one of the wires just above the handle & straighten it out; a tiny pair of pliers can then be used to bend a small hook at the end. Hey presto, a long thin hook with a non-slip handle.

No doubt someone will mock all of this, but hopefully it'll save someone the aggravation of similar problems to mine.

RH

[Krikkit]

I use a magnetic pickup tool from the pound shop for that kind of thing, although it can be tricky if it's really hidden.

[fjord]

Im pretty certain this is a problem which will affect 0.0005% of the population, about 0.000004% of the time.

[MajorProblem]

Krikkit said:

I use a magnetic pickup tool from the pound shop for that kind of thing, although it can be tricky if it's made out of rubber. .

[Rovinghawk]

fjord said:

Im pretty certain this is a problem which will affect 0.0005% of the population, about 0.000004% of the time.

Well those who are affected have a suggestion for a solution, don't they?

RH

[vrooom]

i use garden hose. those green pipes. i cut an suitable length.. i plug it in, and extact it with plugs in my hand.

[anonymous-user]

Disappointed - I assumed this was going to be about some new use for Ant or Dec.

[tgr]

you're an optimist Gary

[anonymous-user]

tgr said:

you're an optimist Gary

Always

[Krikkit]

MajorProblem said:

Krikkit said:

I use a magnetic pickup tool from the pound shop for that kind of thing, although it can be tricky if it's made out of rubber. .

Haha, thanks for that, post reading failure!