February 4, 201016 yr The little rubber boot on the end of my spark plug wire came off inside tthe car. I can't get the spark plug socket on, obviously, and that little piece of rubber is in there good. I have tried getting it to stay on the wire, but I keeps slipping off no matter what. I put some JB weld on the end of the wire hoping it will stick, but if this doesn't work I don't know what what to do. I'm stumped! Edited February 4, 201016 yr by kemmer
February 4, 201016 yr That's messed. Find some long narrow pliers that can get in there and get a good grip on it. Should pop out. Or even use a pick or claw although it will probably break up parts of the rubber.
February 4, 201016 yr Put a little super glue on the end of the piece that came off and stick it back on. Let it dry good. Then try twisting it a little while you lightly pull. Good luck.
February 4, 201016 yr Author That's messed. Find some long narrow pliers that can get in there and get a good grip on it. Should pop out. Or even use a pick or claw although it will probably break up parts of the rubber. I tried to get some needle nose pliers in there, but they weren't long enough. I guess if the JB weld doesn't work I'll have to buy some longer ones. Put a little super glue on the end of the piece that came off and stick it back on. Let it dry good. Then try twisting it a little while you lightly pull. Good luck. yeah, that's kinda what I trying to do with the JB weld. I'll report back once it's dry.
February 5, 201016 yr did the spark plug socket have the rubber bushing inside it. it looks like it would slip over the cap. tear apart one of the others and see if the cap is larger than the hex. or hammer / tap the socket into place, if the cap gets stuck in the socket you may solve the problem. tap on, spin, pull off, remove cap from socket, then remove plug. the cap cannot be very sturdy. PS: this may be the best picture i've seen on this board. kudos!!!!!!!!! :banana: Edited February 5, 201016 yr by johnceggleston
February 5, 201016 yr Author yeah, I tried a pick but the rubber was too hard and I couldn't get any leverage. The JB weld did the trick, that was the only way I think it would have come out. The sucker was stuck in there good, I had a really hard time pulling it out. I ended up ripping the wire off, and then the rubber handle thingy and finally I got it to come out by pulling on the end of the plastic tube part with a pair of pliers. The plastic was breaking and getting chewed up and I was afraid of having a real disaster on my hands if that plastic bit had been chewed up to the point of not being able to grab it with my pliers. The moral of the story is: don't buy autozone spark plug wires.
February 5, 201016 yr The moral of the story is: don't buy autozone spark plug wires. Yeah, kinda' reinforces one of our cardinal rules here . . . thou shalt use only Subaru OEM plug wires! But Yay for JB Weld, right?
February 5, 201016 yr Yeah, kinda' reinforces one of our cardinal rules here . . . thou shalt use only Subaru OEM plug wires! But Yay for JB Weld, right? and NGK!
February 5, 201016 yr Author Anyone wanna guess what kind of wires I was halfway done installing when I ran into this problem? You guessed it, autozone specials. Oh well, next time I'll use OEM wires.
February 5, 201016 yr Use of Dielectric grease (small amount) on the inside of the rubber (where it contacts the ceramic part of spark plug) helps too. My List of OEM Only Parts: Thermostat Spark Plug Wires Front O2 Sensor Valve Cover Gaskets Head Gaskets YMMV
February 5, 201016 yr Anyone wanna guess what kind of wires I was halfway done installing when I ran into this problem? You guessed it, autozone specials. Oh well, next time I'll use OEM wires. Yea, the AZ (their store brand) aren't good. I am using Bosch wires and plugs on my Subie, with good results. Also, like said earlier, OEM wires are recommended.
February 5, 201016 yr Yup, typical DOHC aftermarket spark plug wires. They get baked into the head down there and are a whore to get out. Put some dielectric grease on the end of the new wires, smear it around that boot at the end and on the inside where it touches the porcelin of the plug, it makes a huge difference when you need to pull them in the future. Judging by the fact you got a camera in there to take a picture I guess you have the engine out on a stand? When they're in the framerail makes this job that much harder, you have to use needle nose pliers that are bent to fit.
February 6, 201016 yr Author Yup, typical DOHC aftermarket spark plug wires. They get baked into the head down there and are a whore to get out. Put some dielectric grease on the end of the new wires, smear it around that boot at the end and on the inside where it touches the porcelin of the plug, it makes a huge difference when you need to pull them in the future. Judging by the fact you got a camera in there to take a picture I guess you have the engine out on a stand? When they're in the framerail makes this job that much harder, you have to use needle nose pliers that are bent to fit. nope, engine is in the car. I just stuck the camera down in there...
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