Did the plugs on my Legacy again, went all right, I use an assortment of sockets and extensions and my handy flex hose. On cylinder 4 I've decided to make my own low profile thin ratchet using a ratchet wrench with a nut welded to a 3/8" square drive. This is definitely a job you cannot do with a standard ratchet, extension, and 5/8" spark plug socket, any thoughts?

Yea, your creation should work. Sockets and drives are chrome plated on really hardened steel. Welding super hard steel may present some issues, I don't know.

 

I wish Subaru would sell their cars with holes drilled in the fender liners creating good access to the spark plugs with the road wheels removed. Sure would make spark plug changes much easier. The holes could be filled with circular plastic inserts to keep dirt out of the engine bay, when access is not needed.

A special tool will help you to easily remove and install the number 4 spark plug. But what about torquing the plug? I am a big believer in using a torque wrench whenever possible. I know of a large number of cases where a spark plug has been "spat out" because it was under torqued. Usually the threads on the head are ruined.

Well I for one have never torqued a spark plug in my life and I have also never had same get spat out. But to each his own.

 

The combo that works best is a wobbly plug socket (built in wobbly), 1.5" extension, and a 1.5" wobbly extension (the kind that allows some movement but not a full-on wobbly adaptor). And a normal socket wrench.

 

GD

I myself have never torqued a spark plug but it really is wise, I would think the settings would be different for a used plug when compared to the new as the gasket would be compressed already on the used. My son bought the plugs and he ain't a cheap skate like me, he bought the Pulstar Iridiums so considering there is 200k miles on this engine the plugs will never be taken out for a change, I will take them out to reuse when I junk the car (which I hope is a ways down the road). My little low profile ratchet/wrench came out ok and is .7" tall, the standard ratchet is 1.20" talll. I love these Subarus!

Your engine will actually be happier with the cheap NGKs than the expensive nuclear-tripple-expensivio plugs.

I agree, if you lay the two plugs side by side the NGK has a thick spark like a magneto used to give, the Iridiums give a narrow spark, almost hard to see, and yes they are EXPENSIVE! My son paid for them so I put em in

Subarus don't like non NGK plugs, this is after two weeks, they all looked like this. I was wondering why it ran like crap.

'nuff said.

 

I have had good success with Bosch Platinum plugs, the cheapest platinum plugs they sell. Got 50K miles on my 99 OBW, still runs good, going strong. Also using Bosch wires.

 

I have never torque wrench tightened spark plugs. I just made sure they were nice and tight upon installation. With such limited space, it has got to be difficult using a torque wrench on plugs in a Subie.