can you take out the spark plugs out with the engine still in the car.....its a 97 legacy 2.5.......is there a special tool?

I dont have a 2.5 but you can take most plugs out with a good rachet, spark plug socket, and different size extentions. You may also have to remove things like the air filter box and washer fluild tank.

can you take out the spark plugs out with the engine still in the car.....its a 97 legacy 2.5.......is there a special tool?

Yes to the above.

 

 

There's a tool in the original toolkit, even has a rubber ring to hold the plug in firm.

i dont have the tool kit......if it came with the car....im the second owner....i havent seen a tool kit

No one takes the engine out of the car. Do a search here and you will find out how to do it.

 

nipper

Some of those other auto makers newer transverse mount jobbies you nearly have to take the engine out or at least rock it to get some of the plugs out, but Subaru's are still pretty straightfoward and can be done without such extreme measures. Just use the right size 6pt spark plug socket and if it seems too tight don't just torque the heck out of it, that's when the plugs snap off or gall out the threads and stuff.

It's pretty straightforward, but you WILL end up aith a big pile of parts before you get to the plugs.

 

Go s-l-o-w, lay all the parts out in order as you remove them, and keep all the bolts, nuts, etc in order (I like to put them back on loosely after I remove the part). Then after you have replaced the plugs and wires (do both), you just work your way backward down the line of parts until there are none left on the floor!

For the passenger side: remove the intake snorkel...E-Z: two bolts up front, one bolt on the strut tower. Everything then slides apart easily. For the driver's side: all you need to remove is the windshield washer tank, to get clearance to remove the plugs. You don't necessarily need to remove the battery, but doing so makes it much easier to remove the washer tank. Removing the tank consists of: 2 bolts, two wiring connectors, and one hose which just slides off. Use a turkey baster to empty the washer tank if need be. All quite easy.

 

One thing: the plugs are mounted way down in pipes that penetrate the valve covers. Think before you go to actually unscrew the plugs. All you need is a ratchet handle (3/8" drive probably), socket wrench, and 6" extension. HOWEVER...use a proper plug socket -- it'll have a rubber insert that protects the ceramic, and more importantly, will grip the plug so you can pull it out. MOST IMPORTANT: unless you have a locking socket...duct tape the socket to the extension. Otherwise, when you go to pull the plug, the socket will come off the extension, and you'll be left wondering how to get the socket and plug out of the pipe.

 

So, not the easiest compared to many cars, but it's all pretty easy and can be accomplished by even a novice wrench.

hey its done and done the plugs were on.....the insulation on the inside of the plugs around the lower terminal was brown and chalky.......the car was overheating due to a head gasket failure so they may be the same plugs from then ......would this effect my mpg?

hey its done and done the plugs were on.....the insulation on the inside of the plugs around the lower terminal was brown and chalky.......the car was overheating due to a head gasket failure so they may be the same plugs from then ......would this effect my mpg?

 

if the plug gaps are wrong yes.

 

nipper

by how much? 1-2?

by how much? 1-2?

 

thats hard to say, if they are really off may be higher. sometimes that dont affect them at all.

 

nipper

sometimes the gap doesnt effect mpg at all?

yes