Spark plug misery

tomf90

New Member
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
17
Location
Portsmouth, UK
Help I have two spark plugs which won't come out, the outer left is filled with sand and the outer right looks like its got tiny shell like things surrounding it, apparently they were all changed 18 months/6000 miles ago?! I've tried scraping as much dirt out as possible, I've pushed a micro hoover bit as far down as I can, pushed a rag down to try and remove some crap but I still can't get them to shift... Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!! Or even better a master mechanic near Portsmouth, UK who wants a beer or 12!IMG_20220607_201910.jpgIMG_20220606_151017.jpg
 

sheikyerbooty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2021
Messages
539
Location
Dunedin, NZ
geez thats looks manky. dentists pick and compressed air, then emery paper. clean it real good. try soaking plug threads in crc overnight prior to removal. be sure to get everything before you pull plugs. bit of ms silicone under coil stick seals to prevent from happening again. good luck
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
I don't know what's available in the UK, but I would probably try spraying a penetrating solvent like PB Blaster into the spark plug wells and letting them soak for a couple days before I tried to loosen them again.

I don't know what those white crystals are, but if you're in Plymouth and the bike came from there, and there's sand in one of the plug wells, is there any chance that engine was submerged in salt water?

There's a thread on here about using o-rings to seal off the tops of the coil sticks to keep water from getting in. I did it to my bike, and never have issues with corrosion.

 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,819
Location
Joshua TX
Yeah, that has to be salt. The bike must've been left out, uncovered, in the weather. You were told that the plugs were changed only six months ago? Not buying it. Even with y'all's weather. +1 on RC's recommendations. Good luck.
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Vendor
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7,328
Location
TEXAS
What I would do:

Take a pick or a long thin object and scrape around at the bottom and around he edges as much as possible. I like to use a popsicle stick, and if I need it narrower, I cut it in half.

Then take a high pressure nozzle and aim it down all the way to the bottom or as far as you can. Have a vacuum at the top of the hole and do both of these at the same time.

You might have to scrape, and then blow, and do this a few times.

Then get penetrating oil and squirt it in there.. I wold probably do a good fair amount, like a 1/4" or 6mm deep "maybe"... as an example.

Then let it sit for a few days. Each day I would make sure I could still see some type of liquid "oil" in the bottom..

After a few days, they should come right out.
 

tomf90

New Member
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
17
Location
Portsmouth, UK
What I would do:

Take a pick or a long thin object and scrape around at the bottom and around he edges as much as possible. I like to use a popsicle stick, and if I need it narrower, I cut it in half.

Then take a high pressure nozzle and aim it down all the way to the bottom or as far as you can. Have a vacuum at the top of the hole and do both of these at the same time.

You might have to scrape, and then blow, and do this a few times.

Then get penetrating oil and squirt it in there.. I wold probably do a good fair amount, like a 1/4" or 6mm deep "maybe"... as an example.

Then let it sit for a few days. Each day I would make sure I could still see some type of liquid "oil" in the bottom..

After a few days, they should come right out.
Would you use engine oil or soemthing like wd40?
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
Someone mentioned PB Blaster which would be a good choice but maybe not available in the UK ?
WD40 will also work but be patient and let it soak for a day or two.
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Vendor
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7,328
Location
TEXAS
Would you use engine oil or soemthing like wd40?
Probably neither one. I would use one of these

The PB Blaster is an awesome product. They both will do the job.

1654661091110.jpeg


1654661123558.jpeg
 

bimota

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
6,523
Location
bridgend, Wales, UK

rob
 

Jlq1969

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 5, 2018
Messages
1,749
Location
Argentina
Seeing how those spark plugs are, I think all the conditions are given for a spark plug to break. Therefore, special care should be taken when trying to loosen them. Perhaps it would be necessary to start loosening them with a torque meter regulated with the same tightening torque, and go up little by little.
If with 30% more torque, they still do not loosen….you have to try to detach them by any method (more penetrating, hot, cold, small blows on the part of the tube fitting, etc, etc),and try loosening again starting with the same tightening torque
 
Last edited:

Philb714

Active Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
72
Location
Hereford, England
Looks like you've already got the cam cover off Tom... mind you don't get that shite inside the engine...

Like the guys above have said, I would give the area around the plugs a good poke about with a scriber or a long thin screwdriver to loosen off the crud then give them a good soak in diesel or WD40 for awhile, I would probably go through the poking n cleaning routine a couple of times tbh mate.
If you fill the plug recess with diesel/WD40, you could either 'wick' it out using cloth/kitchen roll or use a syringe and/or a thin bit of pipe (Fishtank airpipe works) & suck it out (Saves the diesel/WD40 & suspended shite from going into the cylinders when you take the plugs out.

Good luck! :)
 

tntmo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
649
Location
San Diego, CA
All of everything that has been said, and maybe even put the bike loosely back together and start it....get it running good and hot before you attempt to remove them.
 

tomf90

New Member
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
17
Location
Portsmouth, UK
Looks like you've already got the cam cover off Tom... mind you don't get that shite inside the engine...

Like the guys above have said, I would give the area around the plugs a good poke about with a scriber or a long thin screwdriver to loosen off the crud then give them a good soak in diesel or WD40 for awhile, I would probably go through the poking n cleaning routine a couple of times tbh mate.
If you fill the plug recess with diesel/WD40, you could either 'wick' it out using cloth/kitchen roll or use a syringe and/or a thin bit of pipe (Fishtank airpipe works) & suck it out (Saves the diesel/WD40 & suspended shite from going into the cylinders when you take the plugs out.

Good luck! :)
That's exactly what I've just done and thank my lucky stars I got them both out without them breaking. So relieved haha! Cheers for all of your advice guys, really appreciate it!
 

Reno

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
206
Location
Colorado
That's exactly what I've just done and thank my lucky stars I got them both out without them breaking. So relieved haha! Cheers for all of your advice guys, really appreciate it!
If you haven’t done it already get a little anti-seize and put a little bit on the threads of the plugs before you put them back in it’ll eliminate any future problems.

Glad you got them out
 

Reno

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
206
Location
Colorado
I’m going to trust years of some of the best mechanics I have worked with and go with their advice of two dissimilar metals can use an anti-seIze In my experience that has never failed me or the people I’ve been around.

But everybody can do what they wanna do, to each their own
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
If you do put anti-seize on the plug threads, don't rely on the specified torque settings for the plugs (if they have a recommended torque setting). Anti-seize is going to act like a lubricant, and you might overtorque the plugs when you install them. That might not be a big deal, but worst case scenario is that you ruin some threads in an aluminum head, or else you break the plug.
 

Reno

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
206
Location
Colorado
If you do put anti-seize on the plug threads, don't rely on the specified torque settings for the plugs (if they have a recommended torque setting). Anti-seize is going to act like a lubricant, and you might overtorque the plugs when you install them. That might not be a big deal, but worst case scenario is that you ruin some threads in an aluminum head, or else you break the plug.
RCinNC you are correct, reduction in torque spec should 25-30% less
 
Top