Ok, how do you guys deal with a tight screw?

Here's the long and short of it.....I'm new to the Toyota circuit. I bought this truck (see sig) with 114K from a dealer. I've put less than 50 miles on it so far. It had it's good, bad & ugly about it, but I'm hoping to resurect it from a possible abusive past.

Today's episode brought me 3 out of 4 spark plugs maybe seized....I don't want to be overly aggressive at this point, so I backed off from maybe stripping something.

The one plug I got out with a little squealing is pictured here.....


It's a Bosch Platinum, so I'm at least sure it doesn't have a 100K on it.....but who knows. When I changed the engine oil, ugh. In any case, the plug looks pretty clean to me, so I'm not terribly worried about the ones that won't budge for now.

After some research, I'm wondering whether just spraying some PB blaster down in the hole and running it for awhile might help. Letting the head expand and contract with some lube might loosen it up???? The PB blaster can says it won't harm rubber, so I'm not concerned about hurting the new spark wire set that I just put on.

By the looks of the #1 cyl plug, I don't mind taking a month or two to get the other 3 plugs out....

Any advice?

 

that plug looks pretty much wasted if you ask me. notice how the ground electrode is rounded off.

i'm personally a fan of the breaker bar when it comes to freeing siezed spark plugs. generally you have a better chance of doing harm to the threads when installing them. maybe take a punch to the metal lug on the plug, and give it a couple quick hard whacks with a hammer. often shocks the threads and makes it easier to remove.

then just make sure to use some good anti-sieze so it won't happen again, as well as some denso or NGK plugs.

 

I agree with Kyle, that plug looks horrible. You might want to try spraying something on there to help looosen the plugs up alittle first.

 

I am gonna agree. Those plugs look REALLY bad, wasted and it also looks like the motor has been runnin too hot (lean).

About getting them out, I am not sure, really have had no experience, sorry.

 

First off, thanks for the replies.

Ouch!

I guess my reasoning that the plugs weren't so bad was based on:

1 - I thought Bosch Platinums had a sort of tapered ground electrode when new..
2 - the gap is still around .032", which is what a new set of NGKs come as, I think...and
3 - I thought a tan color was a good indicator of fairly clean burn??
4 - The engine actually runs pretty smooth.....maybe a tad rough when idling around 700rpms. But I have to really pay attention to notice even the slightest shudder.

For sure I'll be replacing with NGKs ....the first one is already in with anti-seize. And I borrowed a breaker bar from a neighbor today, and put some PB Blaster down in the holes.

Still going to take it slow....squirt and drive, squirt and drive for awhile. Also I read somewhere today that if they budge even just a little, then retighten a little, then loosen some more....and keep that process going till the plug is finally out. Sound like a decent plan?

Thanks again.

 

If you can get them loose at all, work them back and forth with while applying penetrating oil. The wiggling should help get the oil where it will do the most good. Aluminum heads can be a real bugger with plugs.

 

Yes the plugs electrode is tapered


http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/SparkPlugs/Platinum/#


But still, Bosch plugs suck in Toyotas (and hondas)



Also I would work with the plugs while the engine is hot so the head is expanded.

 

WOO HOO!
Like butter.....they came out like butter!

After spraying in some PB Blaster 10 days ago, and having driven the truck only a little.....maybe 20 miles, they came out without even touching the breaker bar that I borrowed. Just before trying to remove, I ran the truck for 4 or 5 minutes and let it get a little warm...not hot.

Tickled that a little patience and the Blaster worked so well!

 

I have alwasy been told to do plugs when hot. (expansion)

dont be afraid to anti-seze them up when you put the new ones in.

 

Yeah, I thought about that, but both metals expand and contract, and at different rates.....the aluminum head and the steel (?) that makes up the plug threads. Suppose it might depend on which gets hottest, and which has the greater reaction to heat?????

I know I've seen advice that advocates hot, warm, and cold. I never had a problem doing my Hardbody plugs cold, though I was always sure I used some graphite and 3in1 oil (don't laugh, it worked!)...mixed with graphite on the threads when I changed them.

Guess I was worried about the aluminum being 'softer' and more vulnerable when hot.

In any case, it seems the patience and the penetrating oil is not a bad combo when something as potentially damaging as a stripped spark plug hole is at stake.

It was nice this worked so slick!

 

Don't put any more Bosch's back in it, Denso's or NGK's work best with these motors.

 

Aluminum will expand faster than steel, by quite a bit. I agree with snap-on, anti-sieze works great.

 

(Since I can't see photobucket photos) I might add - plugs really shouldn't 'sieze' in the first place. They should never be in there long enough to rust in place and the little washer-looking rings MUST be used to they can't be driven in too deep and so the steel plug body doesn't contact the head (like bottom out.) This then also helps keep them from siezing.

 

on the other hand, you've got tapered seat plugs, which don't use a washer. not sure if many vehicles now use them...seemed like a 70s american engine deal.