Solved: Stripped Spark Plug - what to do?

mrvax · Mar 6, 2009

I stripped the front right plug today while swapping them. A mechanic who did the last plug change probably over tightened it. I did it using a 12 point socket. I immediately stopped trying to take it out.

Went to Pep Boys and bought a 6 point socket. Now that one just spins on the plug! What the heck do I do now?

Thanks.

crazystang25 · Mar 6, 2009

did you strip the plug hole or the actual plug.

MustangLife · Mar 6, 2009

I had a spark plug blow out. Blew the plug completly out and trashed my coil pack. Had to get a new sleeve inserted in the head ofr the new spark plug. Your scenario is somewhat the same. It could be an easy fix or it could be a hard fix. The 6point socket is more likely to spin. What happens with a normal spark plug socket with a rubber insert inside do when you try to turn it ?

PS This is why anti-sieze is a must and don't let hammer mechanics tighten the **** out of our spark plugs, they don't need to be turn that much

007 · Mar 6, 2009

I bet mechanics are tempted to over-tighten our plugs because they dont want people coming back complaining that they blew them out the of heads, and blaming them! Fords fault really.

A rubber insert in the wrench sound like a good idea.

mrvax · Mar 6, 2009

I only stripped the plug itself this time.

I had a plug/thread blow out 2 years ago and the mechanic when he did the repair put in new plugs at that time.

After going through the thread here on Stangnet on spark plug blow outs, I bought a torque wrench and carefully replaced 7 of the 8 plugs.

However, I'm screwed unless someone has an idea of how to remove the stripped out plug (which did not lose its threads.)

mrvax · Mar 6, 2009

007 said:
A rubber insert in the wrench sound like a good idea.

Most, if not all spark plug sockets have that rubber insert to hold the plug for removal.

eliteJAE · Mar 6, 2009

pb blaster and used a good vice grip to try and slowly wrench it out?

Mike97gt · Mar 6, 2009

mrvax said:
I only stripped the plug itself this time.

I had a plug/thread blow out 2 years ago and the mechanic when he did the repair put in new plugs at that time.

After going through the thread here on Stangnet on spark plug blow outs, I bought a torque wrench and carefully replaced 7 of the 8 plugs.

However, I'm screwed unless someone has an idea of how to remove the stripped out plug (which did not lose its threads.)

What do you mean by striped? the wrench flats that the socket grips or the threads in the head..

If it's the wrench flats then I think a snap on deep turbo socket will fit on it ( it's a socket designed to take out rounded off bolts/nuts)

I have never rounded off the wrench flats on a plug before so i am not sure.. I can check tomorrow when I go to work

I have had them break off in the head before, that is a lot of fun when your fixing it for free.

mrvax · Mar 7, 2009

svttech76 said:
What do you mean by striped? the wrench flats that the socket grips or the threads in the head..

If it's the wrench flats then I think a snap on deep turbo socket will fit on it ( it's a socket designed to take out rounded off bolts/nuts)

I have never rounded off the wrench flats on a plug before so i am not sure.. I can check tomorrow when I go to work

I have had them break off in the head before, that is a lot of fun when your fixing it for free.

Hey Mike, it's the plug "socket grips" that rounded off. Thankfully not the threads in the head. I'm interested in that Snap On deep turbo socket if you have any info on it.

BTW: I took your advice and purchased an inch pound torque wrench and set it to 156 in. lbs (13 foot lbs.) to set the new plugs.

BlownStangGT · Mar 7, 2009

I know they make a special socket that is supose to grip onto anything. You mean that your sparkplug is rounded off. Sounds like you were not on it the entire way when you started to unthread it or you had the wrong size. But they do make a one size fits all socket that is designed to take off rounded nuts, etc.

EDIT....this is the one I was thinking about, but I know there are others

http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/gatorgrip.html

lazerred02 · Mar 7, 2009

I use these to get bolts with stripped heads out all the time at work, Snap On ain't cheap but it's worth the money especially in situations like yours.

Check these out:

213TSFSYA, Set, Socket, SAE/Metric, Impact, Twist, Deep (13 pcs.) (3/8" to 3/4", 10 mm to 19 mm)

mrvax · Mar 7, 2009

Thank you gents very much.
I ordered the SnapOn tool as opposed to the "Seen on TV." That one I'm just not totally convinced it will work.

Thankfully I was able to order a single SnapOn socket for under $30 and not the whole set.

mrvax · Mar 7, 2009

BlownStangGT said:
Sounds like you were not on it the entire way when you started to unthread it or you had the wrong size.

Gator Grip Universal Socket

I've been changing spark plugs since about 1977 and this is the 1st time I rounded one off. I used a 12 point socket. It was very tight and as soon as I went into "power mode"...wizzzzz. Stripped.

I now have a good 6 point spark plug socket so I hope this won't happen again. (I did not put this set in either.)

Mike97gt · Mar 7, 2009

lazerred02 said:
I use these to get bolts with stripped heads out all the time at work, Snap On ain't cheap but it's worth the money especially in situations like yours.

Check these out:

213TSFSYA, Set, Socket, SAE/Metric, Impact, Twist, Deep (13 pcs.) (3/8" to 3/4", 10 mm to 19 mm)

yeah thats what i have deep and shallow sets.. plus I bought the 8mm 1/4 shallow separately ..

I dont use them often but they have saved the day at work many times. Those things dig in as you loosen

parrish5o · Mar 7, 2009

I've seen a stripped head before but never a stripped sparkplug. He must have torqued the hell out of it putting it on.

san~man · Mar 7, 2009

Vax you noob

mrvax · Mar 8, 2009

san~man said:
Vax you noob

mrvax · Mar 8, 2009

Oh, BTW: With 7 of 8 brandy new Autolite 764s gapped at .055, I let the car "rip" so to speak for about 1/8 a mile last night.

No miss-fires at all. The car threw me back in the seat and chirped the gears like it was brand new! I already have over 104k on it. I was very happy.

BlownStangGT · Mar 8, 2009

Let us know how it works and if you get it out

mrvax · Mar 8, 2009

BlownStangGT said:
Let us know how it works and if you get it out

I will. I'll post in the same thread. I ordered it UPS ground so maybe by next weekend...

Solved: Stripped Spark Plug - what to do?

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