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Also, just wanted to mention the following. There were some videos online, but it's tough to find a very simple outline of what the various steps of the tool are doing and what to expect, and with the NAPA version that I have there are no instructions:
- During the first step of the Lisle tool (using the pusher to break up the porcelain and push it down to make room for the puller to thread) you will hear terrible cracking noises. Though you should typically not hear noises like these when performing automotive maintenance , in this case they are a good thing (the porcelain cracking is exactly what's supposed to happen).
- During the second step of the Lisle tool (threading the puller into the inside of the metal piece that stuck in the cylinder - and remember it's reverse threaded, so lefty tighty! ), you will second guess your actions at each turn of your ratchet. Keep going. You'll sweat and wonder if you're going too far and breaking something. Keep going. You'll think "I can't go any further, I'm ruining the cylinder." Keep going. Eventually you will get the point where you can't turn it any more. The tool (specificallly that metal sleeve you put in before inserting the puller) is engineered to stop when it's gone far enough, and you'll know it when you get there (and you might even feel a little silly that you were wondering before if you were there yet).
- During the third part of the Lisle tool (the extraction) you will hear absolutely UNHOLY sounds that will take your breath away. Children will hide. Neighborhood dogs will howl. Angels will weep. What you're hearing is the sound of the tool literally yanking the stuck piece out of the cylinder like a tooth -- it's simple brute force, and the puller tool that's threaded into the inside of the piece is stronger than the carbon that's welded the piece to the side of the cylinder. Soon things will feel loose... it will confuse you. The ratchet isn't resisting much. Is it really done? Yes. Reach in there and remove the puller from the sleeve.
Hey doc54321 i got the hole blown out and put a long screwdriver where i could feel and see if there are any obstructions but i don't feel nor see the electrode in the way. The extractor tool will still not grad hold to anything so I'm going to try once again to use the push tool to see if i can get any thing to bite. I also bought some drill bits in case this does not work. I wont start drilling until i hear thats the last thing so any other suggestions would be greatly appricated.
Oh and yes ive been going lefty tighty
Ok doc after doing the push pin and blowing it out once more i could see much better and saw the ground cap or whatever its called that was broken in the head much better and got the tool to finely grab!! Only problem i have now is i bought a short 15/16 socket instead of a deep well so going after that today. I got it out as far as the short one would let me and not going to move it till i get it out. I dont have a lot of poping noise maybe cause its been soaking in wd-40 for a week.
I'll let you know if it came out with extractor.
I think im going to take a week off after this one.
Ok i finely got this bad boy out!!
I wiggled it enough and came right out. Cleaned out with can air, put new plug and new coil on and runs great till I get a little load in overdrive again but thats where I have to do 5 more. The AC came right back on in a few seconds too. I exchanged the 15/16 socket out for a deep well for the next five and hope I'll never need it. Might do one a day unless im feeling extreemly lucky.
Let me add that this was my first one and the first mistake was I only put the pusher assembly in hand tight at first and did not tighten with a socket, second was not blowing hole out good enough third and finale mistake was not having the correct tools at first before i started removing the plugs.
Thank you for your patience and a lot of great advice now only 5 more to go...
Last edited by chuck2629; 10-02-2015 at 09:46 AM.
Reason: add comments
Ha! Nawww, you're on the way... Should have told you that you'd need a deep 15/16" -- nothing worse than getting almost there and having to stop.
Now that the puller bit its thread, you should be ok. At 189k miles worth of carbon, my gut tells me that you'll hear some uncomfortable sounds even if you used magical unicorn blood to soak it, but as long as you get it out that's all that matters.
I'm interested to hear what the bottom (the retainer strap) of the "ground cap" looks like... wondering where that electrode went to.
RE: your week off: Once you get this one out, you'll feel like Hercules and want to go after the rest.
wiggled it enough and came right out. Cleaned out with can air (added coffee straw for extension), put new plug and new coil on and runs great till I get a little load in overdrive again but thats where I have to do 5 more. The AC came right back on in a few seconds too. I exchanged the 15/16 socket out for a deep well for the next five and hope I'll never need it. Might do one a day unless im feeling extreemly lucky.
Let me add that this was my first one and the first mistake was I only put the pusher assembly in hand tight at the spark plug threads the first time and did not tighten with a socket, second was not blowing hole out good enough third and finale mistake was not having the correct tools at first before i started removing the plugs.
Thank you for your patience and a lot of great advice now only 5 more to go
Heres what it looked like after i got it out.
Ahhh thankfully there's the electrode right there... perfect.
Nicely done.
You know you're going to break some more, but now you know you can handle it.
It's ESSENTIAL to that you torque the pusher down as far as it will go, and you HAVE to get the puller threaded as far as it will go -- you don't get too many shots at rethreading that thing!
Trust the tool, it's not going any further than it's designed to.
Start with the front-most cylinders... 1, 5, 2, 6, 7... by the time you get to 4, 3 and 8 you'll have a little experience under your belt because on those you're working blind.
When you get to 3 and 4, you're going to have to remove the PCM and the bracket underneath it (6 bolts total, no big deal... just be careful with it, it's an expensive drop!). You'll have to push some of the other stuff out of the way a little, but shouldn't need to disconnect any other hoses. And when you do 4 & 3, take both coils off and do 4 first... then get 4 all back together then do 3 (the coild and plugs from 3 will be in your way if you do it first).
Keep the thread updated -- want to hear that you got them all done!
Thanks Doc, I've got 1, 2 & 5 now done going to do 6 and 3 next. And what i didn't tighten on the pusher assembly was the part that screws on to the spark plug threads. Probably do 6 tonight.
Thanks again
Chuck
Ok #6 broke off as well but the electrode came with it ths time as per your picture 1, 2 & 3 came out this time and left the porcelain and ground strap body in the head. Easy peasy this time, extracted it in about 15 min cleaned hole and installed new plug and coil. So far # 1 & 2 came out as one piece and 5 & 6 broke in two different ways. So now that its only 2:40 here going to wait a little while before i try 7. I will take your advice once again and pull 3 out and leave it out to make 4 easier to get to then do 8.
4 down 4 to go
Hey Doc, I was going after 7 & 8 today and 7 came out with no problems, a little noisy even with the liquid wrench oil but that was music to my ears when it came in one piece. Did like Ford suggest on a cold engine, sprayed some liquid wrench in the hole waited about 10 min then I cracked the plug loose not even a 1/4 turn. Let it sit about 30 min and came right out.
Number 8 I need a 3 inch extension 1/4 in drive to get the coil bolt out, I'm sure I'll need it for number 4 as well. Oh well building my tools back up after I got robbed a few years back. Anyway I'm getting it slow but sure.
Not having the extensions/adapters you need is frustrating. In addition to the 3", you're probably going to want to get a 6" extension plus a universal adapter so you can put the socket on a 3" ext in the hole, then the universal elbow out towards you with a 6" extension.
That setup is the most comfortable for me for #3 and #4.
Thanks Doc some good advice as always, I'll make sure I have a swivel extension before proceeding. I guess that's why they sell that special 9/16 swivel for just those two plugs under the fire wall #4 & #8. As I said I already got #7 out was going after #8 when I ran into that issue needing a 3 inch 1/4 inch drive extension for the coil. I've learned in the past if you can learn from others that's the most valuable tool you have.
Believe me I've got one other aggravating issue I will ask you about while I'm on here. I've got a wining noise like it's the power steering fluid is low but it's not, I kinda rolled out the pump when the noise doesn't change when I turn the wheel from side to side like a normal faulty pump would do. The noise only increases upon acceleration. I've changed out the alternator about 5 years ago along with the belt, so I'm thinking it might be one of the pulleys. Any thoughts and I'm not going to tackle this till I get the last three plugs changed along with the coils.
Thanks
Chuck
Hey doc54321, I finely changed out #3 n #4 plugs, they both come out like your previous picture. It did take plenty of patience in about 3 hours, the hardest thing I found was removing #4 plug from the hole. Actually the but came out and the spark plug and porcelain stayed in. I'll send a picture of it later. Just have #8 left but somehow the newer coils got wet at least #3 did and was misfiring. Somehow water got all the way up in the boot to the coil where the spring connects to the coil itself.
I'm sure it was like that the day I put them on. If it goes bad I'll just order another set.
09-29-2015, 10:03 PM
), you will second guess your actions at each turn of your ratchet. Keep going. You'll sweat and wonder if you're going too far and breaking something. Keep going. You'll think "I can't go any further, I'm ruining the cylinder." Keep going. Eventually you will get the point where you can't turn it any more. The tool (specificallly that metal sleeve you put in before inserting the puller) is engineered to stop when it's gone far enough, and you'll know it when you get there (and you might even feel a little silly that you were wondering before if you were there yet).
