Help! Plugs won't come loose!

[tnm]

I went to swap my plugs and wires the other day and the plugs would not come loose. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I just tried pulling them straight off. Do I need to squeeze and pull the wires or what? They absolutely refused to come loose! BTW, its a 3.0L V6 in a 98 Ranger. And can anyone give me a straight answer on which plugs to use? Its got the 100k mile plugs now. I don't know if its got the EDIS ignition or not. Thanks

[Bob Ayers]

First, welcome to FTE!!!!!

Is it the plugs, or the plug wires that won't come off??

If it is the plug wires, try twisting them first to break the boot loose from the plug.

You do have EDIS ignition, so the best plugs to use are Motorcraft double platinum....

Good luck!!

[tnm]

Thanks for the welcome! I meant the wires won't come loose. I'll try twisting them to break them loose. And are Autolite plugs the same as Motorcraft? Also, are the Autolite wires any good? The local Advance (or Autozone) said they were the best their store sold for the Ranger. Thanks again

[Bob Ayers]

Well, there are different opinions on Autolite vs Motorcraft plugs,
I understand that they are both manufactured by Honeywell, a
subsidiary of Allied Signal. Allied Signal is also the parent company of Fram, and we all know how much we hate Fram oil filters!!!!!

Personally, I like to stay with the OEM manufacturer, especially on oil filters and spark plugs. I use Motorcraft in my Fords, and Bosch in my Mercedes. The previous owner of my little Ranger had installed Bosch platinums in it, and it missed like crazy until replacing them with Motorcraft double platinums. Bosch, however run great in my Mercedes!! I believe it has to do with having the correct heat range plug.

[saintthomas]

Originally posted by tnm
Thanks for the welcome! I meant the wires won't come loose. I'll try twisting them to break them loose. And are Autolite plugs the same as Motorcraft? Also, are the Autolite wires any good? The local Advance (or Autozone) said they were the best their store sold for the Ranger. Thanks again

Hey there, I have a 98 Ranger and run Autolite everything. I have no trouble at all. And what Bob said about Honywell is true. However, we must remember that just becasue the same company makes them, they aren't really the same. Think of it like Coke and Dr Pepper. Both made by the same people but with different flavor. Same goes for parts. The trick is to find a product you TRUST. The truth is quality is about hte same in all OEM manufacturers. UKse what you feel confident in.