General MINI Talk Shared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Stuck Spark Plug Socket

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 06-18-2019 | 06:57 AM
PSUFencer's Avatar
PSUFencer
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Stuck Spark Plug Socket

All --

Don't ask how it happened, but I've got a spark plug socket stuck on Cylinder 1 on a car that I am working on and I can't get it off. With the valve cover off, the top of the spark plug socket is at the top of the head. I've not figured out a way to turn and lift at the same time. Any thoughts to share on how you might go about trying to get this socket out? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Update -- Sorry, I should have searched previous threads. I see I am not the only one who is in a panic!
 
  #2  
Old 06-18-2019 | 07:34 AM
ECSTuning's Avatar
ECSTuning
Platinum Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 35,393
Likes: 2,135
From: Wadsworth, Ohio
Get an extenion that has the lock side to the little ball, is it 3/8"s drive? You can push it down in and see if the extension can lock onto the socket, sears has them they are craftsman quick release. They seem to really hold.

 
__________________

MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
The following users liked this post:
Andy_S (06-18-2019)
  #3  
Old 06-18-2019 | 07:42 AM
cristo's Avatar
cristo
Alliance Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 4,074
Likes: 211
From: York, Pennsylvania
What’s a Sears?
Sounds vaguely familiar but all I
can think of like that around here is a
big empty building.
 
The following users liked this post:
Andy_S (06-18-2019)
  #4  
Old 06-18-2019 | 07:54 AM
ECSTuning's Avatar
ECSTuning
Platinum Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 35,393
Likes: 2,135
From: Wadsworth, Ohio
Yep, not many left. We have Sears catalog built homes around here from back in the day. You can get craftsman at Lowes now.
 
__________________

MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
  #5  
Old 06-18-2019 | 08:16 AM
PSUFencer's Avatar
PSUFencer
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Perfect and thanks. That is what I am going to try! Appreciate everyone!
 
  #6  
Old 06-18-2019 | 09:03 AM
ECSTuning's Avatar
ECSTuning
Platinum Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 35,393
Likes: 2,135
From: Wadsworth, Ohio
Welcome
 
__________________

MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
  #7  
Old 06-19-2019 | 06:29 PM
N0B0DY's Avatar
N0B0DY
4th Gear
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 395
Likes: 104
Never knew they had lockable extensions. Thanks
 

Last edited by N0B0DY; 06-20-2019 at 06:34 PM.
  #8  
Old 06-20-2019 | 07:17 AM
ECSTuning's Avatar
ECSTuning
Platinum Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 35,393
Likes: 2,135
From: Wadsworth, Ohio
Yep, i got them as a gift to add to my tool collection and use them all the time.
 
__________________

MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
  #9  
Old 06-22-2019 | 11:08 PM
squawSkiBum's Avatar
squawSkiBum
Moderator
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,737
Likes: 303
From: San Francisco Bay Area
just when I thought I had all the tools I needed... going to have to get me some of those.
 
  #10  
Old 06-23-2019 | 10:20 AM
Blue R50's Avatar
Blue R50
3rd Gear
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 271
Likes: 57
From: Tampa Bay Florida
For anyone who can't find one of these extensions, there is a poor boy trick that I use. I use a little bit of duct tape and tape the extension and socket together. I have never had an issue with this method in all the years I have used it. However, now that I know that extension exists, I may have to try and locate one!
 
  #11  
Old 06-23-2019 | 12:32 PM
MrGrumpy's Avatar
MrGrumpy
6th Gear
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,361
Likes: 241
From: Washington state
Originally Posted by squawSkiBum
just when I thought I had all the tools I needed... going to have to get me some of those.
Same here, sheesh!
 
  #12  
Old 06-23-2019 | 12:37 PM
MrGrumpy's Avatar
MrGrumpy
6th Gear
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,361
Likes: 241
From: Washington state
Don’t ask, it was a stupid accident, but I had this happen on my Countryman about a year ago. Thought I had my thinwall plug socket, and realized it wasn’t too late. Stuck in the hole on cylinder 1. It took me a good hour at least, but I managed to get it out by grabbing the edge and center hole with a looonnnggg pair of needle nose pliers, angled ones, the straight one couldn’t grab hard enough. Squeeze with everything you have and gently wiggle or turn it to slowly and carefully remove it. That’s how I did it, but those locking extensions look pretty dang slick.
 
  #13  
Old 06-23-2019 | 02:30 PM
A383Wing's Avatar
A383Wing
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 251
Another option is to take the rubber insert out of the socket, just be careful when tightening up the plug .......I also use a piece of rubber hose to put on the end of the new spark plug when starting it into the cylinder head to avoid cross threading a plug into the head

If you use the socket without the rubber insert, the socket will come right off when you pull the extension out......I have still had sockets stick on the plugs when using the Craftsman locking extensions......

Bryan
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
mini2008cooper
R56 :: Hatch Talk (2007+)
8
05-07-2016 04:53 AM
J Free
Stock Problems/Issues
2
04-22-2016 12:33 PM
kingstonco1
R56 :: Hatch Talk (2007+)
23
08-06-2014 09:10 AM
Moto44
R56 :: Hatch Talk (2007+)
23
05-01-2013 02:10 PM




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:13 PM.