robmaxfli

hi

1997 Honda Civic here. I went to change the spark plugs and one of them was very difficult to remove - maybe cross-threaded?....I got it out eventually and then installed my Engine Compression tester into that hole. It threaded in ok but the end of the tester adapter won't back out...The adapter threads into the spark plug hole and then the tester hose threads into the top of the adapter.

So I am thinking - If I could just remove this spark plug tube then I could better get to it. I removed the valve cover but the tube looks pressed in.

I gave it a quick try with some large pliers to pull it up but was unsuccessful.

are there any tricks to removing the spark plug tubes?

RIPSAW

It screws out. Least that is what the car expert Erick the car guy on you tube says. He says 9 out of 10 times, if you have oil on the boot, that is the reason why and it is loose. Be sure to use some perma-gray sealer on the threads when you go back in. Don't grab it up high. Down low and use a strap wrench. Good luck. You are going to need it. People overtighten plugs. I have only worked on them doing the OEM originial ones and even after a 100K, they may snap hard to loosen but they come right out. I just screw them in and bump it a tad at the bottom.

ezone

Most of the time when a spark plug is very hard to unscrew all the way out, it was not fully tightened at the last install and carbon has creeped up the threads, causing it to bind.
(The threaded portion of the plug may also be discolored from overheating and the gasket may or may not be fully crushed.)

IF someone used a plug other than NGK or Denso and didn't use anti-sieze, the threads may have galled causing binding....but this usually strips threads out as it turns. Is there damage visible on the threads?


In my experience, oil collecting in the plug hole is usually caused by the round seal(s) in the valve cover, the inner lip of the rubber ring not seated (or stretched) correctly around the metal plug tube after the valve cover was installed. I've never even attempted to remove one of those plug tubes, they are not shown available separately in the parts catalog nor did I find mention of removing them in service info.

I'd think about using an internal pipe wrench if......no, wait, forget that, I'd see if correctly installing the valve cover takes care of the oil collecting in the plug hole before going apesh!t.

Wankenstein

Let me guess..Harbour Freight compreession tester?
If so, you probably did not tighten down the adapter hard enough to the tester's hose threads. I did the same thing the first time and after removing the adapter I used two vice grips with light pressure (to avoid bending) to tighten adapter to hose threads. Also, use a bit of oil on adapter threads before inserting into spark plug holes. Will help prevent getting stuck.

As far as removing the adapter from a spark plug hole. After removing the valve cover I (IIRC) used two long screwdrivers with a makeshift fulcrum between them (reverse chopsticks) to apply pressure on the inner wall of adapter and reversed it out.