Spark plug removal

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:51 pm

Hi guys,

Just wondering does the 6A12 require some special tool for the spark plugs? I vaguely remember something like this...

Edit:
Thought I'd clarify, I meant a special socket that is specific to the FTO? And will a normal spark plug tool work on the 6A12?
I somehow remember that the walls of the spark plug tube had a flat spot or something which a normal round socket won't go through? Or am I completely wrong?

-Nighthawk- · Post by **-Nighthawk-** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:00 pm

A normal spark plug socket will work

Post by **aza013** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:51 am

You will need a tube spanner or ground down a socket to fit. There is an indent in the spark plug tube that stops a standard socket from fitting.

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:41 am

aza013 wrote:You will need a tube spanner or ground down a socket to fit. There is an indent in the spark plug tube that stops a standard socket from fitting.

This ^
I borrowed bennoz's custom tool

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:03 am

Wait for someone to sig that ^

Yeah, there are flat spots on the tube, so your socket just has to be extra slim. I just ground a couple of mm off the total external diametre of a spark plug socket on my bench grinder & it works fine.

A tube spanner is the other alterntive.

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:12 am

Is this common on all Mitsubishi engines?
Why did they do this? Seems like they are just causing problems with a design like this

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 11:06 am

No, its just the Mivec engines. Its just so there's clearance for the rocker assembly.

Plus every Mivec is supplied with the Mitsubishi spark plug tool in the OEM toolkit.

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:22 pm

How come no one seems to have it the tool?

Post by **aza013** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:42 pm

spetz wrote:How come no one seems to have it the tool?

I do, full tool kit came in my car from japland

.

FTO_GPvR · Post by **FTO_GPvR** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:46 pm

aza013 wrote:
spetz wrote:How come no one seems to have it the tool?
I do, full tool kit came in my car from japland .

^
I have it to, mine also came with my FTO

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:03 pm

I lent mine out - bad move!

Now I have a normal plug socket with flats in two sides which does the same job

FTO-BOY · Post by **FTO-BOY** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:07 pm

I have 2 but I rounded one of them haha

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:20 pm

Any picture of this tool?
Just to know how much of the sides needs to be grinded back on a normal plug tool

Shane001 · Post by **Shane001** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:35 pm

I know Ben uses one, but I'd be wary of just grinding down a normal plug socket. If you're socket gets stuck on your spark plug when you go to pull it out and comes free from your socket extension, good luck getting the fucker out

Tube spanner is the way to go IMO

Post by **Bennoz** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 9:17 am

Shane001 wrote:I know Ben uses one, but I'd be wary of just grinding down a normal plug socket. If you're socket gets stuck on your spark plug when you go to pull it out and comes free from your socket extension, good luck getting the fucker out

Tube spanner is the way to go IMO

Yeah thats resulted in rocker cover off in the past

Shane001 · Post by **Shane001** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 9:26 am

Bennoz wrote:
Shane001 wrote:I know Ben uses one, but I'd be wary of just grinding down a normal plug socket. If you're socket gets stuck on your spark plug when you go to pull it out and comes free from your socket extension, good luck getting the fucker out

Tube spanner is the way to go IMO
Yeah thats resulted in rocker cover off in the past

and plenty of cursing to boot

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:58 am

Bennoz can the tube be pulled out with the rocker cover off?
And, is there any way the tubes can leak not from the top where the o-rings seal them from the rocker cover but rather from the bottom near the spark plug?

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:23 pm

Shane001 wrote:I know Ben uses one, but I'd be wary of just grinding down a normal plug socket. If you're socket gets stuck on your spark plug when you go to pull it out and comes free from your socket extension, good luck getting the fucker out

Tube spanner is the way to go IMO

It's happened once to me. I popped the socket back on the bar, undid the plug and started again. Took an extra 2 minutes. Can't see the problem myself

Shane001 · Post by **Shane001** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 9:06 pm

Storm wrote:
Shane001 wrote:I know Ben uses one, but I'd be wary of just grinding down a normal plug socket. If you're socket gets stuck on your spark plug when you go to pull it out and comes free from your socket extension, good luck getting the fucker out

Tube spanner is the way to go IMO
It's happened once to me. I popped the socket back on the bar, undid the plug and started again. Took an extra 2 minutes. Can't see the problem myself

Yeah that's the calm approach

Still can be a pita though. You need the socket to hold the plug so it doesn't fall into the plug cylinder and f**k up your plug gap, but it needs to be able to let it go when you're done.

Post by **Bennoz** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 8:22 am

Mine is machined down to a point where it cant get stuck, its nice & small. I also line the inside of the socket with electrical tape, so the plugs dont drop

spetz wrote:Bennoz can the tube be pulled out with the rocker cover off?
And, is there any way the tubes can leak not from the top where the o-rings seal them from the rocker cover but rather from the bottom near the spark plug?

Nope. They usually leak from the bottom of the o-ring.

FTO AUSTRALIA