Damnit, I was trying to get one of my plugs out when all of a sudden the extender pops out of the socket and now the socket is stuck on the plug and i cant get it out!

I think I also used the wrong size socket since it isnt turning the sparkplug or else i would just unscrew it out :nails: :nails: :nails:

What should I do!?

try to find some kind of magnet or very long needle nose pliers the skiny ones..

well.. I usually use a strong magnet I have that telescopes.. if its too wedged for that, I pick at it with a combination of a dental pick/hook and a thin flat head screw driver. Last stitch effort, run to the tool store and you can get a locking extension, it will lock into the socket and not let go.. GL!

its jammed in the hole, magnet wont do anything...

i doubt i can get enough grip with needle nose pliars..

damnit..

Put one layer of tape (not scotch) around the mail drive of the extension and put it back in the socket, the reverse slightly to free the bing and you should be able to get it right out (should). Good luck.

Try some jb weld on the end of the extender and re-attach it to the socket. Or some really strong glue would do the trick... sop up the end of the extender really good and stick in the socket. give it like an hour to set and you should be able to get it out...

For future reference, I have a dedicated socket and extender for spark plugs and I have them fused with duct tape. Of course, you can also buy extenders that clip on to the socket.

Put one layer of tape (not scotch) around the mail drive of the extension and put it back in the socket, the reverse slightly to free the bing and you should be able to get it right out (should). Good luck.

okay im gonna try this right now, be right back!

OH YEAH DON'T BANG ON THE EXTENSION AS YOU DON;T WANT TO F UP YOUR PLUG THREADS ON THE HEAD.

FML its reaaally ____ing stuck in there..... the tape made it a little harder to press into the socket but still just popped right out when i pulled up...

____... will a locking extension work for sure? can i drive my car without the spark plug connected? do i have to disable fuel to the cylinder too?

daaaamniiittt

You probably shouldnt drive like that

did you try loosening the plug with the extension in?

did you try loosening the plug with the extension in?

yea but the socket is very wide and against the hole.. i dont think it even made it all the way down to the hex pattern on the plug :(

fml

last ditch effort..take the head off...haha sounds crazy..but you may just have to.
i know my friend had a socket stuck on his plug one time and he put the extension down with some tape on it, shoved it in the socket and wiggled it around a little bit then it came right out..

How about wiggling it? You have to free up the jamb so you can pull it out.

FML its reaaally flippin' stuck in there..... the tape made it a little harder to press into the socket but still just popped right out when i pulled up...

flip... will a locking extension work for sure? can i drive my car without the spark plug connected? do i have to disable fuel to the cylinder too?

daaaamniiittt

It's not great to drive it like that, but it can be done.... I had to drive 15 miles with a blown plug wire on another car once... it basically sounded like a lawn mower. Once I got to the shop, the plug itself was shot. The only thing that really happens is that the cylinder gets wet with unburnt fuel. It cleans itself out very quickly once the new plug is in (in my case, new plug wire as well).

I wouldnt drive very far like that but yes it can be done you will just have a very bad misfire lol (cyl not firing) - and yes you can unhook the injector from that cyl to avoid spraying fuel in the cylinder. FYI your CEL will flash due to misfire detection. Also i dunno how far you shoved it down there but try taking off the valve cover - its easy and itll give you a little more room to play with.

ugh what do you mean remove the valve cover? of course i removed it how else would i have gotten to the spark plug...

anyway..

how hard is it to remove the head?

my dad is picking up some locking extensions right now but if that doesnt work im thinking about purging my nitrous on the socket to supercool it and hopefully shrink it enough to get it out

You pulled off the plastic engine cover but the valve cover is the metal under that.

I'm sorry my idea did'nt help, but much luck to you. Also, as soon as you get it out please let us know Mike. Godspeed.

Valve cover is the metal cover on the motor below the plaastic engine cover it is secured by like 10 10mm bolts and 2 10mm nuts on studs. After you remove it the cams, lifters, and timing chain will be visible. This will reduce the 'depth" of the whole and maybe make it easier to get the socket out. If you do have to remove the head - I believe there are some people on here who have managed to remove it without pulling the motor but ive yet to figure out how they got the timing chain cover off - its much easier just to pull the motor.

okay im going to try taking off the valve cover now, will report back soon, ty all!

p.s. freezing it with nitrous didnt work, LOL

ok so i took off the valve cover... but the damn thing is stuck in the HEAD... FUUCKKK ____ fukuckuafkduckukaoairftwaoiuh~!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

right now ive filled it up with JB weld and hopefully when it dries i can pull it right out...

hopefully the jbweld doesnt make it wose >.<

how much does a new head cost?

you dont need a new head - you can tap it out with a screwdirver from the other side of the head when you take the head off - thats worse case. How the hell did you get this thing stuck anyways??

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

If you used a socket and extension then there is an opening at the top of the socket. Use a sturdy hook pick, hook through the hole on the top of the socket and give it a sturdy pull in the upward direction.....proceed with the rest of the project with the correct sized extension.

^yep what he jsut said,stick a pick in the socket,hold the pick with a set of pliers and pull up,if that does not work tap upp with a hammer on the pliers,not down.....use comman sense,step back and relax and think good thoughts and it is gonna come right out.

well i had the extender sitting in the socket overnight with JB weld all around and inside it.. i was able to wiggle it, turn it in both directions with a ratchet, but no matter how hard i pulled up on it the damn thing didnt come out!! :(

the jb weld bond eventually broke and now i'm back where i started....

i guess i gotta take it to the shop and try an impact gun on it ..

shiiiiieeeett

May I suggest ( if the socket is not too shrouded in the hole ) a pilot bushing removal tool? The slide hammer type.
Just my 2¢

so have you tried a locking extension? and a impact isnt going to do anything for you but spin the socket.

yes ive tried locking extensions.. none are locking enough to get it out

ive also jb welded an extension to it and tried pulling with great force but still that didnt do the trick (even though the socket will rotate if i try turning it)

i think i need to get some kind of bushing puller and lock that into the socket and use a winch to pull it out while lubing it up too....

this is a NIGHTMARE :nails: :doh:

If you can check on a slide hammer style dent puller, maybe the end will be small enough to get in the socket? Just throwing out ideas now.

Also, you tried loosening the spark plug all the way and removing the whole assembly (socket and plug)?

I really pray they your threads in the head arent stripped from all this. If you havnt tried it yet I'd go to town with an impact hammer set on reverse. If the hex on the spark plug isnt rounded off too bad you might get lucky and spin it out with the socket attached. If the hex on the spark plug is rounded off from all the abuse, even if you get the socket off your going to probably have to pull the head to remove the plug. When you finally do get the plug out be sure to give the threads in the head a good inspection from crossthread damage / stripping ect before installing a new plug.

Another thing you can try to pull upward with pretty good force is use a long pick or bend the tip of a long flat head screwdriver 90 deg to make a lip that can grab the underside of the socket through the center hole. Then drill a hole in a piece of wood or metal pipe just big enough for the tip of the driver to go through but too small of the handle. Hook the screw driver into the socket and grap either side of the pipe/wood like you would handlebars and yank up HARD. The pipe/wood will travel up the shaft and hit the handle of the screwdriver and pull it up with a good ammount of force. You might need your Dad to hold the screw driver in place while you yank up.

I really pray they your threads in the head arent stripped from all this. If you havnt tried it yet I'd go to town with an impact hammer set on reverse. If the hex on the spark plug isnt rounded off too bad you might get lucky and spin it out with the socket attached. If the hex on the spark plug is rounded off from all the abuse, even if you get the socket off your going to probably have to pull the head to remove the plug. When you finally do get the plug out be sure to give the threads in the head a good inspection from crossthread damage / stripping ect before installing a new plug.

Another thing you can try to pull upward with pretty good force is use a long pick or bend the tip of a long flat head screwdriver 90 deg to make a lip that can grab the underside of the socket through the center hole. Then drill a hole in a piece of wood or metal pipe just big enough for the tip of the driver to go through but too small of the handle. Hook the screw driver into the socket and grap either side of the pipe/wood like you would handlebars and yank up HARD. The pipe/wood will travel up the shaft and hit the handle of the screwdriver and pull it up with a good ammount of force. You might need your Dad to hold the screw driver in place while you yank up.

thanks dude, we got it out by using two bent flat heads and ALOT of force along with alternating with a locking extension to rotate it just to the weakest position that would let us pull up on it... it was ridiculous how stuck it was in there...

after i pulled the plug, some metal shavings fell into the cylinder from the socket rubbing against the walls so tightly.. i tried to get it out with a magnet but there was some still left in there.. is that bad?

anyway.. the car started and runs normal now :D that'll teach me to ALWAYS use spark plug sockets when trying to remove a spark plug

WOW

thanks for all the help everyone :clap:

Magnet wouldn't work on aluminum shavings - should use a vacuum cleaner and a piece of hose. And the rest of us want to know WHAT SIZE SOCKET did you stuff in there?

it was an 11/16 deep socket haha

YEAHAaaa try a 5/8" next time LOL OH MAN that IS a tight fit . . . 1/16" larger and it gets stuck woweeewow.

Magnet wouldn't work on aluminum shavings - should use a vacuum cleaner and a piece of hose. And the rest of us want to know WHAT SIZE SOCKET did you stuff in there?
If the shavings are from the plug and or socket a magnet will get them. But next time I'd vaccume as well to be safe haha.

well hopefully the shavings have either melted in side the cylinder or passed out the valves,it will score up the cylinder walls pretty bad,pay attention for smoke from exhasut,that meens il is passing the rings now and that is never good.

You would not get steel shavings only some aluminum from the socket ribbing on the valve cover gasket as the socket passed by it then probably got stuck on it. Probably som eof the weldbond too. It should just blow out the exhaust - the piston /cylinder wall gap is pretty tight and the plug hole is centered over the piston so it should sit on the piston and then fly right out the exhaust port when she starts up. It's more of a valve seat problem or CAT problem than a piston ring problem.

Eh, its just aluminum. As long as it was tiny little shavings it shouldn't hurt anything in the combustion chamber. Glad you got the socket out, next time size it up on a sparkplug in hand :)