I was doing some maintenance on my car, and i went to go change the spark plugs but they wouldn't come out no matter how much i turned them. I'm not a noob when it comes to maintenance, i made sure the car had been off all day before attempting this, so the head was cold, thus no problems with the heated aluminum head. Does this mean the plugs are threaded in there and now need to be machined out? What are my options? And how much should this cost me if it must be machined?

The car runs rich, so sooner or later the plugs will probably be fuel fouled and the car wont run properly unless they're changed. I have a spare full H22 head, some stage 2 cams, valve springs, and retainers laying around. Would replacing the head with the spare one and upgraded components i have be the cheapest way to go? If i were to DIY it, what would i need? I've changed LS heads before, but never on an H22. The biggest thing i'm afraid of is setting the valve lash and replacing the valves and valve seats and whatnot, because i'm not sure if the valves in the spare head are good. Everything looks in spec, I've just never used the head so i have no clue.

I've estimated i'd need the following for changing the head:
-exhaust manifold gasket
-Headgasket
-headstuds
-valve spring compressor
-feeler gauges for valve lash
-torque wrench and specs for head stud bolts
...what am i missing?


Any help/advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

None of the spark plugs will come out?? Somebody facked something up than.

Just to make sure this isn't user error, so you got an extension on the socket ( which needs to be the deep spark plug socket of course right)? Nomatter how much you spin the spark plug counter clock wise it won't back out at all, on all four of them?

I don't think I've heard such a thing happening to all four plugs simotaniously unless they all were cranked in way beyond torque specs. Who replaced the plugs in it last? I think I'd go saw his head off with a lawn mower; crude but effective.

I think a better option rather than pulling the head right away is to find some really long needle nose pliers and get at the spark plug head and pull out as your turning counter-clock wise. I think with enough outward force (which you can't really apply with a socket even if its magnetic; maybe if it was super magnetic or an electro-magnet perhaps).

Good luck, maybe someone else has an idea that has actually been done on a situation like this.

 

yeah i did just that. extension on the spark plug socket, turning counter clockwise, and nothing happens. last person to change them was my mechanic back in october, and trust me i'm highly pissed about it. If i could find a set of needle nose pliers that long i'd definitely try it.

Anyone else able to help?

 

Are you sure that you're actually getting down to the hex on the plugs? Sometimes the spark plug sockets have a rubber insert on them that helps pick the plugs up out of the hole, and it can make you feel like you're fully on the plug when you aren't.

I can't really imagine that you could do anything that drastic to such a small set of threads in the head, they may or may not have been crossthreaded, but they should still come out.