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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 7:43 am Post subject: Can't get my spark plug wires off the plug |
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Why does everything on this van have to be so difficult. I cannot for the life of me get the stupid plug wires off the plugs. I have the ones with the metal part around the plug connection. Is there a trick to it, or do I just yank the living crap out of it and destroy the plug wire?
1986 Westy |
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AtlasShrugged
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2008
Posts: 1605
Location: Decatur, Ga. USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:27 am Post subject: |
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Get a spark plug wire puller from your local auto parts store.
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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:48 am Post subject: |
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| Yes, those are nice, but I am pulling on the metal part just fine and it feels like a really strong rubber band is holding the plug wire on there. Is there some kind of special twisting motion or invisible clip I am not seeing? Just a plug wire right? Should pop off right? |
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T3 Pilot
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2011
Posts: 1509
Location: Deep South of the Great White North
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Twist 'n' Pull is the way to do it. The rubber inside the metal cover that you are yanking on is most likely baked on to the spark plug ceramic.
Who knows how long those wires have been in service, maybe they survive, maybe they don't. Handy tip to avoid this problem in the future is to lube the rubber with some silicone paste when re installing..... Also rember to clean out the area around where the plug threads in to the head and blow it out with compressed air, or vacuum it out if no air. Do this befor removing the spark plugs.
Now let's hope that the last person in there put anti seize on the plug threads......
Hang in there.
_________________
1988 Vanagon
The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel...... |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10242
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, they can be stubborn. Adding to the misery is that, unlike most ignition wires that snap on the metal cap at the top of the plug, VWs remove that cap and grab the remaining threads. That helps make a secure connection.
You might be able to get some penetrating oil to creep in there (e.g. PBlaster) though the angle of attack is not ideal. |
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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Got them off without destroying the plug wires. Geezzz! Anyway, blew air in there and sprayed some PB blaster to sit overnight. Checked my distributor cap and rotor and they look fine, but what's with that metal cup around the cap with the ground strap? I swear, everything is a little different on this car. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32989
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Rodknock wrote: |
| Got them off without destroying the plug wires. Geezzz! Anyway, blew air in there and sprayed some PB blaster to sit overnight. Checked my distributor cap and rotor and they look fine, but what's with that metal cup around the cap with the ground strap? I swear, everything is a little different on this car. |
Different than????
As far as German cars of that era go, it was quite normal. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen......... A lot of similarities, even some interchangeability at times of some parts.
If you are comparing to a newer Asian car, yes, they are different than German Cars.
Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10242
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Rodknock wrote: |
| ...I swear, everything is a little different on this car. |
Yeah, those kooky German engineers. Just because they got us to the Moon they think they know the best way to do everything. |
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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, my BMW E30 325i doesn't have one, but that's a whole different animal:) |
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Vanagator
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2009
Posts: 230
Location: Cool lush mountains in Mexico
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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Not only are Vanagons different, so are the drivers....Thats why we ROCK!
L8R G8R  |
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morymob
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007
Posts: 4683
Location: east-tn
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:55 am Post subject: |
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| Twist the metal end so u see theslot in the metal cover I use a screwdriver to pop it loose. |
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:47 am Post subject: |
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This weekend, I had an "emergency call" for assistance by a new Vanagon Syncro Westy owner.
The van kept cutting out and would not idle smoothly.
Guess what the issue was?
Yank on the wires and you will break the internal connection of the plug housing.
These wires had less than 500 miles on them but were destroyed in a matter of seconds.
I use a Blue Point plug wire cap puller as pictured. |
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T3 Pilot
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2011
Posts: 1509
Location: Deep South of the Great White North
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:58 am Post subject: |
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| Syncro Pilot wrote: |
Handy tip to avoid this problem in the future is to lube the rubber with some silicone paste when re installing.....
Hang in there. |
_________________
1988 Vanagon
The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel...... |
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:01 am Post subject: |
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No lube needed if you have the proper tools and technique.
Don't yank on the wires. |
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geo_tonz
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2012
Posts: 1473
Location: Courtenay, BC, CANADA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| insyncro wrote: |
| No lube needed if you have the proper tools and technique. |
If they truly were baked onto the plugs replace them! I would take that as a sign of their age and likely had a few ham-fists yank on the wires. Even if they "look OK". Easier to take care of it now than on the road as insyncro showed. at the very least test them with a multimeter and wiggle them a bit while doing it to make sure they're good.
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 "Ron Burgundy": 1991 Vanagon Multivan (Weekender) 2.1L Auto - Driver/Camper |
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Rodknock
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 516
Location: Boulder CO
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| I pulled on the metal part only and finally they all came off after a lot of pulling and twisting. I don't know why they were on there so tight. They had 30k miles on them (same with plug wires, cap and rotor that all looked fine). I got everything back together with the new plugs in. Used a little anti-seize on the plug threads, and a little dry silicon lube on the white part of the plugs. Runs like a champ, slow as ever! |
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