TR5tar Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 About three years ago now, my son dumped his old Renault Clio (from 1995) on my driveway and has not bothered with it since. And so, rather than doing work on the TR and bu****ing it up, I told him that I was going to practice on his old car, before I have to send it off to the scrapyard. First things first, I thought I'd lubricate the upper cylinders, following the advice provided in a thread I started a couple of days back. Three plugs came out reasonably easily, but one was stuck sold and difficult to get a bite on. Socket now just slips round it. My question then, now can it be removed? Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 OMG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 OMG That doesn't fill me with confidence Roger. I might be hopeless, but at least I'm smart enough not to try these things on my own car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) Hi Darren, there are some sockets on ebay that are filled with rods and can grip almost anything. Something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-PRO-Professional-4Pc-Stud-Extractor-Chrome-Vanadium-Socket-Set-6-12mm-/281634356783?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4192b73e2f Roger Edited March 26, 2015 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rawls Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 My daughter had a Clio - they are made of cheese! Wait until you strip the brakes down. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Try the nearest imperial size socket, tap it on (might take a fair whack or two !) then apply brute force . . . . . Cheers Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Make sure you use a hexagonal socket - not bi hex, this will give you the best chance. BTW Roger, I have one of those "needle type sockets, & have always found it to be completely useless ! Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi Darren, there are some sockets on ebay that are filled with rods and can grip almost anything. Something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-PRO-Professional-4Pc-Stud-Extractor-Chrome-Vanadium-Socket-Set-6-12mm-/281634356783?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4192b73e2f Roger Roger, My limited experience is that they can round almost anything! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pinky Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi I think you need one of these Irwin bolt grip, brake of the white porcelain and put the bolt grip on it Run a realizing agent around the plug Job done, great bit of kit sits in your tool box for years but when you need it it really gets you out of the **** I expect the corrosion has started because of dissimilar metals Pink Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 It's a Renault, therefore it corrodes, anywhere and everywhere . . . . and anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and sooner rather than later . . . . . and as for the bits that can't go wrong, it's a Renault, they just take a little longer . . . . Nothing wrong with a Renault that can't be solved with a scrapyard crusher, one foot cube and it won't go wrong again . . . . Cheers Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marki Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 How about a bit of heat first, usually frees thing up, if not grow some plants out of it. Good luck Mark Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions all. I'll let you know how I get on. Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vivdownunder Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 If you don't have Irwin Bolt Grips to get you out of the sh*t , try welding on a 12mm x 3/8" drive thinwall long socket. Best done with the insulator left on, as it guides the socket onto the metal part of the plug for welding. Viv Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Try the nearest imperial size socket, tap it on (might take a fair whack or two !) then apply brute force . . . . . Cheers Alec Bang on AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don H. Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Try the nearest imperial size socket, tap it on (might take a fair whack or two !) then apply brute force . . . . . Cheers Alec I don't think I've seen a rounded spark plug in my life. I'm with Alec here, especially for a scrap car. Find a six-point socket you can hammer on tight and get a big breaker bar. I'd also soak it with whatever penetrating oil you like (which does not include WD-40 IMO) for a few days prior to getting all gorilla on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Noel Maule Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Is it not possible to get the engine started and run up hot at all ? Then try some of the above advice, particularly that of using a good hex socket rather than multi point. The heat generated from a running engine may well do the trick. Noel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted March 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Thanks for the further suggestions. Funnily enough Noel, as the car is going to be scrapped anyway, I thought I'd stick the other plugs back in, stick the jump starter on it and give it a go. Couldn't believe it when it fired up first time, after about three years standing. It ran out of fuel after running about ten minutes, but I'll stick some more in and heat it up before trying again with offending plug, as suggested. Thanks, Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richard71 Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Reminds me of a mate of mine who years ago had a 2CV, he had real bother trying to remove one of the plugs, he eventually gave up, while driving it home the problem plug shot through the bonnet like an armour piercing bullet......seems his efforts did after all loosen it off and or damage the thread. I still have a giggle at that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don H. Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 BTW, spark plugs are normally a weird combination of metric threads and inch-based hex heads. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Reminds me of a mate of mine who years ago had a 2CV, he had real bother trying to remove one of the plugs, he eventually gave up, while driving it home the problem plug shot through the bonnet like an armour piercing bullet......seems his efforts did after all loosen it off and or damage the thread. I still have a giggle at that! Years ago when I ran a business restoring Jaguars we had a customer who liked to do his own servicing and he had managed to cross thread a plug in a Series 1 4.2 XJ6 engine, he thought it was tight whereas it was only in a few threads. Obviously not good in an ally head. So on a fast run the next day it had fired the plug right up through the very centre of the bonnet. Need less to say after the size of the bill to repair head and bonnet we had the car for servicing thereafter. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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