One spark plug very hard to remove

[Safety Guy]

Just a question, as I think I can get this out just fine. After a short trip to get new plugs the warmer head seems to allow easier plug removal.

My #2 plug was extremely hard to move at all. I used plenty of PBB and took my time, but only after I got back from the short trip did it seem to help.

All my NGK plugs look pretty worn at the electrode. I'm replacing them with copper Autolites, so we'll see how my fuel economy does going to Ohiostiva and back.

Any idea why that one plug was so difficult? I'm pretty sure I used anti-seize on all of them when I put them in. That would have been around last February, over a year ago.

#1 was hard but came out after some coaxing
#2 was difficult!
#3 and #4 were easy-peasy

Karl

[bravekozak]

I have a metric tap specifically for spark plug holes. It's always a good idea to clean them up if plugs have a hard time coming out. Never over torque spark plugs.

[Safety Guy]

Ah, that's a good idea. Probably just a buildup of dirt and grime.

Everything went back in okay, and I put anti-seize on the new plugs. Now for a test drive.

Thanks,

Karl

[drddan]

I had that same issue with my B3. Anti-seize and all, didnt help. Had to use a breaker bar on the plug to break it loose. :eeeeeek:

Kozak. What is that thread size?

[Safety Guy]

Uh-oh. Now my car's not starting!

I put the old cap back on, because the new one looked a bit different. I'm using a new rotor, which looks just like the old one. No start.

I checked all the plug wires and their order. Okay.

Coil wire is on. No start.

She turns strong, so it's not the battery or batt connections.

Either something's wrong with the rotor or the plugs, methinks.

I'm checking on the plugs now: Autolite copper core #64.

Karl

[shadetree]

Did you remove the rotor , three position get ya ??
It can be installed three dif ways , im sure you know this as well as i do .
but it still gets me !!!

[Safety Guy]

MAYBE THAT'S IT! I just put it in, without recalling which way.

How do I know which way?

Going back out...

Karl

[shadetree]

You wont that i know of ? I just move it to the next spot if thats not it then move it again haha .

[bravekozak]

P&N
M14 X 1.25 mm
Metric Spark Plug Hand Tap
ISO Class 2 HSS(high speed steel)
Ground Thread
Bottoming

[Safety Guy]

YES!! That was it. I had to switch the rotor twice, but the second time she fired right up.

Shadetree, thank you very very much!!

Karl

[crazyrog17]

Close call, Ohiostiva's in a few hours!

[drddan]

P&N
M14 X 1.25 mm
Metric Spark Plug Hand Tap
ISO Class 2 HSS(high speed steel)
Ground Thread
Bottoming

Dang. YOU know your taps.

Thank you very much! I know exactly what you just described.. I thought by looking at it, it might be 14 mil, but the pitch, I did not know.

I think we may have that size at work. :p

[denguy]

If you are going to run a tap in the sparkplug hole then put some heavy grease on the tap to catch the stuff that gets scraped off the threads and hopefully keep it out of the cylinder.

[Bert]

Did you remove the rotor , three position get ya ??
It can be installed three dif ways , im sure you know this as well as i do .
but it still gets me !!!

This three position rotor business sure is downright irritating and there is no forewarning about it either. A serious design flaw in my estimation. I have never encountered this feature on any other car/truck I've owned in the past 40 years. Rotor is/was single position on every one of them.
Anyone got any insight into why Mazda would do something like this?