replacing plugs in 94 camry 4 cyl - stiuck boots

[Donald]

I got new plugs and wires and cap and rotor for this beater. I pulled the first spark plug wire (this has them down the tube) and my cheap spark plug socket could not lock on the hex of the plug so I decided it was a cheap spark plug socket and bought a better one. Again pulled the wire and the better socket fit fine and removed the plug with no problem. Went on to the next plug and pulled it and had same problem where socket could not lock on to the hex of the plug. Then I looked at the two wires and realized there was a 3/4" boot at the bottom of the plastic section of the wire that had stuck on the plug and the plastic section (of the wire) just pulled off this boot. No matter how hard one pushes you cannot get the socket to lock of the hex of the plug.

So how does one get these stuck boots off that are 5" down the tube. Its hot outside (engine is cool) about 85-90F.

So, maybe when its cooler the boot will come off with the plastic section. The plastic section does have 2 ridges to catch the boot. Or maybe get some caulk or rubber cement and glue the plastic section to the boot, wait till dry and remove. Find something like a long pick that I can stick down the hold and grab the boot.

The new wires have some glue visable glueing the boot to the plastic section.

Note to self - do not buy wires where the boots are not glued to the wires.

 

[Donald]

I made a hook from a straight section of coat hanger with the cut off end turned 90 degrees for maybe 1/4". When I got it hooked properly under the boot it was tough to pull up but in the end the boot stuck. I am thinking these boots are really stuck to the porcelain of the plug.

 

[huffmuds9320]

I had the same exact problem on the 92 Camry, same engine. But in my case 3 of the 4 boots seemed to be stuck down there.

I tried using a wire to fish it out but no success. Putting glue on the plastic part didn't work either but I suspect if you use some adhesive that is designed for rubber and plastic then it might work. What I did was take a long needle nose plier and take it out. I find if it was warmer it was easier to take out because the rubber is softer and more flexible.

To help prevent it from happening next time put a little bit of dielectric grease on the porcelin(white part) of the spark plug. I never had a problem with the OEM wires but had this problem when I got a set of aftermarket ones.

 

[wantin150]

LONG needle nose pliers.

 

[alanu]

Donald, NGK are pretty well on of the few that actually glue/slicon the boot to the wire.

NGK has to be one of the best reliable wiresets out there.

 

[Eddie]

Use a very small amount of dielectric grease on the inside of the new boots to ease the job next time. I used a long forceps to get my broken books out.

 

[mstrjon32]

This problem is usually avoided by twisting the boot as you remove it...

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: mstrjon32
This problem is usually avoided by twisting the boot as you remove it...


I tried, but you twist it and the plastic piece just twists within the boot. Need to twist the boot on the plug.

Now if I had known this before I started I could have twisted each wire connector as I pulled it off. But would it have just twisted within the boot or twisted the boot. Bottom line, all wiresets should have the boot glued to the plastic connector. Do not buy a wireset if its not.

 

[Quest]

There are some boot pullers that come in a form of a hook at the end, for pulling spark plug boots.

As to how to prevent this from happening again to your Camry (as well as all other Camry/Corolla 4/6, use some silicone dielectric grease to lubricate the boot inner area.

Lastly: not all spark plug wires are created equal: I had my fair share of frustration with stuck boots on my wifey's previous 4-runner Vee6: torn 4 out of 6 Bosch spark plug wire boots...and ditto with her current Camry V6. Finally cut the crab by purchasing the factory OE wire kit (Yazaki 6mm) and never failed on me ever since (been on there for 4 yrs, and went through 3 spark plug changes already).

Q.

 

[mechtech2]

Some boots get STUCK! I mean really fused to the plug!
Cut or break things as necessary to get the plugs out to replace them.

 

[Donald]

OK, all done. my local Advance Auto did not have extra-long needle nose pliers nor any boot pullers.

I got 2 of 4 boots out with no trouble. The 3rd I used a long screwdriver to unstick the boot from the plug, when I reinserted the plastic section of the spark plug wire it picked up the boot and it came out. Now down to one stubborn one. I again tried to use the long screwdriver to loosen the boot, but ended up tearing it. Got most of it out, then pulled the plug and got a little more then my wire hook and got even more. Started the engine with that plug out to blow any pieces I might not have seen that got into the cylinder.

The somewhat cheap wires I was removing also did not have locking ends connecting to the cap. The previous wires did as do the ones I replaced the cheap wires with. Also used the dielectric grease on the boot area. but these boots seem to be glued to the plastic section so I would not expect the boots to ever come off.