Rodney7286 Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Okay...i'm not an expert mechanic, but i've been rebuilding engines since i was about 10 i can turn a wrench with the best of them... i've read the posts....sure...putting plugs and wires in my 99 OBW with it's 2.5 DOHC, can be a bit tricky...but hey....it's spark plugs! Alright, let's start with the hardest one, move the washer resevoir,(i've read that helps) leave the battery, it's not really in the way. now the wire...ya..it's tight (but if i screw it up, got a new one sitting right here) POP! it's off...kewl...just like they said. Time for the plug,(wow...that's deep!) fiddle,wiggle,sqirm...kewl...sockets on. Of course i warmed up the engine, i've heard these things can be a bear to break loose. fiddle,wiggle,squirm...!the extension is in...ratchet in place, pull, smooth! it broke and is coming out nicely....couple more threads and i'm home...it's out!!! Hmmm! how do i get it out of the hole...not enought room, okay, long screwdriver, pop the ratchet off of the extension....!!!not enough room NOTE: trying to get the right combination of plug back in threads, ratchet off, plug out went on for better part of an hour, in which time i could no longer justify why i would rather pay myself then pay a shop for a mere plug and wire replacement. Alright I'M BEAT! i give up, one of my sockets dropped and rattled down into the neverlands of my subaru undercarrige never to be seen again (i know this because i spent another half an hour jacking up the car and crawling around looking for it) so...i'll just put it back together...back away slowly...and look for a subaru shop to pay my hard earned dollars to...to put in spark plugs! But....i'll have to wait another hour or so...cause that's how long it will take me to figure out how to get the stupid rubber guts of my plug socket off of the plug, since...evidently the wire won't fit over it.....and this thing runs really bad on 3. to those of you....who have 2.5L DOHC engines, and change your own Spark Plugs. I shall bow in your presence.....for i am not worthy! EDIT: This was meant to be more Humorous than anything else, i did find it rather funny that i got beat so bad by a spark plug and i did give up, but....with all this helpful advice....and staring at the ceiling thinking about it all night....i shall try again so....in about an hour....it's once more under the hood....thanx all for your suggestions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a97obw Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 By far, the easiest way to remove the spark plugs from the 2.2 engines is to use the tools Subaru gave you in the tool kit that came with the car, namely the doo dad that one end fits the spark plug and the other end fits the tire iron. As for the 2.5 DOHC, the easiest method to get the plugs back in (as well as the 2.2) is to use a piece of 5/16 fuel line about a foot long, stick the insulator end of the spark plug in the end of the fuel line, slather on a bit of anti-seize and then using the fuel line to position and twist to get the plug started into the threads so you don't screw that part up. Then you can go to sockets or what have you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Okay...i'm not an expert mechanic, but i've been rebuilding engines since i was about 10i can turn a wrench with the best of them... [...] to those of you....who have 2.5L DOHC engines, and change your own Spark Plugs. I shall bow in your presence.....for i am not worthy! Hey, this is a "no genuflecting" zone! All you needed was the correct length 3/8" extension (2", or 3"?), the correct socket (mid-depth?), possibly a universal joint, a strong rod-shaped magnet or magnetic retrieval tool, and a 6" (approximately, use what length works for you) piece of rubber tubing that fits snugly (but not too snugly ) over the plug insulator. (I'm sure others will add to the list.) Oh, and lots of patience and some spare skin for grafts. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 As for the 2.5 DOHC, the easiest method to get the plugs back in (as well as the 2.2) is to use a piece of 5/16 fuel line about a foot long, that's great, i new about using the rubber hose to put them in.... i just couldn't get the old one out!!! there just isn't enough room between the valve cover and the frame to get anything in the hole, you have to assemble socket,extension, and ratchet one at a time in the hole. and once assembled....the extra length of the plug coming out of the head uses up the space...so now the ratchet is against the frame. i can't find a shorter extension. and i'm using the thinnest ratchet i can find. i tried using a socket on the outside of the hex on the socket instead of the extension....that's the one that dissapeared into neverland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 I use a little "remote grabber" thingy. It's sorta like an inverse choke cable with a spring-loaded thumb plunger at the operator end, and four flexible steel "fingers" at the work end. The fingers grab onto stuff when the you release your thumb off the plunger. I've had it for so long that I couldn't even tell you where I got it from. **** ******! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 I use a little "remote grabber" thingy. good idea...i have two of them....they both got destroyed while trying to get the rubber guts of my plug socket off of the plug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 In my experience the hardest part can be getting the plug wires off. Lubing them up somehow may not be a bad idea when replacing the plugs. I have had pretty good luck getting the plugs in and out using different length extensions and a swivel that has been stiffened with electrical tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a97obw Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Removing the spark plug socket after it has come loose from the extension can be a bear!......and by far the tool of choice if (not if but when!) that happens is a good old pair of semi-large hemostats. Either grab the socket by the flats or put the stats inside the square hole and spread them out while you retract the socket.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 Removing the spark plug socket after it has come loose from the extension can be a bear!......and by far the tool of choice if (not if but when!) that happens is a good old pair of semi-large hemostats. Either grab the socket by the flats or put the stats inside the square hole and spread them out while you retract the socket.:cool: it almost seems as if my car is built different then the ones you are talking about....there is no room to do anything, in fact it's starting to look like the only way to changed the plugs is to unbolt the motor mount and jack up the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a97obw Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Nah....we're definitely talking the same DOHC 2.5 engine in a legacy outback. It IS a close fit, but can be done. Look around and see if you can find the doo dad from your factory tool kit that fits the spark plugs and the tire iron. Use that doo dad with a socket the same size as the wheel lugs on your ratchet and I bet you can get them out no problem with that configuration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 After pulling my engine this week for a head gasket job and reading this post, I'm wondering if it would be easier to unhook the torque rod, remove the nuts from the two motor mounts and jack the engine up a few inches. I've changed the plugs before so I'm familiar with the restricted space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOMAD327 Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Once you remove the windshield washer bottle and battery (can probably just slide it forward on it’s tray a bit) on the left and the air inlet tube and mass air sensor and air cleaner box on the passenger side, access is fair doing a 2.5 in an outback. I would do the front plug first on each side, as they are slightly easier to do. What makes it the most hard is that the plugs are really far down inside the wells in the heads. The rear plugs on each side are harder because the frame rails are closer in the back. My problem was that an extension was needed, but there isn’t room to get one in with the socket attached. You have to slide the socket into the hole first, then slide in and assemble the extension, and finally attach the ratchet to the end of the extension. I immediately removed the sponge rubber plug protector from my socket, the reason being it will be extremely difficult to get the socket off the end of the plug and out of the hole if the rubber is gripping the spark plug. I didn’t want it on for plug removal either, because there is a lot of trial and error with your socket set as to what gives just the right length for getting the socket stack down into the hole. As I recall, what worked best for me was to use a plug socket in the rear, and then use a ratchet with a standard socket on it to turn the hex on top of the plug socket instead of using an extension. On the front plugs, a 3” extension worked pretty well with the regular spark plug socket and a ratchet. There was at least one plug which worked slightly better with a standard deepwell socket instead of the spark plug socket, but that was not a critical must have item! I would recommend having a small hand mirror on a stick or a ladies compact to be able to glance down into the well to see what’s happening. I’ve done a few of these cars, and on each one, at one time or another, the spark plug socket became slightly jammed on some aluminum protrusions of the head that were down deep in the well. The impression is that the threads are pulling rather than the socket is cocked and dragging. If you experience this, Use the mirror to reconnoiter. If in doubt, reverse direction, and the condition should go away if it’s not the threads. This usually happens when it’s just starting to go real good to scare the heck out of you. Going back in with new spark plugs, make sure you check the gap first, then lube the threads with an anti-seize compound. Make sure there is a washer on the plug or you will wonder later on if it was in fact there. The big trick to installation, is to have a piece of rubber hose that’s about three or four inches long and a snug fit on the top of the spark plug. Stick it down over the top of the plug and use it to guide the plug into place. Twirl the hose between your fingers and you can probably get the new plug in half to three quarters of the way which is time not spent with a socket wrench. This will also nearly eliminate the chance of starting the plug with the threads crossed. Putting all the stuff back on, make sure the three quarter inch hose that connects to the bottom of the intake tract after the air flow sensor is reconnected, The car will not run without the hose connected, and sometimes it slips off unseen during disassembly, and you don’t even realize it needs reconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 they are in, and i have to say the most tools i have ever used to put in a spark plug, and somebody else gave up... while #1,2,3 didn't look that bad, #4 was ugly worn down to nothing. it seems to have smoothed out the idle thanx again all for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 OK, I propose a group trip to Tokyo, to pay the crack-smoking "engineer" that did not test-fit the original EJ25 for acessability of regular maintainance items a visit. We just want to share our feelings with him about this engine. . . Yeah, that's it. . . share our feelings. pay no mind to the bats we are carrying. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 OK, I propose a group trip to Tokyo, to pay the crack-smoking "engineer" that did not test-fit the original EJ25 for acessability of regular maintainance items a visit. We just want to share our feelings with him about this engine. . . Yeah, that's it. . . share our feelings. pay no mind to the bats we are carrying. . . for a long time i have had the belief....everything from japan is made by one little guy working his behind off....then it goes out to a massive wharehouse where tens of thousands of people put different labels on Toyota, or Subaru or Honda...or Sony............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unverviking Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 I just completed the same thing on my 01 OBW 2 weeks ago. I do have to say that the driver's side ranked in the difficult range. It was a little easier than my 94 GMC Sonoma 4.3l V6 I did.. Had to access 2 of the 3 driver's side plugs thru the wheel well. The other had the "driveshaft" for the steering wheel next to it. I did spend a little over an hour on the driver's side alone. I spent about 25 of those minutes looking for the rest of my tools. We moved in Feb and my tools were scattered all over the place... I specifically was looking for my 3/8's universal joint and my "wobble" extension. It worked nicely in this case. It allows about a 30-45 degree angle from the back side of whatever you have it connected to (socket or extension) Where were the tools ?? I found them in the last place I looked... Under the passenger seat, as they were in my "roadside" craftsman kit I have under there... All in all I do have to say that it was still worth it to not have to pay for the labor. I would definately do it again... Since I plan to own the car for quite awhile longer, I know I will... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney7286 Posted March 27, 2006 Author Share Posted March 27, 2006 All in all I do have to say that it was still worth it to not have to pay for the labor. I would definately do it again... Since I plan to own the car for quite awhile longer, I know I will... yes....definitly a feeling of accomplishment, and if i paid a dealer, they might have skipped #4 also, it had been ignored alot. i'm just going to drive real slow so it takes a long time before i have to do that again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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