Plug wrench

[911tr8r]

started tune up and come to find that none of my plug wrench sockets will fit over the plug. There is not enough room to fit a gnats ass tween the plug and head. DId a search and could find nothing. THanks.
2.8 Koln. ( german spelling)

 

[DanR]

What engine? WHat are the plugs?

 

[911tr8r]

Hi Dan, at the bottom of my text it shows Koln 2.8
IOW it is a 2.8L Ford Cologne V6. AUtolight 65 plugs. Everything seems to be correct. Ford plugs for a ford engine so I figure I need some special plug wrench. I could grind down one of my other sockets but that would take forever and wear out my grinder.

 

[DanR]

The plugs you identified above are not yhe correct ones IMO..... See the type in my PIC for a better selection.

They require a 5/8" socket.

 

[911tr8r]

well dan I am now up the creek without a paddle. The plugs that you show are far thinner than the AUtolights. I guess I will have to modify my 13/16. If I start grinding now I should be done by the weekend. : ()
I appreciate the suggestion on the plugs. After I pulled the VCs I saw lots of gunk. Do you have a suggestion as to what to add to the oil to clean the muck. Back in the day we put a QT of kerosene into the oil but the world of chemistry must have improved vastly in the last 50yrs.

 

[DanR]

I used to run exclusively Quaker State in my '58 Impala 409 cu in. That was from 1962 til I left for SEA May 4, 1967 when I sold my Pride and Joy.

I have been runnibg Rotella 15-40 in every vehicle I own for years. Backhoes, bulldozers, Ford, Chevy, my '03 Dodge Cummins and the Alpines whether 4 cyc or the V6's.

Lots of discussions on Pro's and Cons.

I will stick to Rotella

 

[Bill Blue]

It's called "Dancing with the one that brought you". My experience with Rotella 15w40 lasted only a few miles in the Pinto 2.0. But it was a good experience and the Rotella seemed to quiet the usual noises associated with engines of that era.
Bill

 

[MikeH]

well dan I am now up the creek without a paddle. The plugs that you show are far thinner than the AUtolights. I guess I will have to modify my 13/16. If I start grinding now I should be done by the weekend. : ()
I appreciate the suggestion on the plugs. After I pulled the VCs I saw lots of gunk. Do you have a suggestion as to what to add to the oil to clean the muck. Back in the day we put a QT of kerosene into the oil but the world of chemistry must have improved vastly in the last 50yrs.

VCs = valve covers? You might try running some Marvel Mystery Oil. It worked to loosen up the lifters in my 57 Olds. Or maybe some SeaFoam. Also, have you tried to find thin walled sockets?

 

[911tr8r]

ok Mike i will try the mystery oil. Has anyone tried the Ranger forums for the kind of exotic issue that I am having now? In order to pull the AUTOLIGHT plugs the socket would have to be paper thin.

 

[DanR]

Marvel Mystery Oil.

I used the oil many times too.

 

[911tr8r]

I have tried thin walled sockets but the thing that makes me most hopeful is from a post on youtube. Cut a slot in the socket. That is my next try. I figure the plugs cant be in too tight cause there is no way a socket could get in there. Of course someone might have put loctight in the there and then it is going to be many rounds of penetrating oil

 

[MikeH]

Just watched a you tube on cutting a slot in the socket. The reason for that was due to tight clearance trying to get the socket on the plug. The slot allows the socket to slip over the plug on an angle. Would a stiff tight fitting hose, like a fuel line, provide enough friction to turn the plug by the insulator. I mean tight where it would nearly have to be hammered on to the plug. Maybe come up with a way to attach the hose to a small impact, so the shock could loosen it.

 

[MikeH]

And you’re certain it’s a cologne 2.8? Looking at some pictures, it doesn’t look like the plugs are that deep in a hole. I’d take a look at my heads, but they are at the bottom of a stack of parts, somewhere in my garage. Dan, how do yours look?

 

[Barry]

And you’re certain it’s a cologne 2.8? Looking at some pictures, it doesn’t look like the plugs are that deep in a hole. I’d take a look at my heads, but they are at the bottom of a stack of parts, somewhere in my garage. Dan, how do yours look?

Suspicious minds think alike. I found this picture by DanR in the darkside section of the gallery.



The spark plug holes are clearly visible and it looks like there is room for a Crescent wrench.

A couple of good pictures from the OP would help.

 

[911tr8r]

Success!!. I do not know for certain it is a 2.8L. Can only go by what seller told me. Distributor is in the rear. If the correct plugs were installed I could use a CRESCENT wrench to get plugs out BUT they are Autolite E6. What worked for me was soaking plugs in penetrating oil. Then took PLUMBER SOCKET which is made of such soft metal that if it is dropped they would flatten. (joke). Took me a few minutes to grind down to almost paper thin. I think the wrong plugs were put in finger tight with Loctite cause after one hard pull they came right out.

 

[DanR]

In POST #14 that barry posted the engine is a FORD COlogne 2.8 V6 with a unique exhaust port arrangement (Siamese) with two of the ports near merging together.

Do you have a PIC of yours

 

[gatkeper1]

Success!!. I do not know for certain it is a 2.8L. Can only go by what seller told me. Distributor is in the rear. If the correct plugs were installed I could use a CRESCENT wrench to get plugs out BUT they are Autolite E6. What worked for me was soaking plugs in penetrating oil. Then took PLUMBER SOCKET which is made of such soft metal that if it is dropped they would flatten. (joke). Took me a few minutes to grind down to almost paper thin. I think the wrong plugs were put in finger tight with Loctite cause after one hard pull they came right out.

Early 2.8 use a plug that has a gasket later ones are taper seat. Both I believe are 14mm threads. Be sure to look at the seating area on the head. Flat sealing surface means gasketed plugs, Taper sealing means the later engines with taper seat plugs

 

[911tr8r]

Interesting cause O'Reily's only shows one plug for all versions of Ranger V6, however the plugs I pulled out had a gasket and were AUtolite 65 which have a taper but then someone put a gasket that was thick enough to eliminate the taper. The new ones I got were NGK TR5GP and have a taper at the bottom. After a close look in the head i can't telll whether the head is tapered. Does anyone know how to tell if the plug hole is tapered like by VIN# or # on the head. It is a "Siamese" head with the letter "D" stamped in the casting. Anyone see an issue with putting the tapered plug into flat hole? Only thing I can think of is that a nano leak would cause a small reduction in compression. The pic is to illustrate how huge the Autolite is compared to the NGK

 

[gatkeper1]

Autolite 65 are a gasket plug with no taper. The Ford Ranger came out in 1983 and the head used taper seat plugs The 2.8 in the Mustang ll used gasketed plugs 74-77. If the engine was indeed out of a Ranger then the taper seat plug would be correct. Use of the improper plug would cause a compression leak and the hot exhaust gas leakage could erode the plug sealing area

 

[911tr8r]

Autolite 65 are a gasket plug with no taper. The Ford Ranger came out in 1983 and the head used taper seat plugs The 2.8 in the Mustang ll used gasketed plugs 74-77. If the engine was indeed out of a Ranger then the taper seat plug would be correct. Use of the improper plug would cause a compression leak and the hot exhaust gas leakage could erode the plug sealing area

how right you r. Upon closer look the Autolites are flat seat HOWEVER they can't be correct cause of the issue of there only being space between tween head and plug to slip in a piece of paper. I guess I will check for NGK TR5 with no taper. While incorrect teh car ran fine on AUtolites.