top regular maintenance

[Pillarian]

What do you all use when getting the oil out of the plug wells? I know that the oil cannot go into the combustion chamber. The oil must be blown out; that much I know. Does mixing in parts solvent work, just blow it out with compressed air, or maybe WD40? Oh. Yes, I will cover it with a rag before I blow out the oil. Not doing that could make a REAL mess.

Thanks.

 

[shojuan]

LOT'S of ways to go about it. Do what is convenient and clean enough to keep you from cussing.

You can:

stick some blue paper shop towel on the end of a stick to mop it up. It helps to spray solvent to thin it out and get all the grime in solution.

use the suction end of a spray bottle's sprayer that you have rightly appropriated for the task and "pump" the **** out into a rag.

Use compressed air (I don't have compressed air, I use CO2 from my beer dispensing/welding bottle instead) to blow it into a rag you hold around the hole.

Any combination of the above.

The use of a good spray solvent like Berryman's B12 (cheap **** should be fine for this lowly task...it's just oil and dirt, not baked on) is highly recommended to get everything nice and clean...confidently clean. That is, clean enough where you are sure nothing will fall into the spark plug hole when pulling the plug. Solvent and mop on a stick work REALLY well. Solvent and compressed gas work well too. The suction idea, while I haven't tried, will be good for getting bulk amounts out of there without drama or noise.

I also HIGHLY recommend an extra long spark plug socket. I will quote myself from over a year ago and save you a search:

I'm a big advocate of using this spark plug socket for changing SHO plugs: EVERCRAFT TOOLS extended 5/8" spark plug socket part # 775-9052. The socket is a 3/8 drive, 4-1/2" long and retains the plug. I had my local Napa special order me one and it was well worth the $10 or so I spent. Sure a regular 5/8" spark plug socket on an extension will work. But this one will work better. Plus less chance of stripping plug threads. Try it, you'll like it! :thumbs_u:

 

[Rockledge]

As mentioned, there is more than one effective way to do it. A lot of people will unscrew the trigger portion of a spray bottle and use it to pump the crud out, spraying it into a rag or container. Works well, from what I hear.

Myself, I used a mini Shop-Vac with some small attachments made for tight areas like that. Something else I thought about was to make my own vacuum attachment using a piece of rubber hose...

Rick's advice about a good spark plug socket is worth serious consideration. Don't know what I would do without mine. The one I got from Napa has the universal joint built right in. I think it's a couple more bucks now.