spark plug nightmare

[Qxxx4]

so as promised i brought the q to my mechanic friend who works at ford and they let them bring their own cars in after 5. First 5 plugs, total joke. so easy. then that pesky number 6 plug....yeah you guessed it, the boot wasnt so bad, but 2.5 hours getting at the plug and its still in there.

By 8 the shop had to close and we were out of time so im leaving it there and i wont get it back until tuesday earliest. The problem? the old plug broke at the tip, its still removeable but we def wont be driving it until its replaced. I DONT have that special tool. I looked everywhere and i dont friggin have it. If i did this would be so much easier. I had 3 mechanics trying and nobody could get it.

they managed to get onto something and loosen it a bit, were hoping it was the spark plug! any chance it could have been somethign else?

My friend says hes planning on taking the intake (i think?) out and itll make it much easier to reach the plug, but said id have to get a new gasket for it which i dont mind

any ideas? I dont know what ima do for the next few days im going nuts already, gotta drive my dad to work and roll around in his 06 frontier...its nice, but its not MY Q!!!!!

gaaahh i wish i had that special tool. they used all kinds of ujoints. u can barely even see the plug my 6 foot 2 friend was litterally on top of the motor and could barely see it. WHAT WERE THOSE ENGINEEERS THINKING!

i wanted to also change my fuel filter.....damn i owe my friend a whole lot more than a 2-4 now!

[Buzzman]

Can you still get that tool from a dealer?Might be worth it.

[K03sport]

WHAT WERE THOSE ENGINEEERS THINKING!

They weren't...because their job was to design the engine and stuff it into the engine bay. Their job was not to work on it.

I wonder when that special tool was developed...at the time of design by the same engineers or later, after mechanics complained having had to get at the plug???

Lights and mirrors. Sorry you're having soo much trouble with it. At least it isn't plugs 7 and 8 on a Corvette motor.

[fueler]

oh wow im sorry to hear that! i would go to a junkyard and get the tool. It likely would have saved you all this trouble.

and take a look at the firewall... theres this ridge that sticks out (perfect to slice your hand on) and theres a notch in the ridge, plus 6 is straight down from that notch

[W O T]

Could always hit up that junkyard i told ya about and grab the tool, I doubt its missing from both of the cars

Coulda saved ya a nice headache, I wouldnt want someone ripping off my intake though, experienced or not, to many sensors and finicky electrics

[Qxxx4]

where in the vehicle would the tool be located?

[Qxxx4]

and W O T, you have the 3.5 right but did it come with the tool? could i borrow yours if you have it?

[pathfinder9035]

im not understanding what tool u guys are talking about. the spark plug socket?

i did my spark plugs with ease...well took my throttle body off and intake to get to sparkers number 4 and 6 but oother than that it was a 1 hour job.

[Qxxx4]

im not understanding what tool u guys are talking about. the spark plug socket?

i did my spark plugs with ease...well took my throttle body off and intake to get to sparkers number 4 and 6 but oother than that it was a 1 hour job.

the tool is this bar that hooks onto an extension and is curved at the end to fit through the impossible area UNDER the firewall and BEHIND the motor lol

the 3.5s dont have the impossible #6 spark plugs i think

no joke, 3 mechanics in 2.5 hours couldnt get the damn thing out, one of them DID a 3.3 before too! and he even said it took forever without that tool.

[bmlawless]

It's located with your jack under the back seat. Mine's in a plastic bag labeled "Spark Plug Tool"

[fueler]

i gotta go back to the post before you did the plugs....

i would use the Nissan tool, it makes everything easier. Theres an indentation in the firewall to help guide you down to plug 6. I wouldn't attempt plug 6 with swivels and extensions but im sure it can be done, it would just be unnecessarily frustrating.

its possible that the 6th plug is now broken AS A RESULT of using extensions and swivels (maybe the socket wasnt on all the way when he twisted)

either way... depending on where the plug is broken, you still might be able to remove it with the nissan tool. Throw the swivels and extensions in the garbage!

[W O T]

Ya sorry man I got the 3.5 I didnt need the tool, so I dont have one.

Id get the tool at a yard this weekend though, theres gotta be one somewhere, then just pull the plug out the proper way instead of removing more parts just to use more swivel bits and such

[Qxxx4]

well im sorta S.O.L. I tried the dealership and they have no tool. I cant go to the junkyard because my dads working tommorow all day, im super screwed lol I doubt the junkyard would have the tool...ill call tommorow though and see and maybe I can find a way to get out there

[fueler]

are u sure you didnt have it in the leather case under the rear seat? the nissan tool looks like a pipe (i dont know if you saw my pic or not) how the hell did i get so lucky as to have the tool and nobody else does?!?

[Qxxx4]

theres no leather tool pouch. just the jack itself, the long bar to lower the tire, and that 90 degree bent bar with the lugnut socket

could you post a pic of your tool? maybe we can recreate it lmao

[fueler]

see the two round pipes, the longer one is for plugs 1-5 and the shorter one is for plug #6 Its very simple - the only reason it works so well is because its the perfect length, if you use that notch on the firewall as a guide, the tool will basically land itself on the plug and then you use the bent tool (with two bends in it - not the tire iron) to twist the spark plug tool (cause theres no room by the firewall)

i hope that makes sense, good luck man car problems SUCK!

[Qxxx4]

how about i just light up that cigar and walk away.

LOL ive scowered every inch of my q and i dont have that bag/those tools minus the lugnut wrench.

Yet the q is at the shop still, away from me and i somehow feel like looking for it YET AGAIN.

this blows. im so worried that the plug is going to BREAK inside the motor

i just want the q in my hands. i got a 400km road trip planned next weekend and it better be ready for me.

I get so worried and nervous. i feel like a stupid thing like this will mess everyhting else up and id have a slew of problems

then id sell my q and get an oldschool bimmer. LOL

[GRNMACHINE]

What was the outcome??????????????????????

[Qxxx4]

the outcome was i found someone to lend me the special tool and the plug was removed and changed in 20 mins...GET THAT TOOL!@

[GRNMACHINE]

Read the other posts too, trying to read as much as I can. Finally found some great places for Pathfinder info. Thanks and glad the outcome was good.

[pathy1217]

Hey thanks for the info, i always wondered what those pipes were for and i just left the #6 plug because i didnt know how to get to it. I read this info and just did the #6 in about 10 minutes. Thanks

[30stephen]

I just finished my plug jobs .this is how its done lay on top of engine ,place a light and a mirror along the wall and you will find the plug with the boot alreadly off (i hope) then take the special tool or extentions with universal socket and place on plug . It will take a little time but you will get it .Try to keep the mirror and light in place and replace plug AND BOOT.. buy mirror from auto parts place .