Mitsubishi Forum - Mitsubishi Enthusiast Forums - How to Remove Spark Plug Tubes: 2002 Montero Sport XLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc@ (Post 334746)

Need to remove a spark plug tube to create space.
I'm changing (attempting) valve guide seals on the car and the spring compression tool I have needs space.

I'm curious if they have threads or are just friction fit.
I'm considering using a 18mm Deep Well socket on the inside with a strap tool or vice grips. [shop towel]

Anyone have any tricks, good/bad experiences?
2002 Montero Sport XLS 3.5L
Thanks JC

Well, as far I could tell, those suckers look to be interference fit, you can't really remove them unless you cool the entire head down to sub zero temps. So probably not easily done. I could be wrong though.

You don't need a spring compressor or to remove the plug tubes. What you need is a leak down tester and a Lisle JB36050 valve keeper remover and installer or similar. Plug any and all oil drain holes with shop towels or rags to prevent the keepers and other debris from dropping into the sump. Set the cylinder you want to remove the springs for to top dead center (use a long screwdriver, set it down in the cylinder and carefully turn the engine over really slow until the screwdriver stops moving up and begins to go back down.), attach the leak down tester by screwing it snugly into the spark plug hole, put about 100psi of air into the cylinder in order to hold the valves up when the keepers are removed. (Make sure to have a decent compressor that can keep up with pressure demand and make sure that you don't put too much PSI in the cylinder or you risk the engine turning over unless you have the crank pulley secured by some means.). Take the removal tool and and put it over the spring nice and square, hold the tool nice and steady and give the removal tool a good ole whack with a hammer, the keepers should come right out and be stuck inside the magnetic cup/hole in the removal tool. I have done this procedure twice so far and it works really good. I recommend doing only one cylinder at a time for accuracy and a less likely chance of forgetting something.

I HIGHLY recommend the usage of a valve stem installer/remover tool in order to avoid damaging the seals or mating surface, also makes the job a helluva lot easier but to each their own. Make absolutely sure to remove all leftover valve stem seal gunk from the valve stems and use clean engine oil to lube the stems and new seals. Don't do like I did the first time and tear your seals when reinstalling because I missed this step. If you are paying attention to the pressure you are putting on them during install, you should feel a subtle "click" type sensation when the seals have been installed correctly.

While you're doing all this, I bet you plan on replacing the valve cover gaskets too. If you want to make sure and get rid of that pesky valve cover leak for a long long time that everyone is familiar with on these engines, follow my handy dandy guide posted in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

The 6G72 and 6G74 are notorious for leaking valve covers and eventually killing alternators, the valve cover gaskets will also usually fail in short order after replacement! Getting tired of this after replacing them 5 or 6 times with different brands and replacement mint condition valve covers, I set out to find what would work and found a cheap solution.

(1): Once you have the valve covers off, I recommend using a heat gun to warm up the valve cover gaskets to ease in their removal, if they have never been changed they will be hard as a rock when cold and almost impossible to remove. When you warm them up, they become pliable and you can use a pair of needle nose to peel off large strips at a time.

(2): Thoroughly clean the valve cover gasket seat(s) and the mating surface on the head(s) and insure no leftover oil is present, I would use a wire wheel to clean the grooves and remove as mush paint as you can. Test fit your gaskets into the groves so you know what orientation they are supposed to be ( I swear the first couple times I installed new gaskets I thought it was a puzzle lol)

NOTE: Perform step three on one valve cover at a time to insure accuracy.
(3): Use black or orange RTV and apply a generous bead along the gasket seat on the valve cover (where the gasket sits down into) and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once the timer is up, place the gasket into the groove and then run your finger along the gasket while applying consistent light/moderate pressure to insure the RTV is being squished into the gaps that are in the gasket seat (these gaps are leftover from the manufacturing process), wait about 10-15 minutes and carefully install the valve cover onto the head.
Bolts = 26.55 IN-LBS or 2 FT-LBS(Use blue Loctite)

NOTE: Please allow 24 hours for the RTV to cure before starting the engine.

Explanation:
The valve covers have two fatal flaws which causes the excessive oil leaks. First, the gasket seats have folds and gaps in them from the assembly method which mean consistent pressure is not supplied to the gasket and also means it won't sit flat in the groove. Secondly, each valve cover is a two piece unit which has been stamped together to make a single cover which in of itself wouldn't be an issue except that there is a large gap between each piece which allows oil to pool along the top of the gasket because of the aforementioned gaps and folds. Believe it or not, even Fel-Pros website mentions this could be an issue in some scenarios and RTV is the solution for it. You can read it here under section "When to use RTV".

If you have any questions, fire away and I'll do my best to answer them. :)