Changing Spark Plugs- Help

I have a 1998 Tacoma- 4cl 2.7l 3RZ FE engine and I wanted to change the spark plugs. As far as I know, the plugs have never been changed.






I inserted two pics I took. I've read some of the posts on here (informative), read the owner manual (worthless), and watched some videos.

My question is how do you get the black rubber covers to come up?? I can pull up on them and feel a slight click after a few millimeters, but after that it REFUSES to budge. I've tried turning, twisting, pulling using all my strength and nothing works. The spark plug wires are quite short and there's not much room to twist and maneuver and I'm worried I'll rip one of them out in the process.

Is it supposed to be this hard? Am I doing something wrong? Are there any tools/ tricks I can use?

Note: I have never been mechanically inclined, but I am excited to learn. I would rather read and learn how to do something and buy the tools to do it vs spending money on a shop to do it for me.

 

If I'm not mistaken, they're just supposed to pop off. Maybe you didn't pull hard enough?

 

they just pull off. If they have never been off you might want to buy some new plug wires too. If they are that stuck you might pull it apart on the inside and not know it until you put everything back together and start it

 

Sido,

If you have not gotten a new set of sparkplug wires already, get them before going further. They should be changed I expect as well. You do not have to worry about damaging the old wire then. They should just pop off, but yours being that old, they are stuck.

 

I went and bought some tools, anti-sieze, plugs, dielectric grease, and the wires. The engine is really hot so I'll wait until tomorrow to try again.
Thanks for the advice on the wires, I'll let you know if I'm able to make any progress.

 

How many miles?

 

Sido,

Do you have a spark plug socket? It will have a rubber insert inside the socket. You will want that for installing the new plugs.

 

Those boots are part of the plug wires and go all the way down to the plug. Twist and pull hard enough and they should come off.

X2 on getting a new set of wires. You are probably going to break these getting them off.

 

They are in there pretty good, and I have a feeling at least one of the boot covers will break coming out. Just going to try and do it one at a time (assuming I can even get past the first one).

About 111,000 miles, so it is probably a little overdue for a change. I'm really curious as to how the old plugs are going to look.

Yep got one!

 

I was able to get all of the plugs out! That was a real pain to do, my arms and hands feel like they are going to fall off.



The plugs don't look that bad- what do you think? Do they look like they have been through 111,000 miles?

I'm putting in the new plugs now, I hope it runs good after I put them in.

Oh and I checked the gap on these and it was about 0.040+, I tried to get the new ones close to 0.031. I wonder why the gap on the old ones would be larger or if they slowly expand over time.

 

A few million "firings" will erode the electrode metal, making the gap wider on the old plugs. That is why you replace them.

Do a search online for "reading spark plugs", you will find color charts showing just what is going on in each cylinder and if you have potential problems just from looking at your old plugs. Your plugs look pretty good considering how long they were in.