stellarsteve
Well-known member
So today I was doing some scheduled maintenance, one of these was changing the plugs. Since the #4 plug was the closest to the tool box that was the one I started with. Keep in mind that this is the first time changing the plugs since I bought it new. With 22k miles on the clock I know I am about 6k late. Anyway, I pulled the cap off and went in with a 5/8" spark plug socket but it was too thick and wouldn't go down the hole. No problem, pulled out the socket that came with the toolkit. I slide it down and it doesn't seem to want to lock onto the plug. :glare: No matter how I pushed or turned the wrench it wouldn't lock. I look down the hole and it looks like the plug nut was rounded off. :blink: I started thinking, how did this happen? Did they do this at the factory? I popped the #3 cap off and sure enough it had a good nut so I changed it easily. I went ahead and changed #2 and #1 with no problems.
So I get out a small flashlight and looked down #4 hole again and saw that it wasn't a rounded off plug nut but something on the top of the nut. It looked like some type of rubber washer. So how the heck do I get this out? I looked around my tool chest and then I remember that I was using the spark plug gap tool that has a 90 degree hook on the end. I slide it down side of this think, rotate it and pull. After about 20 minutes of "just about got it" I get it out.
Any ideas? My guess it was the rubber in the plug socket they used at the factory. Didn't notice it was missing until the next bike and didn't worry about retreiving it. Let the poor SOB that has to change the first set of plugs.
So I get out a small flashlight and looked down #4 hole again and saw that it wasn't a rounded off plug nut but something on the top of the nut. It looked like some type of rubber washer. So how the heck do I get this out? I looked around my tool chest and then I remember that I was using the spark plug gap tool that has a 90 degree hook on the end. I slide it down side of this think, rotate it and pull. After about 20 minutes of "just about got it" I get it out.
Any ideas? My guess it was the rubber in the plug socket they used at the factory. Didn't notice it was missing until the next bike and didn't worry about retreiving it. Let the poor SOB that has to change the first set of plugs.
