Spark plug swap gone BAD - tube removal?

[GS340]

Hi...

I have a 1996 Camry 4cyl and I'm trying to change the spark plugs. I gently removed the plug wires but on two wires the rubber grommet came off the end and it's stuck inside the tube preventing me from removing the plugs.

I removed the valve cover and can't seem to unscrew the tubes. I found a "special" tool on the web that is used to remove the tubes. There is any other way to remove the tubes or remove the rubber pieces stuck inside???


Please help.

Thank you!
Robert

[Mike Gerber]

Use a dental pick or some other j-hook tool to remove the rubber pieces. Some people have had good luck with a long needle nose pliers. It should not be necessary to remove the spark plug tubes.

Mike

[eljoekickass]

Yea he's right. That happened to me once and i got some weird kitchen tool to pick it out. It was a two prong fork kind of thing except it was really skinny and long and the pieces of rubber stuck between the prongs. It does take some patience if you don't have the best utensils. Just keep at it

[Lord_Anarchy]

Screw that, I took those cheap dry cleaner clothes hangers (one of 'em) and just cut it into three pieces. The straight bottom section of the hanger is what I used to fish out the rubber piece. I bent the tip for a TIGHT hook with a pair of needle nose pliers. It took me about 15 min to pull the bitch out after hanging with that spark plug problem for over 5 months