Spark Plug Removal

[flyingzonker]

I removed the spark plug panel, but found that the frame impeded direct access to the plug--I had to tip the plug socket past the frame and set it on the plug with my fingers--there was no clearance for a wrench. I tried using a hinged adapter-no luck. There was no way I could get a wrench on that socket. Finally, acting on the hypothesis that will makes a way, I jammed the end of a pliers into the drive end of the socket and by dint of brutal force managed to get the plug to start turning. After I had gotten it unscrewed half way I had to remove the socket because the drive end of it was hitting the obstructing frame. I turned the plug the rest of the way out with my fingers. There must be a better way than this. Is there some sort of tool that can do this job? I know of no kind of wrench that handle this job.

[chicaboo]

Is it easier to reach from the top if you take the seat and bin off?

[flyingzonker]

Is it easier to reach from the top if you take the seat and bin off?

Maybe, but getting the bin off requires first getting off--correct me if I'm wrong--the tail piece, grab bar, and body panel (body panel is a huge V shaped monstrosity, with the tail light assembly occupying the crotch of the V) I hesitate hard to once again tear down the machine to that extent. I assure you that those fairings, every time you take them off, go back on with fewer hooks and tabs intact than before.

And why, if the designers wanted us to yank the bike apart to change the plug, did they supply that little door just above the floor board on the right side and call it "spark plug access panel" or something to that effect. Good question, no?

[MikeP]

My bike is a 2013. Used a 1/4" drive with a nuckle socket.
Clearences tight but worked.

[flyingzonker]

My bike is a 2013. Used a 1/4" drive with a nuckle socket.
Clearences tight but worked.

I have tried a hinged adapter already but due to the fact that the adapter was 3/8 to 3/8 I had to add another adapter to that so I could use my little 1/4 wrench. So, one adapter piled on another was too bulky to fit between the plug socket and the frame. Maybe if I could find a hinged adapter 1/4 female to 3/8 male I would be in business.

Another solution might be to find a plug socket with a 1/4 drive --never saw one like that.

[gn2]

Take the scooter off the stand and have someone sit on it, or disconnect the lower shock mounts and jack the rear wheel up to reposition the cylinder head.

[WhiteNoise]

I'm not sure flyz, but will this socket work? (Love Wally World) ONLY 2 LEFT?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/46898623?wmls ... 14&veh=sem

If Walmart has this, I would imagine many other stores do too. Good Luck
I'm always surprised at How Much Stuff they squeeeze into our little scoots (forgive my use of word little ) makes it a P.I.T.A. to work on sometimes. And those TABS?

[flyingzonker]

I'm not sure flyz, but will this socket work? (Love Wally World) ONLY 2 LEFT?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/46898623?wmls ... 14&veh=sem

If Walmart has this, I would imagine many other stores do too. Good Luck
I'm always surprised at How Much Stuff they squeeeze into our little scoots (forgive my use of word little ) makes it a P.I.T.A. to work on sometimes. And those TABS?

It has the right drive but they don't specify plugs it works with. One inch? One inch what? Plugs? or is that the length of the socket? If so, lit is to short of PCX plug. I would really like to see this item. Sounds like a rare bird.

[flyingzonker]

Take the scooter off the stand and have someone sit on it, or disconnect the lower shock mounts and jack the rear wheel up to reposition the cylinder head.

This feels like it has possibilities.

[Scoot Commute]

When you do get out would be good to know what condition the plug is in for the distance travelled and the timeliness of all the trouble you have to go to, certainly be only worth replacement.

[honkerman]

Take the scooter off the stand and have someone sit on it, or disconnect the lower shock mounts and jack the rear wheel up to reposition the cylinder head.

I looked at the spark plug placement to see if the OP's situation was unique. It's not. No, I have the same issue with my 2013. I also thought about having someone sit on it, but this would compress the rear suspension and move the spark plug up past the frame, making access impossible.

Here's a pic of the situation.

[gn2]

I would have thought the head moves down if the wheel goes up because the head is in front of the pivot?

[honkerman]

I would have thought the head moves down if the wheel goes up because the head is in front of the pivot?

I'll have to test it. I tried earlier, but the air quality is bad today and that much up and down was too much for my lungs. COPD sucks. I'll test it when I get an opportunity.

[flyingzonker]

Well, this evening I managed to feed a new plug into the plug hole. I did it with my fingers. Once I had turned the plug in as far as I could I slipped a plug socket over the plug--you can't get the socket on the plug until it is most of the way screwed in. My plug socket has the gift of a hexed drive end so that I can--if I can get a short open end hex wrench of the right dimension (3/4 in) in there I can tighten the plug to the point where it will be good enough for rock n roll. Of course getting a 3/4 hex wrench with a 1 1/2 in shaft is going to be a job for Superman. I can think of only one way to do this any way easily--get a cheap wrench from Menards or Harbor Freight and cut it down with a carbide wheel. That is the plan as of this evening at 8. I will do this tomorrow and document the results with a few pics in the event of success. In the event of failure I will probably just hang my head and cry.

[JonW]

I found it easiest to use a box/open end wrench from underneath to loose and tighten the plug and use my fingers to screw or unscrew it the rest of the way. I had the bottom panels off but I'm not sure that was actually necessary.

Definitely a PITA

[flyingzonker]

I found it easiest to use a box/open end wrench from underneath to loose and tighten the plug and use my fingers to screw or unscrew it the rest of the way. I had the bottom panels off but I'm not sure that was actually necessary.

Definitely a PITA

I tried this with the panels in place--no could do. If was as if the Honda engineers, in their far-sightedness, foresaw the likelihood of this maneuver and blocked the straight path at every turn.

[flyingzonker]

pcxsoarkplug.PNG (1.41 MiB) Viewed 1236 times

I cut a wrench down, was able to fit it onto the hex end of the plug socket but due to the shortness of the shaft did not have enough leverage to turn the plug. I then took a screwdreiver and using the obstructing frame as a fulcrum, was able to leverage the wrench enough to give a quarter turn to the spark plug. I rode the PCX hard for a while thereafter and it seemed to be preforming well with no compression issues. I intend to watch the plug fore awhile to see that it stays tight.

I don't know if I would recommend this procedure. Next time I am going to try something else--maybe cut a couple of pieces of 3/8 square rod and weld a different sort of wrench, one that can drive the socket the way it was meant to be driven.

I am going to try to upload a pic of the tool set I used for the project.