stuck plug boot

[Deleted account 210214001]

I was planning to do a valve adjustment today (new-to-me '02 1150GS-Adv). No dice because one of the spark plug boots is stuck in good and hard. No matter what I tried, I can't get the damn thing to pop loose. My toolkit doesn't have the plug removal tool (among other things that aren't there ) so I had to go at it with my fingers. I can get it to twist with a great deal of difficulty but it's not coming out one bit.

I took a good close look at what I could see of the boot. The little square "cap" on the end of the boot (where the wire makes the 90 degree bend into the cylinder) is already starting to come off. The part of the boot that goes into the cylinder looks all beat up. At this point I figure I need to replace the thing anyway, so I'm not entirely worried about chewing it up more.

There's still the issue of getting it out of there, though. I'm tempted to take a vice grip and seeing if I can just gab it and pull it out. Last thing I want to do is have it tear somewhere in the shaft and leave me worse off. Any ideas or suggestions?

Bohdan

 

[Timolgra]

Use two flat blade screwdrivers top and bottom to gently ease it out.

 

[dubster]

...or tie a shoelace around and pull

 

[Two wheels good]

... two loops of sting (to spread the load) around the cap and a squirt of silicone down the bore.
The rubber cap split on mine even with the oem tool. But with some epoxy glue repair it's still working fine.

 

[fatnfast]

If you look on top of the cylinder between the fins you can see the long rubber spark plug boot (use a torch). Squirt lube (silicon or wd40) between the fins here. This area is where water typically gathers after rain/fording/washing and leads to lifting of the cylinder head coating and the manky look/corrosion that you see on many 11xx's.
The two screwdriver method as above should then move it.

 

[Deleted account 210214001]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I have a handful of ideas now and am sure I'll get it sorted out. In any case I've got a new set of plug leads coming so I'm not as worried about tearing up the ones that are there.



Bohdan

 

[kennyc]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I have a handful of ideas now and am sure I'll get it sorted out. In any case I've got a new set of plug leads coming so I'm not as worried about tearing up the ones that are there.



Bohdan

did you order the removal tool as well?

 

[Smug]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I have a handful of ideas now and am sure I'll get it sorted out. In any case I've got a new set of plug leads coming so I'm not as worried about tearing up the ones that are there.



Bohdan

Undo the rocker cover bolts and pull the cover off together with the spark plug boots. Then tap the boot out from the inside.

 

[Deleted account 210214001]

did you order the removal tool as well?

Yes, I did!