Trying to do a compression test and how the mothering bleeping heck am I supposed to remove these. Definitely ain't enough space.

04 XJ8

 

Lots of people have done this job successfully.

The bottom part of that coil you show is flexible. It will bend.

Not sure if yours is the same as mine . On mine the box around the brake fluid reservoir has a flap on the spark plug side that can be removed to enable an extension to get to the rear LHS plug thru the box.

That is really the only somewhat difficult one to get at.

 

I got one ignition coil pack out and it is not flexible at all. This is what it looks like.

 

Patience is a virtue here. Yes they are tight in the rear. I just did a spark plug change a while back on my 08 XJ and a deep breath and my favorite beer helped . Stay calm they will come out.

 

Yours are different to mine and they do not look flexible at the base at all.

 

They have to flex or bend a little, they were put into your car.
Turn flex & wiggle,they will come out.

 

I have different coils now that are flexible on the lower half so it is effortless; but back when i had these I would jack the engine (not the car) up just a tiny bit to give me enough clearance to remove and install the coil. If you do this, just make sure you use a 2x4 or something and a towel to distribute the weight so you dont bend or damage your oil pan.

 

I went back to have another wack at it with some more pressure. I have most of them out so far but there is one that really concerns me. as i was trying to force it out i heard a small *crack* sounds so i stopped immediately haha. i was thinking about jacking up the engine as you mentioned but i've never done such a thing before. i have access to a jack and board but am wondering if there is directions somewhere on how to do that for my car. also does anyone recommend a service manual for the car?

I tried downloading one off tradebit but it has like 0 pictures and i feel a bit a waste of money. fortunately it wasnt very much.

 

I replaced all of my coils with the Chinese set's.
Eight for just a little less than a hundred dollars delivered.
Thinner, flex a lot more, work well, with a lifetime warranty.
The old stock ones are in the trunk just in case.

 

I would be wary of the cheap Chinese replacements. They started going out on me one by one every few months or so after just a year or two.

 

When you DO have the coil out, here is how I do the plugs. Some people use wobble sockets, but this is my method:

I have 3 or 4 different 3/8" extensions for my ratchet. The ones that are about 4" long. I feed one with the spark plug socket on it into the opening, and snap the other on as it needs to go deeper. If you drop it in there, you can still just snap another into it. Loosen the plugs slowly and try to keep the force you apply at 90 degrees to the plug. If it gets stiff, I tighten a little, loosen a little. Penetrant can be used but I have never needed it.

This method has worked for 3 full plug swaps. at 100k, 170k on one X350 4.2 Liter and 105k on my current 4.2. Its tight, but I have NEVER needed to jack up the engine or use anything else but the socket, extensions and stock coils. It might help to spray a little oil or penetrant, then find the best angle for the coil stem, and just force it a tiny bit. I have not broken one even if it did take a bit more force than I was comfortable with.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Edit: Make sure you get a solid "snap" attaching the low voltage wiring tightly onto the coil. I had not one, but 2 of them feel good, then throw misfires a week later, only to find them not fully snapped on, when I swore they were tight and made a solid CLICK the first time. Never occurred again after that.

 

One observation I made on the removed coil, is it look like there is a bunch of oil on it. It maybe time to refreshen your Valve Cover Gaskets and plug seals.

 

Thanks guys. With your advice I was able to get 7 off but 1 is still stuck due to clearance issue .

I got 7 of the 8 off. 1 still doesnt ha e enough space. It looks like I have some bad plugs. #4 had quite a bit of oil on it when I pulled it. #3 looks pretty burned. I cant get the ignition coil of #8 off so far. I'm guessing bad valve cover gaskets is what made the #4 have oil on it?

 

Indeed on the oil.... It went in, there is a way it will come out. Wondering if it is possible that your Motor Mounts have sagged far enough to make this a problem? Someone mentioned some slight pressure under the pan with some wood. Have you tried that?

 

The rear on the drivers side, #8 is a tight fit.
But turning, wiggling, & spraying penetrating oil, got mine out on both cars.
The spark plug removal is easier than the coil.
As far as the Chinese coils, SO FAR they are flawless in their performance.
The main reason i tried them was their warranty, and they make parts for everyone.
They also claimed that they had sourced a better quality of materials, from Germany i believe.

 

I may have the numbering wrong then. #8 for me and my numbering there is the passenger side closest to the front. it runs into the metal portion that holds the wheel suspension. Also do you have a link for those that i can check into? i dont think i have to replace them but if i break this one taking it out then ill need to start looking for a replacement.

i have not tried raising the engine at all as i though i had to unbolt it to try. i can try it just a little. i think i only need like a small bit more of space and i believe it'll squeeze out.

 

Believe aero_spark was one, but both sellers were on ebay selling the same sets of coils.
Been almost two years, so far so good, old coils in the trunk, a reader in each car.
For the price, and a hundred thousand miles on the old ones, i replaced them with the spark plugs.

 

Do the motor mounts normally have enough play to move the motor up slightly without unbolting? As suggested earlier, this might be a solution for Hyrum. It would also identify that he needs new motor mounts. I haven't seen this issue before. Only the back #8 plug difficulty.

 

They do, I've done this with fresh mounts too. You don't have to jack it up much to be able to get the tough ones out. Give it a shot. And for the plugs, it really helps to have joints and different size extensions. Plugs on this car used to be a real pain for me, but after doing it so many times and having the right tools, I can do all 8 in 22 minutes (yes I timed it )

 

With the time it takes me I can drive to Seattle, Bangor MA, or Key West and still be time ahead.