Replacing the spark plugs on your vehicle can sometimes be a complete pain in the neck! The good news is that there are tools designed to make your life a whole lot easier, not only saving you a lot of frustration, but time and money.
In this article, I'm going to review two of my favorite spark plug boot puller tools, that have proven themselves time after time and that you should have in your tool box.
If you're looking to buy one, I recommend that you buy both since both are inexpensive and work together beautifully to make the tune-up easy and pain-free.
What Is A Spark Plug Wire Puller?
Spark plug wire pullers have been around for a long time and are some of the most inexpensive tools that a home mechanic (and professional automotive technician) keeps in his or her tool box. The spark plug boot puller is designed to free the spark plug wire boot from the spark plug that it's attached too.
Has it happened to you that you pulled on the spark plug boot with your hand and the wire did come off of the spark plug but the metal terminal inside the spark plug wire broke off and stayed connected to the spark plug? Well, a spark plug wire puller will help prevent that from happening.
The main reasons this tool comes in handy are:
- 1
By firmly grasping the spark plug boot (with the pliers) and twisting it side to side, you keep the metal terminal from pulling off and staying fixed to the spark plug when you pull on the boot.
- 2
Engine compartments are getting smaller and smaller and some of these spark plugs are hidden in some pretty hard to reach corners. This sometime makes it impossible to get a good hand grip on the spark plug boot. This is where the spark plug boot puller come to the rescue.
- 3
You're gonna' save yourself some bruised knuckles since you have more control of the pulling force and motion needed to remove the boot from the spark plug.
OEM 25542 Spark Plug Wire Puller Pliers
This is probably the most common tool found in any tool box and for good reason: it gets the job done! Can a tune up (replacing the spark plugs) be done with out it? Sure it can, but this tool will save you some frustration and bruises. Here are some other features that I have found useful:
- 1
The vinyl coating on the handles and jaws is red, making this tool almost impossible to lose in the engine compartment.
- 2
The plier's jaws are offset at a 45 degree angle and this makes it a whole easier to grip the spark plug wire boot.
- 3
The OEM name makes this tool a sturdy and long-lasting tool that doesn't break easily.
If your last tune up turned into a nightmare because you couldn't pull off the spark plug wires from the spark plugs, then this tool is calling your name and you can buy it here: OEMTOOLS 25542 Spark Plug Pliers. How much does it cost? The current price is in the box on the right (second column of this article) with the photos and price info of both Multimeters.
Now, for some of the tools drawbacks (nothing's perfect in life, you know): There are some places this tool will not fit to pull on the wire. So, you'll need more than one puller. The other puller that works great in tight places is the Lisle 51250 spark plug wire puller.
Lisle 51250 Spark Plug Wire Puller
As an automotive technician (having and still working on cars far longer than I would have liked), it's always great when an inexpensive tool works and delivers. Before I found this tool (the Lisle 51250 Spark Plug Wire Puller), I hated doing tune-ups on some of the newer vehicles (I won't mention names) because of the lack of space to remove the spark plug wires on one or two cylinders out of the whole bunch.
The Lisle 51250 is made to fit into the tight places that a spark plug wire puller pliers can't go into. Having owned (and still using) one of these Lisle 51250 for many years, this is why I recommend it:
- 1
Ability to be able to remove stubborn spark plug wire boots from inaccessible locations in the engine compartment.
- 2
For the price, nothing comes close to it... as a matter of fact, no other tool can compare to it since, none exist.
- 3
The Lisle brand of tools are the most recognized and trusted tools for the Do-it-Yourselfer and the professional automotive technician.
This tool is a time saver and knuckle saver and you can buy it here: Lisle 51250 Spark Plug Wire Puller. How much does it cost? The current price is in the box on the right (second column of this article) with the photos and price info of both spark plug wire pullers.