Help socket stuck in spark plug tube

THAT is not useful information.......because nobody knows what you consider to be "everything".

My only suggestion is to tap gently on the socket all around the sides with something like a
small hammer or a socket extension bar.

 

Is the socket wedged? or is it loose, but you're just unable to grip it to pull it out?

Get a piece of very stiff wire/thin rod. Something similar to the spring steel wire used to hold insulation between joists in a crawlspace. Those things are tough as nails. Bend the end into a small elbow and try to fish it down the socket drive opening. Even with the plug sticking up, maybe there's enough room to slide the hook into it and pull upward firmly.


Otherwise, get a very strong magnet?

 

Hopefully, as mentioned above, the socket isn't wedged against the inner wall of the tube. That would make getting it out much more difficult.

Sounds like you tried using a shallow socket instead of a deep socket if the top of the spark plug is coming out of the top of the socket.

Try and find another socket the same size as the one that's in the tube, or very close to it. Then tape it on your socket extension. You can try to attach some of the tape with the sticky side out along the leading edge of the socket and try to see if you can get it to stick to the socket at the bottom to fish it out carefully. Also, you can tape two sockets together, such that the bottom facing one is reverse facing, so it has a larger flat surface to hold the sticky side out tape. It would still have the 3/8 or 1/2 inch hole in the middle to clear the protruding spark plug through the socket at the bottom of the spark plug hole.

Otherwise, you might need to try the magnet. They sell magnetic pick up tools that telescope out to reach down into places like your situation. This type of tool, along with the grabber type, has saved my @$$ many times. Good luck!



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This tool is interesting, it has an LED light, strong magnet, and a grabber, all-in-one tool.

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Try grabbing with extra long needle nose pliers? I’ve tried to recreate what’s happening:

 

If you've got narrow enough pliers to get down there, you grab the top of the plug in the drive square, not the side of the socket.

Work out the cam position, rotate the crank to the appropriate position and pressurize the exhaust? ...with a shopvac over the plug well?

Honestly I like @TMR-JWAP's suggestion best. Just don't let any bits of wire break off down there...

Many years ago I learned the value of using locking extension bars with plug sockets. The plug can never push through the drive hole, the bar cannot disconnect from the socket until you operate the release.

 

Chinese finger trap?!

Best of luck!

 

This:

$4.99 at Harbor Freight

 

All above are good.
Maybe as a last resort.... JB Weld.
JB "glue" a smaller diameter socket onto the top of the stick socket.
Avoid gluing the spark plug tip, just in case the plug is still threaded into the hole.
Spray some grease wax remover/ contact cleaner onto the stick socket, apply glue, let dry for a day, insert an extension and good luck.
Let us know what worked

 

If all the above suggestions don't work out, removing the valve cover is fairly easy and once you do that you'll have several additional options.

 

Gotta love these threads that leave everyone who made suggestions to the OP, just hanging... /s

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Yea... People are rude. All the time everyone spent to help and not even a thank you or even a second post from OP. Just crickets... Makes it seem like we're talking amongst ourselves and not really helping anyone. Of course even more rude than that is people not searching the website for the answer before asking. That's way worse and creates chaos when it comes to helping people. Of course new posts create more web traffic, which pays the bills, so I understand why it's not addressed.

 

I had this happen to me on a Gen 3. I had to JB Weld a 10" socket extension to the stuck socket and then pull it out 2 days later. It scored the inside walls of the socket hole.

 

harbor freight sells 12 inch locking clamp pliers that might work. HF also sells smaller locking clamp pliers that might work if the 12 incher doesn't give enough room down the tube to lock onto the top of the sparky.
Locking clamp pliers = non surgical hemostats