Hey guys. So I am trying to replace my spark plugs on my 3rd Gen but the bolts for the 3 coil packs are rusted on! I've tried penetrating oil with no luck. I've thought about using a torch to heat them up but I'm worried about what that could to do the plastic covers on the coil packs. Any thoughts on what could help? I'm poor and don't own any air tools.

Also I found out the PO has NEVER changed the spark plug and this thing has 286K on it! (holy shit)

You could cut the head off of the bolt off and remove the coil perhaps. Probably not the best idea, but would allow you to use heat without fearing damage to the coil. Would also allow for the penetrating oil to actually make it into the threads of valve cover.

Thanks for the reply. What would be the best way to cut it off? I would be worried about how to remove the rest of the bolt too once it was cut off

Cutoff wheel on an angle grinder. Once the coil pack is off you have better access for penetrating oil and vice grips will latch onto what's left of the bolt. Personally I'd try other methods first though.

What penetrating oil are you using?

Sometimes tightening a bolt slightly can help break the corrosion bond. There are all kinds of methods for removing stuck bolts. You might do a google search as every vehicle has this issue in one form or another. There's a lot of good technique info on the web.

If you have access to acetylene or oxy/acetylene you can get the aluminum towers that the bolts thread into very hot very fast without too much worry of melting the coil packs. It's a very concentrated heat. If you do use heat, let things cool back down before trying to remove the bolts. You want expansion and contraction to break the bond.

Ive never tried this but maybe some of the other members could chime in. I wonder if you took the whole valve cover off, you could access the spark plugs and then maybe warm up the coil bolts from below. Just thinkin...Good luck!

I tried using Liquid Wrench. No luck there. I can try the acetylene tomorrow!

Guess you already tried but in case you forgot:

if the head is still there, have you tried the simpler method of using a good pair a vice grip and a gripping it real hard ? Those bolts should not be torqued very tight and this method is about 90% sure to work.

Try to use the middle area of the jaw as you are getting more moment. Try that before acetylene.

I like to keep an Impact Driver on hand for these types of issues. Here is a 1/2" version and it also comes in 3/8".
Impact Driver

*Edit: An even cheaper model with great reviews.

Liquid wrench is so-so. Try PB Blaster or Aero Kroil (online only).

That manual impact driver is a good idea too. One of many methods.

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'll try to get a manual impact driver tomorrow and see if that will help. I can try to find some of that PB Blaster too. If worse comes to worst I'm seeing my local mechanic in a few weeks anyway to have some other work done to my vehicle

Spray some penetrating oil on them every so often during the day for a few days. They should budge. Once they are off I would get new bolts and put antiseize on them.

try kroil. it is so viscous, that it will creep in. steel on aluminum corrosion is bad, and worse than steel on steel. aluminum oxidizes and turns to powder and bonds with the steel. see it on aircraft all the time. soak it and leave it.