Does anyone know how to remove the plastic spark plug wire looms from the 3.9/5.2L valve cover studs?

I need to replace the lifters but I can't figure how to remove these stupid wire looms without destroying them. Replacements are NOT available from the dealer so I'm stumped.

Thanks.

 

umm.... i thought they just twisted off? i know if you go to like advanced auto parts or something, they have generic ones that would probably fit if you did destroy them.

 

Thanks. Unfortunately they appear to be "threaded" onto the valve cover hold down studs. If I try & spin them off they bang into the valve cover . There's not enough clearance to spin them off (without breaking them 1st). I believe they are "pushed" on at the factory & the little groves/threads in the plastic hold them on to the stud threads. Too well it appears. I've tried pulling on them but they're very fragile & I know they'll disintegrate if I yank too hard. They'll probably break in half just from the pressure required to grab them hard enough to get them off.

I'm trying to keep the originals or replace them with something identical. Since they aren't available from the dealer I need to figure out how to keep from trashing these.

The after market parts you mention create an engineering excercise for me. I have to figure out how to make them fit, provide suitable routing paths for the plug wires, & keep the wires from sitting on the engine or hanging up in nearby moving mechanical parts. I don't need the problem. I just want to put things back where they came from without worry or hassle.

Thanks anyway.

 

For anyone else who lands on this thread … you don’t actually need to remove the looms from the studs - you can use an open-ended wrench to remove the studs while the looms are attached - just let the looms rotate freely while unbolting the studs. If they wedge up against the side of the cover it’s no problem, as the stud can still turn.

Cheers,
Tim