get a good penetrant in there. there's tons of rust/crud that works it's way in there.

 

I took mine out when I did a plug/wire cap/rotor change it required alot of yanking, spraying, cussing and eventually a blunt chisel and hammer knocked them out easier than all the above.

 

Some times it takes a while to find the right cuss word. LOL

 

i will mess with it again tomorrow then, are those sleeves just pressed into the head?

 

yes. pressed-in is sort of an over-statement. crimped in might be more accurate.
i wiggled/yanked mine out with big pliers.
tapping back/forth with a hammer would also work. but don't break a plug.

if a plug wire decides to short out, it will short out to any nearby piece of metal, be it the heat shield, the head, or the exhaust manifold. it won't make any difference which one.

 

If your plug wires arc to the heat shields, they're in need of replacement anyway.

 

Good point about the wires Unreg.

I am surprised at the number of people who have ripped out their heat shields. Sounds like more trouble than it is worth to me. Tightening a compression tester is the only time they have ever bothered me.

I wonder if we should start a poll about this, and see if this is something everyone does but doesn't talk about?

Cheers,
Chris

 

SSSHHHHHHH!!!!! Not so loud, someone might hear you....

 

I got rid of those damn things too. Plenty of other engines have been working fine without them, seem uneccessary to me.

 

Mine are still in place and don't bother me any. They may not survive the Gibson shorty header install later this year, but then again they might. I'd hate to think of what it'd take to put them back if I found myself wishing I'd left them there in the first place.