Well- im a noob to changing plugs. I change them on my car ( a3 jetta) but on the camry, after taking off the spark plug wires- I noticed that the spark plugs are deep inside the cylinders- so deep that i need a longer extentsion- which i can get. MY question is- after i unscrew the spark plug- how do i get it out of the cylinder? or am i making this harder then it needs to be?

You're making it harder than it needs to be. My spark plug socket has some foam inside it and it provides enough grip to hold onto the plug. Simply unscrew them and lift out the socket, the plug will come out with the socket. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you get the rubber boot on the end of the plug wire off when you pull the wire off the plug, if the boot stays behind you will not be able to get a socket on the plug and those boots are nasty to try and fish out.

yea, i already have the boot off- The thing is my spark plug socket doesn't have ANY foam or anything on it that makes me think it will grip the spark plug- Plus- i need to go buy an extension.

Murrays Discount Auto sells an extra long spark plug socket. Great for this application.

If you unscrew the spark plug completely and have trouble getting it out, use a magnet to pull it out. When you reinstall the spark plug, a long piece of vacuum tubing slipped over the plug (the metal portion where the plug wire goes) makes a nice handle to insert and start to thread the plug in to the hole.

Mike

I've also used a cheap gadget from the auto parts store that has a plunger on one end and four little "fingers" on the other. It's designed for fishing small parts out of the depths of the motor area when you drop them!

Cheaper still (and usually available in the middle of the night when everything else is closed) put a little bit of plastic wrap between the body of the spark plug and the socket (leave a little tail coming out the top of the socket where the extension clips in) this will fill the gap between the plug and the socket, holding the plug in place so you can get it into position. (make sure you don't have any down where it could get screwed into the plug hole, also if your socket is really sloppy it make take two layers; simply adjust as needed) Once the plug is installed, remove the socket (if you clipped that little tail in with the extension the plastic wrap will come out with the socket, if you forgot you can fish out the plastic wrap or simply blow down into the cavity the plastic wrap is light enough to float out). Presto, plug installed.

True - but I already had the gadget, from a long history of dropping parts I shouldn't!

Actually, replacing the plug is easier than getting it out. If you're careful, you can slide the new plug in without wrecking the gap. But - I agree - something to make it cling to the deep socket is really the answer, be it foam, saran wrap, play-do, chewing gum or plain old paper.

So the sprk plug will get stuck to the socket and pull right out? I already know the vacuum line trick. thanks guys
you've been helpful

Be sure you put some anti-seize compound on the new plug threads before you insert them. Tighten them with a torque wrench.

Use Toyota-recommended plugs (NGK or Denso)

Thanks guys- plugs are gapped and installed! took me an hour to find out how to get the plug socket out of the cylinder because it kept falling off the ratchet after i tightend the plugs= sort of funny but furstrating Lol. Any who- the plugs that came on my moms camry had two electrodes- and was a denso, the ones i got were NGK and had only one electrode- cost 1.77. Wrong plugs?

No. Dual electrodes are no longer recommended. (And I never have)
You bought NGK copper plugs. Great spark, cheap, and you can replace them in another 30,000-60,000 miles for a few bucks.
FYI - if you bought the right NGK plug. They come pre-gapped.

the gap was wrong- they were all set to .40- i set them all to .44 because thats what sparkplugs.com said to gap them too.... car runs good though. The ones that came with the car were densos these are NGK

Be sure you put some anti-seize compound on the new plug threads before you insert them. Tighten them with a torque wrench.

Use Toyota-recommended plugs (NGK or Denso)
What is the anti-seize compound? thanks.

http://www.jetlubecanada.com/AS.html

You can buy anti-seize compounds anywhere tools are sold.

Google is your friend