How do the spark plugs come out?

Removing the coil packs reveal a thick rubber gasket of some sort. How do you remove the rubber? After the rubber is removed, I assume it's easy to the remove the plugs with the appropriate socket, right?

The coilpack should have a rubber extension on it. Did you get the coilpack out in one piece? After the coilpack is removed, use a long extension to get down the spark plug tube. I use 2-3"extensions to get the plug near the brake booster (#6). Good luck.

http://img.partstrain.com/live/W01331609821OES.JPG
I hope the coilpack you removed looks like this. Sometimes that rubber extension doesn't want to come off the spark plug. A little lube will prevent that in the future. Just in case, Advance has the OEM coilpacks for $88. I believe the #6 coilpack is shorter than the others.

If in fact the rubber "boot" is supposed to remain attached to the coilpack, then no, not in one piece. I tried to get the rubber pieces off the head, but they're on there solid.

I will post a picture Saturday.

no picture needed now! yes, that rubber peice looks more or less like what's stuck.

Are you telling me there's no chance of getting it off the plug? Can I spray anything down the small opening at the bottom of the rubber (where the top of the sparkplug shows through)?

WD-40 or Fluid Film, then wrestle the rubber boot off?

Spray some penetrating oil down the hole between the boot and plug. Try to work the rubber loose if possible. If you have access to compressed air, hitting it with some air down the center will usually pop them off. If not then you have to keep working at it. If you tear the boot you can get aftermarket ones at autozone for something like $6 each, will have to search for the part number. There is a spring that goes down the center of the rubber part and apparently the new ones from autozone dont come with that so try not to mess it up.

I didn't realize the rubber boot can be removed from the electrical portion of the coil without damaging it. Good to know.

As a poll, how many Rodeo/Passport owners have had their Coil Packs fail? What happened when it did (i.e. could you limp home?), what was your approx. odometer reading when it did fail, etc?

Purchased the car (95.5 Rodeo) with ~84k and it ran "rough." Got rid of the acorns/nest in the airbox; got rid of the stalling at stops. Still had a nasty vibrating/shudder unless I was heavy on the throttle. Brought it in to get a transmission fluid flush; the mechanic called back and explained why he wouldn't do it (no recent flush, he wouldn't warranty the work he did because in his experience transmission failure was somehow correlated with flushing old systems) and that one of the coil packs was bad. He found a used one around the shop and had the car back to me same day. Cost: $50.

I did them yesterday and ripped three of the six boots. It appeared that the plugs in the car had been there a LONG time, possibly original.

Anyhow, I'm 400 miles from home for Thanksgiving with famliy and should have been completely prepared, but alas, hindsight.

Went to Napa auto and the Honda dealer before closing last night, and neither carry the boots.

There's an Autozone 20-miles from here but I didn't call them as they aren't open today. Looking online though, Autozone seems to only sell the coilpack and boot kit, not the boots individually.

Any advise would be helpful! I had to reconstruct the damaged ones so the truck works, and will order them so they are at home waiting for me. At least the car runs and isn't throwing codes.

As a poll, how many Rodeo/Passport owners have had their Coil Packs fail? What happened when it did (i.e. could you limp home?), what was your approx. odometer reading when it did fail, etc?

Chugs at idle, gets a little better with the throttle. A code reader will let you know exactly which coil pack has failed with a cylinder specific misfire code. The missing is easy to identify. I had one fail at about 155K and a friend's truck had one go at about 100K, if I remember right. Mileage dives and you can see the unburned hydrocarbons coming out of the tailpipe.

St. Charles Automotive in MO will ship you some new boots. Talk to Merlin. I don't have the 800 # offhand.

EDIT: Maybe my memory isn't so bad. Those mileages were dead on. Here is my thread from when my coil pack failed: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=628675

There's an Autozone 20-miles from here but I didn't call them as they aren't open today. Looking online though, Autozone seems to only sell the coilpack and boot kit, not the boots individually.

Not sure where you're located, but they are available for around $10 at Advance Auto Parts/Parts America. I bought a #6 plug boot locally at an Advance after destroying it getting it out of the tube. They are Xact brand. Not the highest quality, but they seem to work fine. If no Advance/Parts America stores in your area, perhaps Kragens, Checker, Schucks as they seem to be owned by the same concern as Parts America. It would be a shame to have to buy a $100 coil pack (which is what the manufacturer would like you to do) just to get a plug boot.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=XCT&MfrPartNumber=20131&PartType=5004&PTSet=A

#6 cylinder boot kit
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=XCT&mfrpartnumber=20131&parttype=5004&ptset=A

#1-5 cylinder boot kit
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=XCT&mfrpartnumber=20141&parttype=5004&ptset=A

Make sure you keep the springs from the center of the old boots. Sometimes the aftermarket ones dont come with them