[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by loki_the_glt

The Valdez is booked in for its MoT on Monday so I decided to give it a quick once over - lights, wipers etc., nothing too complicated.
As part of this exercise I thought it might be a good idea to check the spark plug gaps as they hadn't been done for some time, and that's where it went awry.

No.1 plug out and re-gapped from 0.8 to 0.7mm.
No.3 plug out and re-gapped from 0.8 to 0.7mm.
No.4 plug out and re-gapped from 0.8 to 0.7mm.

No.2 plug is, as all you observant 900-series forum people will have noted by now, not on that list. That's because it has decided that it is NOT, under any circumstances whatsoever, leaving its comfy home.

As I see it, I have a few options: leave it well alone even though it is probably also gapped to 0.8mm; get a bigger ratchet than the 1/2" one I resorted to; apply some form of lubricant/seal-breaking compound in hopes of freeing it off.

Sensible and practical suggestions are welcomed - removing the cylinder head is not, IMO, among them.

Did you try removing it while the engine was hot or cold? Hot engine might facilitate the removal i guess.