Changing spark plugs

[DomenEK]

a noobish question:

I need to change my sprak plugs very soon - do I simply pull the old ones out and plug the new ones in? Do I need to gap the new ones before I put them in, or should they already be gapped properly?

I did a search on this and couldn't find my answer.

Thanks in advance.

**EDIT: how do I do it :confused: ? (such a noob...)

[^^v]

pull out the leads (NB: do NOT pull with the cable it self)...
unscrew the old SP with a SP wrench (like a normal wrench but has rubber lineing in the inner wall.... you should have one in ur wrench set...)...
chuck in the new ones (should be gapped from factory if its for ur car.. but check anyways with a gapping tool)...
hand tighten as much as u can... then get the wrench n do bout a 90 degreen turn...
put the leads back.. n ur done...

EDIT: btw.. neither myself or ozhonda r responsible if ur fook it up lolz :wave: :D

[wynode]

I also put some lube on the plug threads to help get em out later on.

[DomenEK]

EDIT: btw.. neither myself or ozhonda r responsible if ur fook it up lolz :wave: :D

No - that'd be my own dumb-ass fault lol :D !


I also put some lube on the plug threads to help get em out later on.
WD-40?

[^^v]

no not dw 40 lolz
try high temp grease... but dun go overboard..
i've never lubed up the thread before...n it comes out fine.... its not really necessary imo (as long as u check/replace the plugs regularly)... but meh.. up to u...

[panda[cRx]]

pull out the leads (NB: do NOT pull with the cable it self)...

put the leads back.. n ur done...

EDIT: btw.. neither myself or ozhonda r responsible if ur fook it up lolz :wave: :D

and take the leads out one by one as you do it (or at least mark them or something) or you'll prolly put them back in the wrong order :thumbsup:

[sivic]

also dont hand tighten as much as possible then 1/2 turn
you'll damage the thread.
just tighten till the washer makes contact then half turn to 2/3.
if you go anymore than hand tight you'll wreck something

[bennjamin]

']and take the leads out one by one as you do it (or at least mark them or something) or you'll prolly put them back in the wrong order :thumbsup:

the leads are different lengths - so its not too hard to work out which goes where . LEAVE the leads connected to the distributor end tho !

[SLPJCooL]

also dont hand tighten as much as possible then 1/2 turn
you'll damage the thread.
just tighten till the washer makes contact then half turn to 2/3.
if you go anymore than hand tight you'll wreck something

I've never changed the Spark plugs myself so don't flame me if this is a NooB question. I took off a Sparky lead de other day just to check it out. It seems the Spark plug sits right at the bottom of the head, how r you suppose to Hand tighen the Spark plug when you can't even reach the Spark Plug???

[wynode]

how r you suppose to Hand tighen the Spark plug when you can't even reach the Spark Plug???

It's a figure of speach in this case :)

Basically means do it up with very little force.

[SLPJCooL]

It's a figure of speach in this case :)

Basically means do it up with very little force.

OK, so you're suppose to hand tighten the Sparks And then use Spark plug wrench to tighen it??? Sorri, It's another NooB question I know, but just wanna make sure!

[pgclee]

just tighten it thats all...but what car you've got? and what spark plug, what number, what gap you've got?

get a 0.8mm gap, number 6, and platinum or iridium plugs...for honda...Vtec...

[viperx]

don't try to gap iridium plugs

you will wreck it

[gnx1987]

I use "anti sieze" to stop it siezing. That makes sense doesn't it?

[Paul1985]

what spark plugs did u get?

[^^v]

i've heard good things bout Bosch Super 4 plugs...

[viperx]

I also put some lube on the plug threads to help get em out later on.

I don't think my car can do that, cuz my gasket compresses when i put them in...

[sivic]

i've heard good things bout Bosch Super 4 plugs...
well you got bad info.
bosch super 4s suck big time. they foul up really fast

[crxzzR]

stay away from champion..they are shite
I used ngk's very nice and clean

[sivic]

yep NGK's the go or otherwise denso are fine as well

[vividjazz]

NGK Iridium - there's nothing better

[vincent]

Use a torque wrench and buy a pre-gapped plug . Use the torque setting from the owners manual otherwise you end up stripping the thread on the block if you are not careful.

[crxzzR]

anyone been able to get ngk platinum's for their 88 gen 2 crx??

[sivic]

its a D16A8 right? they use same plugs as B16A so should be able to get them at any NGK stockist.
Iridium are uneccessary i reckon no diff from Regular NGK when new. at 4 x price i would rather get regular plugs and change them 4 times as often.

[SLPJCooL]

its a D16A8 right? they use same plugs as B16A so should be able to get them at any NGK stockist.
Iridium are uneccessary i reckon no diff from Regular NGK when new. at 4 x price i would rather get regular plugs and change them 4 times as often.

True! I double That!
Just changed mine with NGK ZFR5J-11. They're like $6 a pop. Cheap and Reliable!!! :thumbsup:

[mr r32 m]

I just bout some NKK's they were ones reccommended in another thread, someone said 1.1 gap though, is that from the factory?? these ones I bought have the eN-11 at the end, for my EK4

mark

[iamhappy46]

With NGK, the 11 at the end means they are already pre-gapped to 1.1
It also helps to use a piece of 10mm fuel hose, shove it over the spark plug lead end of the spark plug and use it to lower the spark plug into the tube and get the thread started. NGK also sell a piece of rubber pipe that does the same job.
It is a pain in the @ss when you drop the spark plug, not realise it and mess up the gap, spend an hour trying to find an engine miss.. puill out the plugs and realise your mistake, GRRR!!!

[civiceg9]

Ever plug have there purpose and role. F1 plugs are not that much different that a standard plug but are built for a purpose. They cost $100USD each if you want to know.

You wouldn't feel the gain in an Iridium plug, as it would gain 2hp-5hp max.
The advantage is they give a clear full burn, therefore more smooth engine across the rev range and idle. It would also save abit of petrol due to more efficient burning.

Most iridiums are fitted to new cars for LEV purpose, especially hard to reach places as iridium suppose to last 60,000kms without changing or 40,000kms if you drive it hard, comparing to 10,000kms on a standard plug.
4 x the price but last 6x longer. You get what you pay for.

[ksl]

I am planning to change my spark plug, I have a torque wrench at home. So Wondering what is recommended torque to tighten the SP?
Thanks

[na-118]

no need to torque it up read the instructions on the pack. tighten it up without the ratchet just the extension then 1/4 to tighten

[dsp26]

no need to torque it up read the instructions on the pack. tighten it up without the ratchet just the extension then 1/4 to tighten

not neccesarily, everything on a car needs proper torque specs, heck i know some people here that torque down their lug nuts.

but yeah spark plugs are a common sense thing. but i'll tell you this, people who rarely work on cars don't know what 'sensible tight' is. i remember my mech from back in the days showing me a head from some car with a seized sparkplug in there... pretty much destroyed the head trying to get it out.... and another one i saw was threaded pretty bad which lead to combustion leak through the plug well.

[SMI-33K]

hay bro
go buy your spark plugs first stick with NGK R PLUGS
give them your engine number the gap is already set
pull out the old one and replace them with the new ones
dont over tighten screw them in and when the plug toches the head go about 1/4 to half a turn it should fill tight they are very easy to strip the thread

[aaronng]

not neccesarily, everything on a car needs proper torque specs, heck i know some people here that torque down their lug nuts.

but yeah spark plugs are a common sense thing. but i'll tell you this, people who rarely work on cars don't know what 'sensible tight' is. i remember my mech from back in the days showing me a head from some car with a seized sparkplug in there... pretty much destroyed the head trying to get it out.... and another one i saw was threaded pretty bad which lead to combustion leak through the plug well.

That's why you're supposed to use anti-sieze on the threads, dielectric grease on the insulator, and to thread the spark plug in initially by hand and not ratchet. Solves all these problems and I don't even use a torque wrench (because there is a crush washer on the new plug). I change plugs every 5 years because mine are iridium, and there is no siezing so far.

[Limbo]

hmm i just change mine every 10k, usually a yr or 2, also no issue. I spray a drip of WD40 on the thread of mine

[paps02]

just because a plug lasts 6x longer dosn't mean u leave it in 6x longer. iv always bin told to regularly change plugs regardless of whether theyr titanium, adamantium or whatever.

myth?

[aaronng]

just because a plug lasts 6x longer dosn't mean u leave it in 6x longer. iv always bin told to regularly change plugs regardless of whether theyr titanium, adamantium or whatever.

myth?

Myth.

Based on noral driving style on road.
Copper - 10,000km
Platinum - 60,000km
Iridium - 100,000km

Change sooner if you do trackdays or drive more aggressively than the average motorist.

[dsp26]

^^^yeah true if the engine is running under normal conditions.

the only exceptions i can think of are:
- plugs fouling from AFR or burning oil
- running an bigger coil

i switched back to copper for the latter reason, i run a bigger coil with my plugs gapped beyond 1.5mm