Spark plug saga I
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: 11-19-2008
Posts: 123
From: oregon
Spark plug saga I
Looking forward to first spark plug change. 88 k mi, 2.4 l, 2007.
Engine cold from overnight.
Disconnect battery.
Go forward and disconnect MAF plug, remove air cleaner housing.
Go back to get some other tools I left on the spare tire.
Lift gate closed under its own weight, and with no battery, I had to hook up portable B+ under hood to open lift gate.
Go back to work.
Decide to take break. Oops, need portable B+ again to lock doors. Good thing I didn't put portable B+ on spare tire.
Finally get socket on spark plug.
No go for any of them.
Considered impact wrench.
Instead sprayed some penetrating oil into wells.
Next morning still no go on plugs. Probably applied more torque than I should have - maybe up to 45 ft lb. Just could not believe it. Decided to chill while I was still ahead - or at least not behind. Car was then driven around town. Saving grace while applying torque is that spark plug wells constrain socket to stay straight.
Tomorrow morning I'll apply torque wrench on cold engine and keep reading down to 30 ft lb. If no go, I'll try again on warm engine. Some question as to whether plugs are in looser or tighter with stone cold engine v. warm. If that works, I'll use throttle body cleaner on threads of both heads and old plugs, spritz off any junk from the firing ends, and reinstall, torqueing to some 15 ft lb on a COLD engine. Next day or so replace with new plugs (no wet work such as penetrating oil dripping down to foul plugs) .
Mind you, this car was purchased new, and this is the first plug change. I assume as per official advice (to the public at least) factory did not use anti-seize, and assembly torque was around 15 ft lb. Guess what - I am going to use anti-seize.
Saga Part II to come.
Engine cold from overnight.
Disconnect battery.
Go forward and disconnect MAF plug, remove air cleaner housing.
Go back to get some other tools I left on the spare tire.
Lift gate closed under its own weight, and with no battery, I had to hook up portable B+ under hood to open lift gate.
Go back to work.
Decide to take break. Oops, need portable B+ again to lock doors. Good thing I didn't put portable B+ on spare tire.
Finally get socket on spark plug.
No go for any of them.
Considered impact wrench.
Instead sprayed some penetrating oil into wells.
Next morning still no go on plugs. Probably applied more torque than I should have - maybe up to 45 ft lb. Just could not believe it. Decided to chill while I was still ahead - or at least not behind. Car was then driven around town. Saving grace while applying torque is that spark plug wells constrain socket to stay straight.
Tomorrow morning I'll apply torque wrench on cold engine and keep reading down to 30 ft lb. If no go, I'll try again on warm engine. Some question as to whether plugs are in looser or tighter with stone cold engine v. warm. If that works, I'll use throttle body cleaner on threads of both heads and old plugs, spritz off any junk from the firing ends, and reinstall, torqueing to some 15 ft lb on a COLD engine. Next day or so replace with new plugs (no wet work such as penetrating oil dripping down to foul plugs) .
Mind you, this car was purchased new, and this is the first plug change. I assume as per official advice (to the public at least) factory did not use anti-seize, and assembly torque was around 15 ft lb. Guess what - I am going to use anti-seize.
Saga Part II to come.
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 39,986
From: Welland,Ont Canada
I have always used never seize on the threads,very little just enough to coat the threads on all my aluminium heads, from my Brodix heads on my BBC and SBC race cars my Yamaha dirt and street bikes, and have never had a stuck plug.
Senior Member
Joined: 06-26-2006
Posts: 1,876
From: San Bernardino, California
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: 11-19-2008
Posts: 123
From: oregon
Part II of spark plug saga has to wait for weekend.
In the meantime, part of project was to clean throttle body and MAF sensor.
Unfortunately, I did both at once, instead of one and then the other with two test drives, so I am not sure of the individual effects. But ... the engine idles tremendously smoother. This suggests that the plugs are probably fine. In any case, effect of new plugs alone will now be evident.
Also, I discovered that "Oil Life" and "MPG" reset - I assume due to disconnecting battery. Girlfriend drove car around town yesterday, and MPG came back low (forget value), with average speed 14 mph. I noticed all of this last night when I checked for possible trouble codes due to starting car without air cleaner housing and MAF sensor (wanted to avoid contaminating clean MAF sensor). No trouble codes. Here is a good Motor Week tutorial on cleaning throttle body - note caution for fly by wire systems (such as HHR):
Plan is to read and then reinstall old plugs. My thinking is to only install new plugs after all the spraying and cleaning and debris is over. Remember, stuff flows downhill, and firing end of plugs is at the very bottom; too, any penetrating oil etc. in cylinders is going to cause momentary smoke - why take a chance on fouling a plug in the first 30 seconds.
For safety, in context, I prefer working with battery disconnected. Less chance of damaging delicate sensors, less fire hazard, no chance of cranking/starting, etc. For work on air bags, or anywhere around steering column, a Chevy mechanic suggested not only disconnecting battery, but bonding together pos and neg cables! On a different car, I had been cleaning some junk off the distributor housing with brake cleaner. The engine was off and cold. A few minutes later, I started the engine, and the engine compartment burst into flames - I mean a huge volume of fire - instantly. Naturally, I shut off engine. Fortunately the main fuel was brake cleaner fumes, but it wouldn't have been long before rubber oil, and so on would have started burning. As it was, smell and some visual evidence showed that the distributor cap and plug wires started to burn. My recollection is that the fire went out without any action on my part, except turning engine off. No harm done. I was fortunate to have been standing back behind the door and not leaning over the engine with my face and body exposed. Lesson never to be forgotten. Good idea to always have a fire extinguisher handy. Most likely static electricity around distributor touched off fumes; spark such as when disconnecting/connecting an energized sensor, or disconnecting/connecting battery, would also have been hazardous.
In the meantime, part of project was to clean throttle body and MAF sensor.
Unfortunately, I did both at once, instead of one and then the other with two test drives, so I am not sure of the individual effects. But ... the engine idles tremendously smoother. This suggests that the plugs are probably fine. In any case, effect of new plugs alone will now be evident.
Also, I discovered that "Oil Life" and "MPG" reset - I assume due to disconnecting battery. Girlfriend drove car around town yesterday, and MPG came back low (forget value), with average speed 14 mph. I noticed all of this last night when I checked for possible trouble codes due to starting car without air cleaner housing and MAF sensor (wanted to avoid contaminating clean MAF sensor). No trouble codes. Here is a good Motor Week tutorial on cleaning throttle body - note caution for fly by wire systems (such as HHR):
Plan is to read and then reinstall old plugs. My thinking is to only install new plugs after all the spraying and cleaning and debris is over. Remember, stuff flows downhill, and firing end of plugs is at the very bottom; too, any penetrating oil etc. in cylinders is going to cause momentary smoke - why take a chance on fouling a plug in the first 30 seconds.
For safety, in context, I prefer working with battery disconnected. Less chance of damaging delicate sensors, less fire hazard, no chance of cranking/starting, etc. For work on air bags, or anywhere around steering column, a Chevy mechanic suggested not only disconnecting battery, but bonding together pos and neg cables! On a different car, I had been cleaning some junk off the distributor housing with brake cleaner. The engine was off and cold. A few minutes later, I started the engine, and the engine compartment burst into flames - I mean a huge volume of fire - instantly. Naturally, I shut off engine. Fortunately the main fuel was brake cleaner fumes, but it wouldn't have been long before rubber oil, and so on would have started burning. As it was, smell and some visual evidence showed that the distributor cap and plug wires started to burn. My recollection is that the fire went out without any action on my part, except turning engine off. No harm done. I was fortunate to have been standing back behind the door and not leaning over the engine with my face and body exposed. Lesson never to be forgotten. Good idea to always have a fire extinguisher handy. Most likely static electricity around distributor touched off fumes; spark such as when disconnecting/connecting an energized sensor, or disconnecting/connecting battery, would also have been hazardous.
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: 11-19-2008
Posts: 123
From: oregon
