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Old 08-19-2021, 05:29 PM   #19
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I 50+ years of installing spark plugs 95% of the time they are gapped correctly. So you still really want to check them. If you use a gaping tool you won’t damage them. I don’t believe those numbers refer to a gap
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Old 08-20-2021, 01:15 AM   #20
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I 50+ years of installing spark plugs 95% of the time they are gapped correctly. So you still really want to check them. If you use a gaping tool you won’t damage them. I don’t believe those numbers refer to a gap
Thanks Bronsin. I appreciate what you are saying, but I wonder because of what has been said in another thread on this Forum.

This Forum Thread Spark plug gap? suggests that 11 refers to gap, perhaps 1.1 mm. CT Scott in that thread also says: "Iridium plugs come pre-gapped, as you can easily scrape or crack off the coating while gapping them."

So I am wondering if I should really even check the gap. I used to clean and regap spark plugs all the time years ago. But they were not Indium plugs that lasted 100K+ miles. It seems to me that they might have lasted 20K miles and had carbon deposits on them, etc.

Any more comments will be welcomed, taken seriously and processed.

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Old 08-20-2021, 08:00 AM   #21
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Very little experience with the these plugs I have. I can’t believe you would hurt them to check the gap. The iridium plugs in my wife’s 2000 Camry had 150,000 miles on them before I change them. They were so good I kept them!

CT Scott says the 11 means 1.1 mm I would agree with him. That would be about .045 inch
Whatever he says I take it as gospel
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Old 08-22-2021, 11:24 AM   #22
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Last Fall (2020) I replaced the plugs in my '07 hatchback at 137k miles for the first time. I wasn't sure how tight they might be in there so I used a breaker bar. They came out relatively easily, though. I did not use any anti-seize. I didn't think it was necessary and I don't think it's a good idea on plugs. The torque spec is only 13 ft. lbs.

What a difference the plugs made, though! The car runs much better and the acceleration is much improved. I wish I hadn't waited so long.
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Old 08-23-2021, 05:00 PM   #23
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Thanks for your reply RobKay. How did your old plugs look when you took them out?


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Old 08-23-2021, 05:33 PM   #24
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Don't know if this answers your question, but here they are. I didn't expect them to be NGK's. I bought the car new and was expecting Denso's which is what I replaced them with. I would have used NGK had I known that was what they put in. I've used NGK in other cars. Probably doesn't matter much, though. See, the thing is, this is the first time I've ever dealt with iridium plugs, so I don't really know what looks bad. There seems to be some carbon build up on the curved part, so that certainly isn't helpful.
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File Type: jpg SparkPlugs1d.jpg (105.2 KB, 43 views)

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Old 08-23-2021, 10:20 PM   #25
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Very heavy buildup on the threads. Wow! That’s what makes them stick! If you just clean the threads a couple of times they won’t stick and he won’t need Anti-seize
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Old 08-24-2021, 11:05 AM   #26
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That buildup surprised me, too. Never saw that before. They came out relatively easily, though. Remove the plugs from time to time just to clean the threads and risk damaging the plug? I don't think too many people would do that.
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Old 08-24-2021, 12:34 PM   #27
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Remove them every 30,000 miles before The buildup on the threads happens. Clean the threads and reinstall.

There is no problem if you do that
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Old 08-24-2021, 11:04 PM   #28
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Don't know if this answers your question, but here they are. I didn't expect them to be NGK's. I bought the car new and was expecting Denso's which is what I replaced them with. I would have used NGK had I known that was what they put in. I've used NGK in other cars. Probably doesn't matter much, though. See, the thing is, this is the first time I've ever dealt with iridium plugs, so I don't really know what looks bad. There seems to be some carbon build up on the curved part, so that certainly isn't helpful.
Thanks RobKay,

R.
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Old 08-25-2021, 05:02 AM   #29
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Rob Kay That looks like oil on the threads of your spark plugs, although the electrodes look normal. How many miles on your car? I suspect you have a valve cover gasket leak that would explain the oil. You might want to check it out!
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Old 09-02-2021, 02:14 AM   #30
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Hello everybody,

I replaced my 4 spark plugs today. The NGK plugs that had been in the vehicle since I bought it new 13 years & 111K miles ago came out without a problem. I had driven the car about 4 miles though, so the engine was hot. Pictures of the old spark plugs are attached. They look pretty good, there is some carbon there, but no oil or wetness. Because the old spark plugs came out so easily, I decided not to use any anti-seize, even in small amounts.

I had obtained a "loaner" torque wrench under an auto parts store chain loaner program, but the wrench did not work. Apparently the ratchet mechanism had been stripped, so all it did was spin in when you tried to turn in the tightening direction.

So I used my "feel technique" using my battery operated bathroom scale: my ratchet wrench handle is about 6.5 " long, so I tried to feel what 26 lbs of pressure on the bathroom scale with my fingers felt like (in order to deliver about 13 ft lbs of torque). Anyway, I am glad I had this alternative method of applying torque. The car seems to be running OK.

Thanks again to everybody. A local car repair place here told me they charge $150 USD to change the spark plugs, so I figure I saved about $115 by doing it myself.

R.

OldSparkPlugs1.jpg

OldSparkPlugs2.jpg

OldSparkPlugs3.jpg
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