Regapping Spark Plugs

[bugster70]

I'm shortly going to have to regap my plugs but haven't had reason to remove them before this. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to stuff anything up through sheer ignorance so thought I'd ask for your experiences please.

To regap them I was just going to use a set of feeler gauges and tap the tip of the plug on a hard surface until I got the right gap - is there anything wrong with this method and/or is there a better way of doing this? With stuff like iridium plugs, can you damage the tips by doing this?

And how tight do you need to do up the plugs when refitting (assuming I haven't got a torque wrench)? I'm conscious of doing them up too tight and stripping the thread, but also don't want to do the same by having a plug blow itself out of its hole by me doing them up too loosely!

Any tips and tricks you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

[shadyxr]

Bugster, Did mine last week. Getting the intakes etc off is pretty straight forward. Once you have the plastic cover off (allen key needed) you will see the coil on plug setup. Just take them off one at a time so as not to mix up, they can be a bit tight but if you twist them they will release ok. The plug's are buried down about 4 inches so you will need a long extension. Number six is a bit tight to get at. You will need a plug socket with the foam insert to lift the plug out or you can use a long piece of rubber hose, just push it over the plug tip & lift out. I used the end of pliers (tap the tag on them) to reduce the gap, just take your time. The plugs are taper seat so you just need to nip them up, not too tight, I used a smear of anti-sieze on the thread. A little WD40 on the rubber sleeve helps too. Should take you about 3-4 stubbies. Cheers

[Eugene]

Three to four Stubies?, your a fast worker.

Little tip,watch the little rubber bits that sit on top of the coil packs and under the tappet/plastic cover, keep an eye on them as they tend to wander.

Dont tap too hard on the plugs, you can crack the insulator, (porcilan), I use the handle of a screw driver and little taps.

to tighten themdown, finger tight till the stop then 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn max, no more.

alloy head and a heavy hand can be bad. you will feel when thay are tight, just dont go too far.

take your time pulling the coil pack/spark plug boots off, some can abe ab**ch, twist a little and they should come off OK..

Last but not least, dont do them when the engineis HOT, if you havny had them out before, the engine is really hot, and you have aheavy hand, you could be in trouble, open the bonnet for an hour or so, remove all the covers etc, and then go at it, easy, or you will be using a helicoil before you know it.

I have done 6 now without a drama, take your time and enjoy the stubbies.

[mickq]

Bugster, Did mine last week. Getting the intakes etc off is pretty straight forward. Once you have the plastic cover off (allen key needed) you will see the coil on plug setup. Just take them off one at a time so as not to mix up, they can be a bit tight but if you twist them they will release ok. The plug's are buried down about 4 inches so you will need a long extension. Number six is a bit tight to get at. You will need a plug socket with the foam insert to lift the plug out or you can use a long piece of rubber hose, just push it over the plug tip & lift out. I used the end of pliers (tap the tag on them) to reduce the gap, just take your time. The plugs are taper seat so you just need to nip them up, not too tight, I used a smear of anti-sieze on the thread. A little WD40 on the rubber sleeve helps too. Should take you about 3-4 stubbies. Cheers       

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Id recommend against using WD40 anywhere near high voltage. You will get arcing between where the boot meets the very top part of the plug and the engine or spark plug metal base bit if you are unlucky.

WD40 conducts electricity. I found this out the hard way with one of my past cars, when I sprayed it inside a distributor cap to get rid of any moisture. Had quite a lightning show

[bugster70]

Thanks for all the tips guys, sounds a wee bit trickier than I had imagined. Sigh, working on my old Escort and Mini was a lot easier!!

[veczar]

How much of a gap would be recommended...

[bugster70]

How much of a gap would be recommended...

It would seem anywhere between 0.85 and 0.89mm is what most people are going for.