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DIY spark plug change
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5450
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
DIY spark plug change
Imperial is good…after all we drive on the ‘correct’ side
Hope you use the poles/stones setting on the torque wrench
Hope you use the poles/stones setting on the torque wrench
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
- enuff_zed
- Lifer
- Posts: 14758
- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:05 am
- Location: Attleborough, Norfolk
DIY spark plug change
Pondrew, I suggest you use some of the vast profit you made when you swapped your wheels and get someone else to change your plugs.
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5450
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
DIY spark plug change
The philosophical issue on DIY maintenance is this..
Take changing spark plugs
In the old days..
The plugs were immediately obvious where they were as soon as you opened the bonnet…
Same plug spanner worked on all plugs
All heads were cast iron
Your biggest issue was getting the wrong lead on the wrong plug..
Difficult to strip a thread, easy access, the effort reward ratio was good…
Now..
Where are the f***ing plugs?
What type of f***ing obscure plug spanner do you need? 17 point 24.67 mm?
What’s the f***ing torque setting?
Why is the last plug obscured by a f***ing big strut?
Take changing spark plugs
In the old days..
The plugs were immediately obvious where they were as soon as you opened the bonnet…
Same plug spanner worked on all plugs
All heads were cast iron
Your biggest issue was getting the wrong lead on the wrong plug..
Difficult to strip a thread, easy access, the effort reward ratio was good…
Now..
Where are the f***ing plugs?
What type of f***ing obscure plug spanner do you need? 17 point 24.67 mm?
What’s the f***ing torque setting?
Why is the last plug obscured by a f***ing big strut?
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
- MikeyH
- Lifer
- Posts: 4857
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2021 10:57 pm
- Location: Devon
DIY spark plug change
All this is beginning to put me off doing mine now. Did the air filter, piece of cake.
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
-
Online
- Lifer
- Posts: 8506
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:20 pm
- Location: Spaldingski
DIY spark plug change
That's not a bad idea, Mikey, putting a piece of cake in for an air filter. Probably has quite high particle arrestance too, especially if my missus made it!
"What's that smell when you drive down the road, Mikey?"
"Victoria sponge....could be battenburg"
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
- Nictrix
- Lifer
- Posts: 5451
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:59 pm
- Location: Paisley
DIY spark plug change
If it was a 6 cylinder I was going to ask if I could have your old plugs, not like they've been used much
E89 2014 35i M Sport Black with Black leather
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- Lifer
- Posts: 3933
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:47 pm
- Location: Sunderland
DIY spark plug change
Air filter as you say is no problem if I can do it, anybody can.
Would question how much you save fitting plugs yourself though.
Someone who knows what they are doing will no doubt be able to do it in a few minutes
G29 M30i M Sport San Francisco Red
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E89 35is Valencia Orange
E89 28i Crimson
E89 25i White
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Online
- Lifer
- Posts: 8506
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:20 pm
- Location: Spaldingski
DIY spark plug change
I'm only changing them because I can't get the spiders' webs out of the spark gaps!
I ordered the plugs from Autodoc, so they will definitely need doing by the time they arrive!
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
- enuff_zed
- Lifer
- Posts: 14758
- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:05 am
- Location: Attleborough, Norfolk
DIY spark plug change
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Online
- Lifer
- Posts: 8506
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:20 pm
- Location: Spaldingski
DIY spark plug change
Noted thanks.
I thought I might as well replace the ones on my other car while I'm at it, but I can't find spark plugs for it anywhere. Any ideas? It's a 2017 Mazda3 2.2D.
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
- enuff_zed
- Lifer
- Posts: 14758
- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:05 am
- Location: Attleborough, Norfolk
DIY spark plug change
- Smartbear
- Lifer
- Posts: 13685
- Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
- Location: a barn in Somerset
DIY spark plug change
The later cars with electronic waste gates also have those fiddly vacuum pipesB21 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:49 pm Pondweed…I forgot…on the N20 with pneumatic waste gate control the engine cover has two itsy bitsy connectors hidden from view, under the cover on the LHS as you look at the engine to do with boost management…they are push fit on barb connectors…easily broken off requiring a new cover (no boost if broken)…
Maybe on a 18i they aren’t there…
Also if they are there remember to reconnect otherwise the car is smooooothhhh but slowwww…
Don’t ask how I know…
Rob
e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold
- MikeyH
- Lifer
- Posts: 4857
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2021 10:57 pm
- Location: Devon
DIY spark plug change
Yep! I might just stick to eating the cake. Pondrew by the sound of it you could use your wife's cakes for wheel chocks Opps sorry.
Now, Sterling grey Z4 2.2 with cup holders, stubby aerial and sport seats. Roadsters ‘cause they’re great with the roof down.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
Ford Anglia, Red Sprite, a few MG midgets, MGB Roadster and yellow Ford Capri, all gone many years now.
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5450
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
DIY spark plug change
I thought so but you know how Ponderous gets picky…so didn’t want to offer duff advice….Smartbear wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:31 pmThe later cars with electronic waste gates also have those fiddly vacuum pipesB21 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:49 pm Pondweed…I forgot…on the N20 with pneumatic waste gate control the engine cover has two itsy bitsy connectors hidden from view, under the cover on the LHS as you look at the engine to do with boost management…they are push fit on barb connectors…easily broken off requiring a new cover (no boost if broken)…
Maybe on a 18i they aren’t there…
Also if they are there remember to reconnect otherwise the car is smooooothhhh but slowwww…
Don’t ask how I know…
Rob
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
-
Online
- Lifer
- Posts: 8506
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:20 pm
- Location: Spaldingski
DIY spark plug change
So an update for all you wanting a laugh.
I would consider my attempt at changing my plugs as an epic failure TBH.
Managed to unplug the two little hoses on the engine cover OK. When I took the cover off, the rubber locating piece for the nearside clip flew off and fell down onto the floorpan somewhere; can't find it, so the cover now rattles!
Got the coil out OK (had to look at youtube on how to remove electrical connector though).
Got my 14mm long socket with a flexible joint on the end down into the 'plug hole' where it stuck fast and I spent 20 minutes trying to get it out. I didn't think I was going to do it at one point as it was stuck tight (obviously got jammed where the angle changes near the plug). Luckily it didn't get onto the plug so no damage done apart from some scoring of the 'plug hole'.
So no plugs changed as I need a thinner wall socket. And I cut my finger too!
F*cking cars!
I would consider my attempt at changing my plugs as an epic failure TBH.
Managed to unplug the two little hoses on the engine cover OK. When I took the cover off, the rubber locating piece for the nearside clip flew off and fell down onto the floorpan somewhere; can't find it, so the cover now rattles!
Got the coil out OK (had to look at youtube on how to remove electrical connector though).
Got my 14mm long socket with a flexible joint on the end down into the 'plug hole' where it stuck fast and I spent 20 minutes trying to get it out. I didn't think I was going to do it at one point as it was stuck tight (obviously got jammed where the angle changes near the plug). Luckily it didn't get onto the plug so no damage done apart from some scoring of the 'plug hole'.
So no plugs changed as I need a thinner wall socket. And I cut my finger too!
F*cking cars!
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!
F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!