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View Full Version : WARNING SPARK PLUG DIY on freaky site


claymore
07-26-2009, 01:32 AM
There is a post on that freaky site about changing plugs that is OK. Happy to see that they are finally catching up as I had our DIY up over there since January 2006.

BUT NEVER EVER use oil in place of anti-seize :eek: It would be better to use NOTHING before putting oil on the spark plug threads.

The reason is the anti-seize is made to prevent corrosion between unlike metals like the aluminum head and the metal plug threads. Anti-seize is also formulated for high temperature use. OIL will NOT prevent this and oil will deteriorate under the high temperatures in that area and turn to carbon residue making it HARDER to remove the plugs and easier to strip the threads. AVOID OIL ON THE THREADS AT ALL COST.

There is another recommendation to use washers for indexing WRONG AGAIN. This post was on a Fit/Jazz site and the Fit/Jazz use a TAPERED washer NOT A FLAT washer for sealing. Using a flat washer on the fit/Jazz will cause an incomplete seal. This is NOT a site for indexing spark plugs in a Chevy Big Block LOL.

The use of washers will also change your heat range rating by pulling the plug tip further out of the combustion chamber making it run colder BUT the use of a washer adds more metal to the heat path between the tip of the plug and the head making it run hotter by retaining the heat for an extra period of time. So who knows what your heat range will be after adding washers so one would have to be sure to check your plugs to see if they are running too hot or too cold.

And if you are removing and replacing the plugs why not index the plugs at the same time as all you are doing is tightening them to a position which you would be doing anyway so who cares how big or small the gain is it is still a FREE GAIN not a loss. We do things here to be the most technically efficient unlike over there where it is ok to be just good enough.:rolleyes:

The author over there doesn't know the torque rating simply because there is none. The "recommendation" is screw the plug down finger tight and then 1/4 to 1/2 further turn. (google some plug manufacturer sites and check their FAQS to see this).

Using dielectric connection grease is OK but in the photo that is way too much you don't need that much on the Jazz/Fit because the sparking units are sealed from the outside air therefore there is a lot less corrosion concern then on systems that use spark plug wires exposed to the air. If you can't find any at your parts store it is perfectly fine to skip that step on a "Fit/Jazz with it's sealed sparking units.

One other area of concern is removing the blue connector on the sparking units breaking the factory seal when removing the connector is totally unnecessary. There is plenty of slack in the wires to move the sparking units out of the way once they are removed from the plugs so it is a waste of time to remove the connector and removing the connector exposes the inner connection pins to the air encouraging corrosion.

manxman
07-26-2009, 12:38 PM
John,

I agree 100% with every point that you made above. It is absolutely weird how you still have to be the baby-sitter, and protect multiple forums, from the lying idiots on that other site. That site is made up of compulsive posters who just make up garbage because they don't have the training or experience to know what they are talking about. If I had been able to see the post that you are talking about, and had been able to post a reply, I would have torn that idiot to pieces. And probably would have been banned again.

BTW, anti-seize compound is a high temperature grease that is blended with powdered zinc. Like molybdenum and copper, zinc is a "gliding metal" that has an inherent slipperiness when it rubs against harder metals. In a high heat application, even if the grease of anti seize compound is melted away, the zinc that is left behind prevents the threads from galling (bending and deforming).

And as you said, using oil instead of anti seize would guarantee damage to the threads in the cylinder head- maybe you might "luck out" the first time you made the mistake, but eventually you will need a new head. The jerk posting the bad advice already needs a new head, and one for his car too!

claymore
07-27-2009, 12:09 AM
We aim to keep the "Technical stuff" correct here. :rolleyes:

EXWRX
07-27-2009, 10:32 AM
One more thing about dielectric, it has a double purpose. It prevents corrosion, which the Fit is less likely to be subject to, but it also helps keep the spark plugs wires from arcwelding themselves to the plugs, so I still think its worth using on any car. I bought a tube of dielectric grease 5-10 years ago and it still looks almost like new, you need so little of it at a time.