Lee H

Morning all.

Bought my 2003 car last May and when I got it home during a general check over the car I found the spark plugs a little loose. Thought little of it and just nipped them up assuming they hadn't been tightened correctly at the last service when they were changed.

6000 miles later (this weekend) I decided to run a compression test as valve clearances were quite far out when I checked them. To my surprise plugs 2 and 3 were only just past finger tight again.

Have torqued them to 20lb/ft and will check them again in a few weeks. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem? Maybe new plugs needed as crush washers past their best?

Noticed oil on the ceramic of plugs 3 and 4 that must have come down from rocker cover somewhere so will change all gaskets there as well.

richmc

If they have been loose a couple of time the crush washers will be fooked, replace them, make sure you get NGK platinum ones. They are supposed to last 54K miles or 72 months and shouldn't be messed with in between. Whatever you do DON'T get Denso plugs. Not sure what the torque setting should be, probably in the tech FAQ.

Edit - Plugs are PFR7G-11S

noodels

Got Denso in mine and fitted by TGM
There is different procedures regarding amount of turn using a re-torque[list=1] plugs and new.

Edit: I Do not use torque wrench in other words.
I must be doing something right 40 yrs with no loose leaking sheered plug here

richmc

If you do a search Noodles, you'll see reports of Denso central electrodes snapping off. You might want to change them.

I think Honda changed the spec for torqueing then from 18 to 20 for new plugs in a cold block.

BenRNBP

Did the washers actually get crushed the first time round ? When I've used a torque wrench before it's at about the 20ft/lbs / 30Nm that the washer actually crushes, so new plugs I'll use the "hand tight + 60[sup]o[/sup]" method on the box (or whatever it is - not sure it's 60[sup]o[/sup]) then old plugs will get 30Nm torque when refitting.

Probably best to start with a new set of NGKs, clean the oil out of the threads of cylinders 2 and 3 and fit the new spark plug tube seals to the cam cover all in one go.

Chuck S

Spark plugs should, of course, be torqued.

New plugs already have anti-seize of the threads but need it when refitting used plugs.

Torque to twenty four (24) pound-feet. Thirty four (34) NM. This is a 30% increase from the original spec.

-- Chuck

tozerman

20lb/ft is not enough, 24/25lbs is correct. the dangers of loose plugs are widely documented on here, basically the coil packs can get burnt and them misfire sets in and in some cases engines have been known to fail because of this.

Lee H

Cheers all. Washers are definitely crushed so will just buy some new plugs and try to avoid taking them out unnecessarily.

Interested to know how people get the oil out of the threads and where the plug seats as I'd be a bit wary of dropping anything into the cylinder truth be told.

RichwiththeS2000

Aaaannnnd now I'm paranoid TGM have put Densos in mine.. ;-)

flanders

I use a flexible picker with a piece of cloth in the claws, cant get it to far down the threads though.