How To: Spark Plug Change (1 GR-FE)

Great write up. Just finished my plugs took my time and all came out well. The driver side is a lot harder to do. Also used two long extensions for the driver side, got the wrench out of all the hoses. Thanks for the write up it helped.

 

NIce Write Up! I did mine in about 45 mins and was surprised at how much the gap had widened on the OEM plugs. It was at .52 vs the .40 that is recommended. Anyway, hoping to get back a little performance and milage.

 

I swapped out my plugs on my 2004/2.7....looks like the previous owner may have never changed the plugs. Gaps on the plugs were around .079. Amazingly, I never had trouble starting/driving the vehicle and maintained 20/23 MPGs.

 

Good write-up and it was hepful when I did my plugs last month. My truck never had it done before by the previous owner since I found one side had Densos and the other side had NGK. I disagree with using antiseize on the spark plugs, although realistically it won't do any harm if you know what you're doing. I don't use torque wrenches for spark plug or on the oil drain plug since I'd rather not strip anything by putting confidence on a wrench that may/may not be calibrated correctly or highly accurate. I use a short handle ratchet when tightening the plugs so that way I'm not multiplying the torque by a lot and stop tightening when I start feeling significant resistance. I've used this method on my MR2 for almost 10 years now (aluminum head on an iron block) and no stripped plugs so far.

PS I couldn't believe how little slack there is in the ignition coil wire harness for the forward-most driver side plug. I didn't think i was going to be able to get the coil off at first and I think in the future it may be a big risk of messing up the wire harness as everything ages and get heat cycled.

 

So Chris, do you have a write up like this for doing break jobs?


That's gonna me my next project.

Regards
Jim

 

And I thought my 69 Porsche was a PITA!!!

 

It would help me Every time I drive someone else's car it feels like I slam on the brakes the first time I touch the brakes because they're so much more sensitive.

 

I'm with you on that one, brother. I am a union electrician by trade, and I know first hand the importance of using a lubrication medium between two threaded surfaces. ESPECIALLY between a joint that is intended to have service intervals. Not using anti-seize is just leaving yourself open to serious problems. It's not just cross threading you have to worry about. Ever shear the head of a bolt off of something because it was seized up? NOT fun.

 

Chris.. many thanks for this write up along with your oil filter post..

I see you used 6 denso rather than 3 denso 3 nkg.. I read on another Toyo forum about some reason to use denso/ngk combo because of "waste spark cross over" ? can I use 6 denso's on my 2006 V6 TRD ? with out mileage loss or preformance ?

Thanks

 

Even if our engine used wasted spark, what difference would it make in using two different types of plugs since they all have to fire in the same manner. As far as I know, there is no rhyme or reason to using two different plugs in our engines but Toyota has been doing this for a long time now. I would love to know why they do this, right now I think it's a data collection effort for the reliability of the components. It makes sense to do things that way because you subject both plugs to the same stresses so when the dealer changes them out it just becomes so much easier to have a valid comparison. This is assuming Toyota ever wants to collect data.

 

I read something about pre WW2 and post WW2 in Japan about
manufacturing equal rights law requiring companies to procure equally from component company's.. or something like that..

 

That would not surprise me at all. Amazing how politics gets in the way of important stuff. The parts guys at the dealer just handed me 6 denso plugs. Good enough for me. Go Sox.

 

I could believe that too.

Go Sox
LOL

 

Ahoy there everybody . I am excited i just bought my spark plugs from the dealer and will be tackling the task of changing my own spark plugs this week . But i had two questions before i get started
-the dealer gave me spark plugs with the #

$8 90919-01192 Toyota Genuine Spark Plug

90919-01192

$18 k16tr11 spark plugs, pack of 4

k16tr11 would these work ?
-when i change my spark plugs should i also do the wires ?
Thank you a head of time

 

this may be a dumb question but I replaced all my plugs with ngk v powers.. I gapped them all at like .041 buttt.. I thought replacing my plugs could possibly help me get a few more MPG's I was wrong! It has actually made my MPG's even worse.. Anyone else have this same issue? or is it temporary until I run a few gas tanks through?

 

How is your air filter? Tire pressure?

Tony,

Ahoy! If your cables look fine, then there is no need. As for the part number, sorry I can't help you there...I will have to do some research... someone should chime in b4 I post.