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

Spark plugs changed, super easy with a cold air intake and the engine cover removed.

As far as the plugs though anyone know why R1,L1, and L2 have the brown on the outside of the plug?

 

Great how-to OP! Just changed mine for the first time. Easy peesy.

I also have an OR so I just disconnected the intake hose at the air filter housing. That gave me plenty of room and I didn't have to mess with the pump.

 

About to do this. Sub’ed for easy searching.

 

Great write-up. Also a first-time plug changer.

How much wetness is normal on the plug threads? I've got a couple that are partway dark, and one that the wetness is all the way up to the washer.

 

Awesome guide! Changed mine today and they were bad. Should have taken some pictures. Not sure if this has been added in the hundred plus pages yet but I picked up a swivel socket head and it worked great! It really takes out some frustration.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...rWJ6ZdcfVVMydfa4Vk8SV_dVMkVeXuG0aAmAzEALw_wcB

 

First of all, thanks to the OP for a most excellent DIY.

And to the guy that came up with the magnetic, swivel spark plug socket: Give the man a blue ribbon.

Not knowing what had been done to my recently acquired '09 V6 Prerunner, I thought changing the plugs was a no-brainer. My snorkle thing had a 12mm bolt that didn't want to come out cleanly, so I disconnected the snorkle at the air cleaner and worked around it. It went smoothly except for the connector on the front driver side that was a huge pain in the ass to get disconnected.

It still had the NGK plugs on the drivers side so I'm assuming they've never been changed, which is a bit worrisome. They didn't look awful, but were obviously worn with gaps around .070. At any rate, it idles better and seems a bit smoother. It's nice knowing I saved a ton of money as well.

Thanks again for the great thread.

 

Changed my plugs for the 2nd time couple of weeks ago. These are NGK Iridiums LRFK6AIX-11 with 101,050 miles. The Taco was running great when I replaced them but the ground electrodes were noticeably worn down. The gaps were good 'cause I had re-gapped them at 80K; at that time they averaged .060. Replaced them with Denso Iridium Long Life

$59 SK20HR11 ---- IRIDIUM PLATINUM power pack Spark Plugs -- # 3421 ----- 6 PCS NEW

SK20HR11 which have a hardened ground electrode and should provide reliable service past the NGK's they replaced.

 

I have them in my truck now and will run them to 80000 miles. Looks good.

 

Thanks for the write and pictures. I also noticed your tape on the socket extension, good idea so you don't lose it some where it doesn't belong............

 

Great write up- just did this as part of my 30k (overdue) service.

Highly recommend grabbing a universal joint socket adaptor for getting the 10mm on the driver side. Made my day a heck of a lot easier. Done in a little under 2 hours.

Thanks a ton!

 

Thank you Chris for this, I'll be hitting 30K on my 2015 soon.

 

My fun chore for this weekend, great write up Chris!

 

Great write up, I’m picking up some anti seize, the op just uses the basic tube which I haven’t been able to find yet, I have only seen the aluminum and copper version. Which of the three is best to use ? Copper with the denso plugs or just keep looking for the standard anti seize ? Tia

 

If you gonna use anti-seize remember to reduce torque spec by 10-15%. I don't think it matters which anti-seize you use. Permatex has an application guide on their website.
@birddog11

 

Good to know ty

 

Read this write-up prior to doing replacement last night, Taco seems to run smoother. Must be placebo effect. Original plugs were still pretty good shape.

 

Great write up OP! This was the third plug change on my 06. I finished quicker this time and decided to clean the throttle body while I had the air filter separated. Truck runs great.

 

Changed my 2015 for the first time after 32K miles. I noticed they had Denso plugs on the passenger side and NGK on the drivers. All the plugs were at .045" gap except 2 on the drivers side were closer to .050. Went with Denso Irridiums so I don't have to change them for another 100K miles. Pass side was easy. Drivers side a bit more challenging but not overwhelming. Just need to take off brackets to gain access. Overall an hour and forty min job. Well worth doing yourself.

 

30k intervals give you an idea how the truck is running and save threads.
Just a couple pennies

 

You don't have to replace them at 30K to do that. Just pull them out, inspect, re-gap/clean, re-install. The 30K replacement recommendation in the maintenance schedule is primarily to comply with their emission warranty agreement - says so in my manual. The standard copper plugs can easily go 50K + .

I replaced the OEM plugs in my Taco at 60K with NGK Iridiums. Then replaced those recently after 110K with Denso Iridium Long Life. I do recommend pulling them at 60K or so. When I inspected mine at 80K, the gap was nearly .060. The engine was running fine when I replaced them but the ground electrodes were visible worn down; the ignition cycle eats the electrodes. I noticed the exact same thing on our Lexus ES250 which came stock with NGK Iridiums and recommended replacement is 120K. The Long Life's (and more expensive Iridiums) have a hardened electrode which will minimize this effect. With a little anti seize on the threads, there is no issue removing them.

It's not a matter of saving pennies. It's practical to extend usage of things based on individual needs. The recommended maintenance schedule is to reduce warranty claims from those that wouldn't know how to maintain their cars otherwise. It gives the average car owner a guide to follow. For those of us that know a little more about auto mechanics, we know, for example, we can safely switch to synthetic oil to extend oil changes. That we can switch to Iridium plugs, etc... You can apply a little logic here also - a reputable plug manufacturer would not list a plug in their application guide if they hadn't tested it for usage in that vehicle.