How To: Replacing Spark Plugs and Wires on 5VZ-FE 3.4 V6

Appreciate you taking the time to post this!

 

Kick ass thread! Just put in my NGK wire set and new Denso plugs and this was a great reference!

 

Thank you very much for the write up and all the visual aids!!!

 

On the subject of plug gap. I got into the habit of checking plug gaps when I was a kid on my gokart and my first car. I also look at plugs with a magnifying glass sometimes just to see if they have any imperfections like cracks or bad quality and no I don't have a pocket protector on my shirt. I've played around with side gapping spark plugs and heat ranges on some of my engines. Well I was just checking the gap on my plugs for the Tacoma and checked this forum for specs and saw all the to gap or not to gap and people seeing small gaps out of the box and yes mine looked small also. I took a look through my magnifying glass and noticed the side eletrodes are machined or cut to match the round center electrode. It was a huh check that out moment. So if you are running the Denso dual side electrode plugs you might just want to run them right out of the box unless you see something real obvious. I added a crewed drawing and some pictures of how you could get a different gap measuring straight across and not in the middle with a wire feeler gauge. DON"T USE THAT ROUND KEY CHAIN GAUGE !!! This forum has great info and great members and I hope this helps someone.

 

Stupid question but why are there only 4 spark plug wires when there are 6 spark plugs?

 

Are you looking at the 4cyl diagram?

From the 1st page

 

Hey Cutter
I believe they are firing those coil packs twice which means that if it's firing number one on the compression stroke or power stroke it's firing number four on the exhaust stroke. I'm sure you know that all the coil packs are on the passenger side of the engine. It helps clean up emissions but if you have a bad coil pack you lose two cylinders and have one dirty running engine. I've noticed this engine is a lot like my old 82 Yamaha motorcycle. Four cylinders two coils and if you look at the valve adjustment they use valve shims like my Yamaha a total motorcycle thing. So that's my thought and I hope it helps.

 

Thanks for this write up!

Just swapped out the original wires, dated 2001. They were still doing fine at 111k miles, but I put some fresh ones in just the same.

OEM wires were well worth the extra coin. They came all rigged up with all the spacers and clips. Went right on, no fuss.

Plugs weren’t terribly worn, but they’re so cheap I figured I’d do them while I’m in there.

 

Just did this. Can't believe how easy it was.
Truck had the sumitomo wires and Denso/NGK combo plugs so I assume these were original.
Might have been time for a change since the factory combo appears to have lasted 17 years and 160,000 miles.
Wasn't having any issues with the truck but it does seem to run a little bit better now (plus the new blue NGK wires kind of look cool).

 

Not related to this thread, just has a good picture.

Does anyone know what to call the small white hose fitting thingamajig straight to the left of the word PRY in this pic?
Or where to get one?
Or how to remove it?

I broke off the fitting part of it while working with my air intake.

Thanks.

 

Ok, just didn't want to mess up something taking it out

 

Spark plug gap spec = 0.043
Most spark plug wire vapored only have 0.040

Is that “good enough?” I figure the 0.003” difference is probably somewhere in the tolerance range of the tool or electrode itself.

Or better yet does anyone know where to get a wire gap tool with 0.043? @scocar has one (saw a pic of it in a thread somewhere) but he has no idea where he got it from

 

Correct, I have no idea where I got it from.

I just searched the F out of it 15 different ways and the closest I ever saw was .044, but I think it was for the wire hoop type, not the L type.

I found a Denso too in the UK, but it didn't' even provide the spec on it!

So I say use the L types that are easier to find with .040 and that is close enough.

 

Anyone ever try using the Platinum series of these spark plugs?

$50 Denso 3289 Lexus GS300 SC300 Spark Plug Set of 6 Denso NEW 90919 01196 / PK16TR11 / 3289

Denso 3289

 

Oh man, I'm so glad to see this info. I discovered this same exact thing yesterday, when I got curious about whether or not the plugs i got from my local dealer were, in fact, pre-gapped. The round gauge was producing numbers that I didn't like, and long story short after looking at how the dual ground was shaped, I ended up at Oreilly's for a different style of gauge. Issue solved! So nice to have my pocket-protector-wearing journey into spark plug gapping confirmed by your post. And so glad you posted this here, to finally bring some clarity about The Great Gapping Dilemma to this awesome thread, even if it did take 8 pages to get there, hahaha! Nice work.

 

Excellent post..Thank you!

 

Looking to change out spark plugs, plug wires and coils on my new to me 2002 with 3.4L v6. 120,000 miles on the motor. Just want to be proactive and setup for another 100,000 miles.
Recommendations on plugs, wires and coils?
6 plugs, 6 wires, 3 coils....right?
Coils have quite a price range. Should I go for the $80+ versions or what?

Thanks in advance for any support.

 

Denso or NGK. Not from the dealer unless they are cheaper which usually isn't the case.

 

I did mine about a year ago using double iridium Denso plugs (did not check gap as Eric the Toyota Maintenance guy said not to) and installed the blue NGK wires. First time ever doing it and was pretty easy. I used diastalic grease for the coil rubber ends.

I wish I had used genuine Toyota OEM wires as I think they fire cleaner and stronger than the NGKs