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

Different kind of plugs for the 2.7L vs the 4.0L I guess. my 4.0 came with copper plugs which do not last nearly as long; manual says 30k miles. Your link is for Iridium plugs which last much longer.

 

Used my ob2 scanner and its saying theres a problem with the ignition coil, can it be caused if the wire harness was not plug properly with a click? or the 10mm bolt tightened a bit more?

 

if your plug socket is not holding on to the plug as mine wasn't, i just went to home depot and picked up a new (husky) plug socket with a fresh flexible boot that held the plugs perfectly, no tape, needle nose pliers etc needed. The best 3$ spent for this job - a new socket. Also, don't have to remove passenger intake, i just loosened clamp to allow filter head to rotate out of the way as needed.

 

Thanks-- good call.

 

Thanks Chris.
Second time I've done this and got it down to about an hour or so. All 50 thou after 40,000 miles

 

I used this thread before... but now I have the supercharger in the way. Anyone know of a super handy thread like this for my application?

 

My dealer quoted $425.00 for my 2012 V6 TRD!

 

phreddyfoo said: ↑
My dealer quoted $425.00 for my 2012 V6 TRD!
^
X2 = Think about all the shiny new tools you'll be able to buy with the money you save doing yourself!

 

The funny thing is I asked when they were due to be replaced and they couldn't answer. They kept asking why do you want to change them.

 

Did you find the problem? CEL did not identify the coil? When CEL lit on wife's 07 Lexus, it identified the bad ignition coil making it easy to replace for a DIY'er.

Torque on the bolt should have no bearing on the problem, unless it is so loose the connection got loose.

Check each connection to make sure the connections are seated. Start with #4 plug (driverside middle). That is the toughest plug to disconnect/connect.

 

What a job, getting blinded and burned by my own flashlight, dropping little bolts and having to fish around forever finding it. Not to mention being short and having to use a wobbly ass step stool to reach everything...

 

hEY yo,

I just received my 6 spark plugs from Toyota of Dallas and plan to change them soon, however do you think it is really necessary to put some anti-seize on them?

Some forums say we should, some says we shouldn't lol

 

My plan when doing my first spark plug change was not to use anti-seize, but 2 factors changed my mind.

1.) I didn't have total confidence I wasn't cross threading the plug, as they were dry and couldn't thread by feel. I tried using a rubber hose to install the plugs, so I wouldn't cross thread them, but my threads were too dry.

2.) I used a cheap spark plug socket that kept losing the rubber insert, when it stayed attached to the plug and had to remove the new plug I just installed to get the rubber insert. They say the coating they put on plugs is good for one install, so I decided to not take a chance.

 

I don't think it's going to matter very much whether or not you put anti-seize on the threads but if you do, use it sparingly and keep it away from the center and ground electrodes. My stock plugs had quite a few more miles than they should have and they weren't hard to get out. With that being said, I didn't use anti-seize when I installed the new ones. I do recommend a torque wrench so that you don't over tighten them. Even a Harbor Freight torque wrench is better than nothing.

 

It's true. Applying any type of lube on the threads increases bolt, or clamping, tension, that can lead to a broken bolt head, or in spark plug cases, stripped threads. So, how much do you reduce the torque value? Hard to say as different lubes will have different 'slippery' qualities, and manufactures do not provide adjusted torque values for lubed threads. If you are not using lube, the correct clamping tension is achieved with clean threads, which can be difficult in a spark plug hole, because chasing the threads will cause particulates to drop into the piston chamber.
http://www.enerpac.com/en-us/torque-tightening
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/torque-lubrication-effects-d_1693.html
http://benmlee.com/4runner/threads/threads.htm
http://www.smartbolts.com/news/impact-lubricants-torque-readings/

 

Some torque wrench confusion here. I am researching & buying tools to do a spark plug change soon and the torque wrench is on my shopping list. chris4x4 is using a 3/8" Craftsman that has a low limit of 10 and high limit of 75. Most torque wrenches are supposedly accurate only to 20% to 100% of range. That suggests it's generally better to avoid using the low end of a torque wrench's range. With a spark plug torque spec of 15 ft-lbs (w/o anti-seize adjustment ?), that is close to the low limit of 10 ft-lbs so accuracy might be worse. Many 1/4" torque wrenches have a range of 2 to 17 ft-lbs which looks better especially if lowering the 15 ft-lbs spec by 10-15% for anti-seize. Why are folks using a 3/8" versus a 1/4" torque wrench? Is the 3/8" torque wrench good enough for our spark plugs?

Newbie here so please be kind.

 

I used a 3/8" with a 10ft-lbs minimum last time I did mine. The torque wrench did not *seem* accurate and I think they ended up a little too tight. It's just a cheap-o torque wrench, but it's been pretty accurate vs my more expensive 1/2" one towards the higher end of its range. I don't have anything to compare it to at low settings so I can't say for sure if it's out or how much. But maybe go with the 1/4"?

 

If I go with the 1/4" torque wrench, it will need an adapter since the spark plug socket is 3/8". More trouble or less than going 3/8" with everything (wrench, extensions, socket)?

I had been leaning towards the 1/4" because I could use it on my bicycle also for the delicate carbon components.

 

The 1/4 to 3/8 adapter shouldn't be an issue. One more joint in the collection of extensions and stuff ain't gonna kill ya... it'll just be slightly more wobbly