Spark plug PSA

First I'd like to thank the posters on this forum for all the feedback, both positive and negative, about the experiences with our trucks. Sifting through the "fluff" I look for repeated concerns about our trucks to see if I may be experiencing something similar. Through a couple spark plug change threads I noticed people experiencing loose plugs causing the tell-tale "staining" of the coilpacks from combustion gases escaping past the plugs. Anyways, I've been noticing, for pretty much the whole time I've had the truck, that I had a "miss" Was more noticeable when cruising at whatever speed I was at at lower RPMs. I thought it was the transmission because of all the complaints on here. So, with 50K on my truck, I decided to change my plugs and see If I had any of this "blow-by" on my plugs and coil packs and to my horror ( too strong a word I know but damn this is a Toyota) 5 of six of my plugs were very loose, some finger tight. Even the only one "tight" was loose for my standards. Oddly one of the more loose ones had no blow-by on the coils. I replaced the plugs and cleaned up the coils and I didn't use a torque wrench either. Just felt the crush washer bottom out and snugged it just a little bit more. I'm a rebel. So my truck drives SO much better. Smooth cruising now, and, ready for this, not downshifting as much when I give it gas. Hmmm.

So morale of the story, check those plugs.

I only took a picture of the first coils I took out on the passenger side. The drivers side had 2 "dirty" coils. As I mentioned, 1 plug and coil were also loose but minimal to no signs of blow-by. (the middle plug in the 2nd pictures) The pictures of the plugs show signs of 4 plugs with blow-by. Makes me want to compression check that one cylinder.

 

Man I'd be pissed if I found my spark plugs and coils like that. Toyota needs to step up their game. Good thing you did them slightly early!

 

Interesting on a 2019. Most of the others have been on the older 3rd Gens.

 

I only did them early because of what I noticed with the missing and the reports on this forum. Otherwise I would have done them probably way after 60K TBH. Probably 70K+

 

I think I saw something from a video by R4T about better coils? And it gives better performances?
Why not upgrade?
Aloha

 

I looked at those a year ago and since you have to use at least 91 octane to avoid detonation I decided against them and even more so now with the price of gas. Not really the topic of the thread but I appreciate the suggestion.

 

can you tell if the crush washers on the loose plugs are actually crushed?

 

is the only punctuation on your keyboard a question mark.

 

Yours must be broken.

 

it twas a deliberate choice'

 

? Um? Could be?

 

LOL
Bunch of fluffers up in here.

 

Damn, I foresee a few hours of this weekend what I will be doing.

 

Do you mean the ones I removed from the factory? Not sure But I know the ones I put in are. What's your point?

 

Yes there are. tis shame.

 

Funny I thought the same thing.

 

I mean the ones from the factory. If they aren't crushed all the then they were definitely not torqued. If they are crushed all the way then perhaps they where torqued right are somehow loosening up in operation.

 

But if they were torqued to the blessed factory torque specs how could they possibly come loose?

 

Don't know but if they are loosening its going to be and ongoing problem, not just a torque it and forget it deal.

 

You might be right which is why I made the post. Maybe the torque spec is a little light, I don't know that's why I did these plugs the way I've done every plug I've ever done in the past 35 years. They all have the crush washer which is easy to distinguish. Beyond that is just common sense depending on if the head is aluminum or iron. Even then it's almost the same really.