CRISPLUGREPLACEMENT CRISPICTORIAL
by crispone » Sun May 11, 2008 7:22 pm
Well, it's been awhile since I shot a photo of the 'lara... and the plugs were coming "due"...
...at about 79k miles, I decided to pick up a new set at the dealer.
SEVENTEEN PLUS BUCKS for a PLUG!
...after some chat, I gave them my business anyway, for $13 and change per plug. I stayed with the DENSO, even though I like the BERU SILVERSTONES in my Supra.
Here is my "spur-of-the-moment-no-manual-referencing-journey" through the process, with a handful of pictures along the way.
I have NO engine cover, since I don't care for it... so the front bank were a SNAP to SWAP!
^^^ The OLD DENSO plugs came out looking really good for nearly 80K MILES! I gapped them to the recommended 1.0 ~ 1.1mm gap, choosing to be on the MIN. side, since they "grow" over time, if anything. (Shouldn't, but they certainly don't SHRINK!)
...as always, I used ANTI-SEIZE in the plug threads. If you don't do this currently, do yourself a favor, and go pick up a tube at any auto store. WELL worth the extra few moments to apply. Torquing is SMOOTHER and removal is a simple affair.
Here I am under way... actually dove in and did the FRONT bank before I even removed the battery...
...I was actually just "tinkerin'" around the cars when I started to pull plugs in the 'lara! Ended up doing the whole job.
^^^ Pulled the battery (to remove the CP-E intake more easily) and threw it on the charger because... well... why not. (Needed cleaned, anyway.)
^^^ CP-E was pretty clean overall. It really is a nice piece. I have only sprayed a LITTLE K&N oil on the CRIPMONGO air filter since switching to it from the afe unit that came with the CP-e, and required oiling at 3-5k mile increments. The K&N is still OILY... although getting dirty now.
^^^ The throttle butterfly was clearly soiled, and the ring around it's sealing arc as well. I carefully cleaned ALL the butterfly edge on the inside and out by gently forcing it open against the throttle spring. (I can't recommend this, as the drive-by-wire type may have delicate sensors, encoders, potentiometers, etc... which I have not researched. LAZY!) Nonetheless, I cleaned it well later, after I pulled it off with the manifold.
(Half a can of carb cleaner...)
^^^ After the basic vacuum bracket is removed (M10 nuts, earlier) you can pull the two nuts (M12 wrench) and several Allen bolts (M8 Allen wrench or socket) to loosen the manifold. ...ER... it won't come out YET!
Sure, there are several hoses at the throttle body to pull, two of which are COOLANT lines, and need plugged as follows...
Then you have to pull a couple vacuum lines from the top/center area of the manifold and right/rear (intuitive stuff...) ...but the REAL trick, is getting to the three bolts that secure the manifold to three stays BEHIND the manifold. Two are on the RIGHT side (facing the engine) and require a little patience... and I found a GEARWRENCH box-n-open worked well for those. (M12)
^^^ CENTER of image where light is shining, you can JUST see the bolt head. (They are not HARD to break free... just hard to back out, mainly because of access...)
^^^ The THIRD bold is an M14 head, and was the MOST difficult to reach! Once again, an M14 box-n-open GEARWRENCH made it only MODERATELY painful.
^^^ There are the three stays that brace the rear of the manifold. Pain in the arse to get at those bolts!
^^^ After pulling the manifold off... I made sure I placed shop towels into the intake runner openings... (YOU DON'T WANT A BOLT OR SOME DEPRIS to DROP INTO THERE!) ...especially since I would be working on the rear bank of plugs now.
^^^ I cleaned the battery terminals as well as the cable ends before reinstalling the battery. I also used a couple "corrosion resistant insulators" this time around. Later I sprayed the terminals with anti-corrosion spray.
^^^ JOB COMPLETE!
...and here were my pit crew members... posing with their achievement!
Perhaps someone will challenge the plug service as a result of the story... although a little time consuming, it is nothing a basic shade-tree-mechanic such as myself can't handle with a little patience!
Good luck!
-crisp
...at about 79k miles, I decided to pick up a new set at the dealer.
SEVENTEEN PLUS BUCKS for a PLUG!
...after some chat, I gave them my business anyway, for $13 and change per plug. I stayed with the DENSO, even though I like the BERU SILVERSTONES in my Supra.
Here is my "spur-of-the-moment-no-manual-referencing-journey" through the process, with a handful of pictures along the way.
I have NO engine cover, since I don't care for it... so the front bank were a SNAP to SWAP!
^^^ The OLD DENSO plugs came out looking really good for nearly 80K MILES! I gapped them to the recommended 1.0 ~ 1.1mm gap, choosing to be on the MIN. side, since they "grow" over time, if anything. (Shouldn't, but they certainly don't SHRINK!)
...as always, I used ANTI-SEIZE in the plug threads. If you don't do this currently, do yourself a favor, and go pick up a tube at any auto store. WELL worth the extra few moments to apply. Torquing is SMOOTHER and removal is a simple affair.
Here I am under way... actually dove in and did the FRONT bank before I even removed the battery...
...I was actually just "tinkerin'" around the cars when I started to pull plugs in the 'lara! Ended up doing the whole job.
^^^ Pulled the battery (to remove the CP-E intake more easily) and threw it on the charger because... well... why not. (Needed cleaned, anyway.)
^^^ CP-E was pretty clean overall. It really is a nice piece. I have only sprayed a LITTLE K&N oil on the CRIPMONGO air filter since switching to it from the afe unit that came with the CP-e, and required oiling at 3-5k mile increments. The K&N is still OILY... although getting dirty now.
^^^ The throttle butterfly was clearly soiled, and the ring around it's sealing arc as well. I carefully cleaned ALL the butterfly edge on the inside and out by gently forcing it open against the throttle spring. (I can't recommend this, as the drive-by-wire type may have delicate sensors, encoders, potentiometers, etc... which I have not researched. LAZY!) Nonetheless, I cleaned it well later, after I pulled it off with the manifold.
(Half a can of carb cleaner...)
^^^ After the basic vacuum bracket is removed (M10 nuts, earlier) you can pull the two nuts (M12 wrench) and several Allen bolts (M8 Allen wrench or socket) to loosen the manifold. ...ER... it won't come out YET!
Sure, there are several hoses at the throttle body to pull, two of which are COOLANT lines, and need plugged as follows...
Then you have to pull a couple vacuum lines from the top/center area of the manifold and right/rear (intuitive stuff...) ...but the REAL trick, is getting to the three bolts that secure the manifold to three stays BEHIND the manifold. Two are on the RIGHT side (facing the engine) and require a little patience... and I found a GEARWRENCH box-n-open worked well for those. (M12)
^^^ CENTER of image where light is shining, you can JUST see the bolt head. (They are not HARD to break free... just hard to back out, mainly because of access...)
^^^ The THIRD bold is an M14 head, and was the MOST difficult to reach! Once again, an M14 box-n-open GEARWRENCH made it only MODERATELY painful.
^^^ There are the three stays that brace the rear of the manifold. Pain in the arse to get at those bolts!
^^^ After pulling the manifold off... I made sure I placed shop towels into the intake runner openings... (YOU DON'T WANT A BOLT OR SOME DEPRIS to DROP INTO THERE!) ...especially since I would be working on the rear bank of plugs now.
^^^ I cleaned the battery terminals as well as the cable ends before reinstalling the battery. I also used a couple "corrosion resistant insulators" this time around. Later I sprayed the terminals with anti-corrosion spray.
^^^ JOB COMPLETE!
...and here were my pit crew members... posing with their achievement!
Perhaps someone will challenge the plug service as a result of the story... although a little time consuming, it is nothing a basic shade-tree-mechanic such as myself can't handle with a little patience!
Good luck!
-crisp
-
crispone - Immitagably Verbose Dude
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- Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:40 pm
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