Use good plugs if you Tune.

[Acpantera]

Hey Folks, It's been about 2 yrs and 17,000 miles since I put a RaceChip GTS and Denso IKH24 plugs in my Genny sport, all was well ran really good with all the added power as advertised. Well the other day I was playing around and while on the max chip setting and wot I got an abrupt miss and a ck engine light, happened a couple more times after that too. Code reader said spark miss in 2 and 6, ck engine light cleared, no code or miss while driving "normally". Pulled a plug today and expected to see a carbon fouled plug( went one step colder than stock), nope a very light tan color(could probably go one step colder even). what I did see is a gap that widened to .045" from a strictly set .022" when installed. Turns out that the denso has an .4mm iridium tip and a plain old ground strap. I ordered HKS-M45iL plugs, two steps colder than stock and the have a .6mm (50% larger) tip and a platinum pad on the ground strap. A little more spendy but should wear a tad longer than 17,000 miles.....Merry Christmas Happy Holidays.

 

[Acpantera]

 

[Acpantera]

Just got done replacing all my spark plugs, really is a piece of cake.
Just a note about the Denso plugs that I removed. Denso's trademark "u groove" ground trap had completely eroded away the "u" in just 17,000 miles, I can imagine the oem ngk plugs will erode just as quickly even in an unmodified engine. When plug manufacturers tout Iridium as being superior to copper and even platinum, wich as metals go it is, the Iridium is pointless if the plug as a standard nickel alloy strap. The HKS is the only plug I found that has the Iridium tip and a platinum pad on the ground strap for the 3.3tt engine.
Stock oem recommended intervals sparkplug replacement is 45,000 mile and I highly recommend everyone adheres to that recommendation and install or have installed HKS M35iL plugs for stock engines and HKS M45iL for tuned engines. Good day, good luck.

 

[PFWiz]

Thanks for the info....

 

[goodry]

Is

Just got done replacing all my spark plugs, really is a piece of cake.
Just a note about the Denso plugs that I removed. Denso's trademark "u groove" ground trap had completely eroded away the "u" in just 17,000 miles, I can imagine the oem ngk plugs will erode just as quickly even in an unmodified engine. When plug manufacturers tout Iridium as being superior to copper and even platinum, wich as metals go it is, the Iridium is pointless if the plug as a standard nickel alloy strap. The HKS is the only plug I found that has the Iridium tip and a platinum pad on the ground strap for the 3.3tt engine.
Stock oem recommended intervals sparkplug replacement is 45,000 mile and I highly recommend everyone adheres to that recommendation and install or have installed HKS M35iL plugs for stock engines and HKS M45iL for tuned engines. Good day, good luck.

Is changing the plugs difficult? any special tools for the engine or just a general spark plug wrench?

Can the plug be directly installed or does it need to be re-gapped?

In the link you provided, it has a 1 step and a 2 step plug - any difference\preference ?

 

[joegr]

...Can the plug be directly installed or does it need to be re-gapped?...

Always check the gap. Out of just about every set of eight plugs that I have bought, at least one or two have been wrong.

 

[Acpantera]

Is

Is changing the plugs difficult? any special tools for the engine or just a general spark plug wrench?

Can the plug be directly installed or does it need to be re-gapped?

In the link you provided, it has a 1 step and a 2 step plug - any difference\preference ?

The toughest one is the center one on the right bank/ passenger side.
I used a magnetic sparkplug socket, 2 3/8 drive universals together and an extension. Once you take the coil hold down bolt out and wires unpluged, spin the coil about 180° so that the wire connection is pointing forward, twist and lift, once the coil is free of the plug spray a bit of silcone on the coil stem/coil bore, this helps it slide out, wiggle and pull the coil out from under the intake, it bends enough.

 

[Acpantera]

This is the tool I used for gapping the plugs. Can't remember where I got it...

 

[goodry]

View attachment 35231
This is the tool I used for gapping the plugs. Can't remember where I got it...

You seriously read my mind. I was going to look for something like this.. I was using the "bang it on a hard surface" method. Is everybody still using a small little circular gapping tool to measure the gap?

 

[bubbaG80Sport]

Fancy tool. If I needed to decrease plug gap I'd use the "bang it on a hard surface" method. I made sure not to overshoot the gap though.
Making the gap larger is risky on these new coated plugs. The coatings on these new plugs is susceptible to damage using a tool.

I use a circular gapping tool to measure the gap. Growing up we had feeler gauges. There was a different tab of metal for each gap thickness.

In the good ole days with leaded gas I used to pull plugs in my vehicles every 10K miles and clean/gap. With today's 100K mile plugs and a PITA to get to/remove plugs, I haven't checked/gapped a plug in a car for decades.

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[Acpantera]

Iridium tips are fragile, be careful, that gap closing tool can make nice small adjustments.
I gap all mine at the dinner table, slow and steady, wife loves that.

 

[Acpantera]

All in all the G80 3.3 is one of the easier modern engines to replace spark plugs in, and I've replaced plugs in all sorts of things, autos, cycles, snowmobiles and machinery. Some transverse mounted V engines are a nightmare and pickup trucks are tough just because of the height of the fenders.

 

[goodry]

I bought one of those gapping tools.