I went and purchased these spark plugs the other day and installed them. I trusted autozone for compatibility without asking the experts, you guys!

Could an expert review this plug and let me know if I made the right decision?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...er=505373_0_0_


Thanks!

 

Those are the right plugs for a Cooper.

Use a .032 gap.

 

Thanks man!

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was told these plugs were pre-gapped for the Mini. Am I wrong?

 

They may be, but from what I can gather they are gapped .040 from the box.

Another great site for info is www.ngk.com

 

Awesome, you are a great help. :D

 

 

And make sure you torque your plugs to 25lbs on a cold head. You don't want your engine to turn into a plug cannon.

 

I recently replaced the plugs in my car I used the Bosch +4 plugs, was that a good choice? Is there a difference between the iridium plugs and the +4 ?

Thanks

 

Have a read of this, it might answer your questions.

Click this link below.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ark-plugs.html

 

Usually, after you install a 15% pulley, or do a complete Stage I setup (pulley, CAI, exhaust, tune), an upgrade to NGK BKR7s will help. Some prefer the Brisk plugs. NGKs and Bosch +4s should be pregapped and ready to go (not sure about the Brisk ones). It does not hurt to double-check the gap, but it's highly recommended not to change them.

Yes, as the link from czar indicates, the only real gain from platinum and iridium plugs is longevity. In my older Chevrolet motorhead days, I tried several brands and types of plugs. In the end, the best plugs were AC Delco copper, which is made specifically for GM.

 

Haha what do you mean by this? is 25lbs a lot? I don't have a torque wrench. Is there a rule of thumb regarding how many turns it takes or something if you don't have the wrench?

 

Great info, thank you.

 

Torque spec on the NGK Iridium plugs is 27 ft. pds. Make sure they are torqued to spec!! I can vouch that when your engine turns into a plug cannon, the car does not run well on three cylinders, especially on the track.

 

Can you explain what you mean by a plug cannon. Will the plugs actually shoot out of the head????

 

They can shoot all the way out, or they could only come part of the way out, either way they take the threads in the head with them. If that happens, you have 3 options: helicoil, re-tapping the head, or head replacement.

 

A few owners do experience a plug shot out. This is due to having a boostfed engine. In a few cases, the boost just forced the plug out of the threads (which would mean the plug was not torqued right). I cannot recall the type, but search the forum for "helicoil." There is a better option that using it.

 

Mine was repaired with a Time-sert www.timesert.com which is supposed to be more durable than a helicoil repair. We'll find out..next track day is one week from today at Lime Rock

 

That's it... time-sert. Thanks, veggivet. It's late and I'm tired.

 

that creates the "plug cannon". Anyway, 27 is a bit high, but factory spec is about 18-22. And really, for Al head engines, get a torque wrench. If you don't do stuff like this alot, you can really screw up the expensive Al that you put the steel plug into. Not having a torque wrench is a false savings.

Two things everyone who works on thier car should have: torque wrench and an OBD-II scanner.

Matt

 

Thanks guys, I am going to buy a torque wrench tonight.

 

Firstly 25 ft/lbs is on the top side (a little too tight) of the correct torque setting, this should be,
18 - 21.6 ft/lbs

What I am about to say is just a very GENERAL rule of thumb, and in know way a definitive absolute.

When installing your plugs get them to the point of finger tight, first initial feeling of resistance (DON'T USE A RATCHET) at this stage!

Then when you attach your ratchet to your socket extension, picture yourself a 12 hour clock dial, and set the ratchet at your mind pictured 12 o clock position, and now tighten (clockwise) till you get to your mind pictured 5 or 6 o clock position of the 12 hour dial.

This method should only be used as a temporary install until you can torque your spark plugs to the correct setting.

 

Hi Czar,

What did you mean by this " Firstly 25ft/lbs is on the top side of the correct torque setting, this should be,
18 - 21.6ft/lbs "

I just bought a torque wrench off ebay for about $30.

 

25 ft/lbs of torque is a little too much, the correct torque setting is 18 - 21.6 ft/lbs

Click this link below and you may learn a little more.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ark-plugs.html

 

you are right about the "book" spec on the plug.... But many a many a person has found that going a bit above that doesn't cause harm, and does a really good job of preventing the plug from working loose. 18 is just silly loose for the blown Tritec. And there have been plugs blown out on unmodded cars that have just been happily doing thier thing under "factory" spec. Also, with the silly notion of 100k mile plugs where they don't get checked that often (I say silly cause with a little blown motor with Al head and steel plugs, the thermal expansion co-efficient is different and this needs a bit of care and feeding), problems can and do happen.

Matt

 

Thanks for your input man. I have purchased a torque wrench. In the mean time, I tightened them a bit more this morning.