^ different for everyone depending on how the vehicle is maintained, how driven, fuel quality, etc.

The only way to really tell is to pull them and take a look. There shouldn't be too much black soot (although most 8's run very rich). Ideally a brownish-tan residue).

Having said that, 12k miles is a good rule of thumb.

I have stumbled my way through most of the post's in this thread and still need to know what is the avg life span of our spark plugs mine are stock Mazda.:wallbash:

its debateable. I would change them every 12k to 15k miles. Depending on their condition, it is cheaper to just clean them. Cleaning them is not my expertise so, you would have to ask others that are more familiar with the process and what all to do/look for.

went to take out my plugs past monday. my friend and i were having trouble getting the first plug out, any recommendations? read torque wrench and breaker bar in this thread, are those the only solutions :(

went to take out my plugs past monday. my friend and i were having trouble getting the first plug out, any recommendations? read torque wrench and breaker bar in this thread, are those the only solutions :(

Make sure you're using a 13/16" spark plug socket (not a regular socket).
If its tough to loosen, someone may not have used anti-seize on it last time, so make sure you do when you install your plugs.
Don't use a torque wrench to remove the plugs.
You can use a breaker bar, but it shouldn't require THAT much to loosen the plugs... maybe go work out at the gym ;)

Make sure you're using a 13/16" spark plug socket (not a regular socket).
If its tough to loosen, someone may not have used anti-seize on it last time, so make sure you do when you install your plugs.
Don't use a torque wrench to remove the plugs.
You can use a breaker bar, but it shouldn't require THAT much to loosen the plugs... maybe go work out at the gym ;)

yeah i purchased a 13/16" spark plug socket from autozone, ill prob take a breaker bar to the damn thing see how that goes.

Was in for an oil change today and just out of curiosity asked how much just to install the plugs I bought (haven't had time to do it myself yet)

$150!... Just for the install:yelrotflm I don't get where they came up with that number. Should just be paying for labor which should take maybe 15 min tops for a pro. If it was maybe $25 I would have said go ahead...but geez...$150!?

i like to call that the "dont ask us to do this" fee. they either didnt feel comfortable doing it, or had never changed the plugs on a rotary before.. so they're basically throwing out a number they know most people will say no thank you to.

I have stumbled my way through most of the post's in this thread and still need to know what is the avg life span of our spark plugs mine are stock Mazda.:wallbash:

i am changing them every 30k miles, works fine so far XD

i like to call that the "dont ask us to do this" fee. they either didnt feel comfortable doing it, or had never changed the plugs on a rotary before.. so they're basically throwing out a number they know most people will say no thank you to.

Well, I am close to 90k, so it's about time for that maintenance stuff. I just wanted the oil changed but they seemed pissed I wouldn't let them do the tranny fluid and the other stuff. Thanks to the DIYs on here I am very comfortable doing it on my own and Im not even very mehcanically inclined. Planning on doing the plugs next weekend and Im gonna order some coils this week and do that too. If stealerships wouldn't charge so damn much I'd actually let them do the work, but the prices are just getting out of hand for this stuff. It actually makes me feel really good that I have learned to do all of this stuff on my own. I actually enjoy doing it.

Hey Fellas. I just changed the spark plugs on my car with 40K on the odometer. Boy what a difference it makes. The car idles much smoother and runs like it's supposed to. Anyone waiting to see if they need to change their spark plugs can look at how mine were .

Funny how I always take my car to the dealer for routine maintenance and they never mentioned new plugs. I have new coils and wires on the way.

Thanks for the useful info from everyone. I freakin' love this forum!

I should have read this thread before changing my plugs, as I now realize that I over torqued my plugs :(

If I torqued my plugs to 25 ft-lbs will I be ok ?

great thread, any opinions on the best place to get coils/wires?

BHR has a coil package you can't go wrong with.

BHR has a coil package you can't go wrong with.

while you brought it up. i know there are hundreds of pages of stuff one the BHR ignition kit but is it worth the money??? what are the main benefits? cause its alot of greet:Eyecrazy:

The main benefits are stonger coils that will out last the oem coils that are known to fail, and they make it harder to flood your car.

I'm looking at these
http://www.okadaprojects.com/usa/products_direct.htm

I'm looking at these
http://www.okadaprojects.com/usa/products_direct.htm

I think you'd be better off with BHR. My guess (not knowing anything about them,) is those plasma coils are more gimmick than real performance. Probably not as good as stock.

"Plasma"...HOT COILS..our coils get Hot enough as it is....Sounds like a load of BS to me, especially the price!...ridiculous

$735 for a set of coils? :SHOCKED:

I changed my plugs today after reading through this thread a few times. All 4 were easily accessible by removing the drivers wheel, I never had to get under the car. Start to finish was about an hour, and I really didn't try to rush. Thanks for the info here, made the job a piece of cake.

Thanks OP. Your thread made this a 20 minute job!

I f any of ya are looking for factory ngk plugs theres guy on ebay selling them for good price not sure how many sets are left i just recieved set from him
way cheaper than the dealer with free shipping , stock ngk plugs worked great new , :SHOCKED:

Thanks so much for the info, tomorrow, I will be changing mines, wish me luck!! :D

I did it!!!! It only cost $85.49 for everything, the four of them were fried literally lol! It sux how Mazda wants to rip off people ..

(Yeah I can work on cars and no, im not affraid of the grease)



http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/bikergrl03/spares.jpg


http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/bikergrl03/spares8.jpg

(Yeah I can work on cars and no, im not affraid of the grease)


I envy your hubby.

I envy your hubby.


Hehehe :)

Replaced the plugs and coils yesterday. Definitely had not been done before, and the car is at 60k miles. Plugs were disgusting and 3/4 of the coils had white marks on them. Car starts, idles, and runs much smoother now. :)

Just a note to say thanks to the OP and the others who contributed - made the swap very easy - no surprises.

Just a note to say thanks to the OP and the others who contributed - made the swap very easy - no surprises.

awesome to hear. :rock:

There are few things as rewarding as working on your own car.

awesome to hear. :rock:

There are few things as rewarding as working on your own car.

Oh - I hate working on my car!! Hate paying $90/hr for a guy who doesn't CARE about my car worse, however.

:D

:beers:

awesome to hear. :rock:

There are few things as rewarding as working on your own car.

Who are you.....................and what did you do with Laythor? :cussing:





























































J/K :Peace:

pfft.. i've done a lot of wrenching on my car. but i'm at the point in my life where my cost per hour is much higher then what i have to pay someone to do it for me.

the one thing i avoid like the plauge is running wires, i'm getting to old to do the "whole body twist" to reach some areas and besides, my audio installer has a very nice movie room to relax in while i wait

gosh, 15k ready for new plugs? rotaries not only eat oil but also eat plugs.

How much anti seize should you be putting on the plug threads? Do you just lightly coat them or lather them up pretty good?

you just need a little bit.

a light coating. you dont need much at all

gosh, 15k ready for new plugs? rotaries not only eat oil but also eat plugs.

All cars eat plugs when you rev them to 9k. :) just only so few do. my talon eats plugs as well. Most complain of eating plugs due to being 20 bucks a piece. NGKs in my talon are just 3 or so.

They dont eat oil either. They do use some depending on load and rpms. Of all the fussing I have heard about, most people dont realize that piston engines eat oil as well. They just do it more as the rings wear. They do eat oil between changes but they dont eat quite as much as the rotary due to design. Remember, the first rings on a piston are called oil control rings for a reason. they control oil residue to keep the cylinder walls lined with a slight coating to keep the rings from diggin in to the walls.

Changing out the plugs is fairly easy once you do it a few times. Just taking off the driver's side tire is the hard part really. I have changed out 5 sets of plugs on my car and do it in about 30 mins or so now. Piston engine owners are so lazy LOL

by the way, I change out my talon plugs every 10k miles or so. turbo has its advantages and disadvantages.

what is the torque spec for tightening new ones on?

114-156 in- lbf or roughly 10 f-lbf. Overtight can strip the housings :( I just use little motor oil on threads, wipe off excess and tighten little over finger. Never actually measured it :)

so hand tight is fine?

i thought it would be a large amount of ft/lb due to the fact they can be difficult to remove.. i guess its cuz theyre more stuck on then tight on

so hand tight is fine?

A little more than hand tight.
Once you get it hand tight, use the spark plug socket and give the plug another 1/4 - 1/2 turn.
Also remember to use anti-seize on the plug threads so its not so difficult to get out next time.

gotcha. thanks.

got my BHR kit and it looks great.

DENSO ULTIMATE CLASS IRIDIUM RACING SPARK PLUG, are these good plugs for the rx-8? i found them on autopartswarehouse.com/ they are $51 each, so i was curious if they were worth the money?

Just stick with the NGK. Black Halo Racing here has a good deal at ~$80 for the set of four.

Well boys and girls I made it 75,000mi on the original plugs before they went on me two days ago, been premixing since she was born as well what ever that helps.
Thanks for thread helped out a bunch on my install today she runs great now

No 30,000 for me

Not in particular. Best is to find some way of disabling spark and fuel - probably pulling the ECU fuse or the like, then cranking the engine over for a second or so to blow all the fuel vapor out.

You have to be REALLY careful with this, as atomized fuel is VERY flammable. You have to be certain the spark is disabled, as the disconnected spark plugs could ground to something and ignite the fuel in the air.

Dale I HAD A BOSS DO THAT & BURN HIS WIFE'S SUBARU TO THE GROUND. make sure u pull the wires away or off. I thought I lost an engine at 12,000+ revs the electrode melted off the leading plug & fouled the trailng plug. I switched to a four electrode set. MJ

This may be a stupid/ignorant question, but are the plugs I purchased from Sparkplugs.com already gapped or do I have to do it still????

^ they're already gapped, but it's always a good practice to double check.

Well today I now have a missfire p0301 my coils are just as old 75,000mi I think this might be it but yesterday it ran fine now at 7grand it starts missfire could I have over tight my plugs? It took about three or four turns to hit the right spec on my wrench?

Overtightening shouldn't cause misfires (though it may make it nearly impossible to get them out without stripping the threads.) I'd check all your connections.

Replaced the spark plugs today. Had lots of trouble getting one of them loose. but all done =)
So nasty looking eh? There were lots of oil around 2 of the plugs. Normal? Also my 2 of my wires are very loose fitting on the plugs. Time to replace!
Thanks for all your help. Love all these DIY!!!! =)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs299.ash2/57909_10150261517140117_556370116_14516252_3871862 _n.jpg

I'm a proud new owner of a Velocity Red! I couldn't wait to get her up on my lift! I was done with all the maintenance in no time! The plugs were quite easy to get to! Try a Nissan x-terra v6 or a MistuBITCHi Montero! The only annoying thing was to change the air filter. But I got it in anyway, plus a little help from my nephew (6 years old).
This car is simply marvelous!

btw RX8Lovah: my plugs looked just like yours, but were dry and as I was double checking you really have to make sure you push the plug wire on! :)

Went to replace my plugs and once I got under the car I found one wire totally dangling. Argh! Wouldn't snap on to the new plug either, so it's time for new wires too.

just did this + oil change. my pulgs were mangled lols... new one's in and my car's purrin haha. good diy by the way... should of read this first? oh well jobs done! =)

p.s the oil filter is a major bitch to remove.... a real bitch.. lols

p.s the oil filter is a major bitch to remove.... a real bitch.. lols

Use the fram filters with the grippy stuff (or an equivalent.) Makes things soo much easier. Also be gentle when screwing the new one on.
I think the first time I replaced my filter it involved stabbing it with a screwdriver to get it off.

yea me and a friend had to do something similar... but our muscles did the trick, and we didn't twist it on too much.. lols

p.s the oil filter is a major bitch to remove.... a real bitch.. lols

I find using the K&N oil filter is the easiest.
It has a one inch nut welded on the top.
So my 1 inch wrench works great with less hassle and mess.

I find using the K&N oil filter is the easiest.
It has a one inch nut welded on the top.
So my 1 inch wrench works great with less hassle and mess.

yea, that's what i have on now, i think the oem filter was on before, and on tight at that lols. but hopefully i wont have too much trouble changing it next time now that i have the k7n on =)

They also make sockets and wrenches for removing the oil filter. So if you do your own oil changes, it may be worth the investment if you plan on keeping your 8 for a few years.

p.s the oil filter is a major bitch to remove.... a real bitch.. lols

Be glad you don't have to change the filter on a Series II. It would make you appreciate your Series I filter...

Be glad you don't have to change the filter on a Series II. It would make you appreciate your Series I filter...
lols oh really?? whats the difference? 0_o

They also make sockets and wrenches for removing the oil filter. So if you do your own oil changes, it may be worth the investment if you plan on keeping your 8 for a few years.

Yea i allrdy have some socket's/wrenches, and an oil filter plier thingy lols, but this is the first time that i have an K&N oil filter on so yea haha..

Plugs and wires changed and my 8's purring like a kitten.

I had a noise that I don't think I mentioned -- I had a ticking sound, almost like a time bomb, whose speed went up and down with RPMs. I think it must have been my dangling plug wire arcing to either the plug or the frame. That noise is now gone with new plugs and wires that actually stay on.

I attempted to do this today and I could not get any of the plugs to budge... grr

ideas?

bigger hammer?

what a PITA......

got them all changed and car still worked...yea.

The holes for the trailing plugs where really rusty inside. All the plugs looked like RX8Lovah's above. Also think I might have a crack on the outside of the front rotor housing right by the trailing plug hole.

edit:
Also... you don't need to get under the car at all to change them (least I didn't) I just jacked up the drivers side, removed the wheel and got them all. I had some wobble head extensions.

I've tried a few combinations of extensions, wobble extensions, and swivel joints. I've concluded that too much wobble isn't necessarily a good thing for "feel" (during both removal and replacement) and a swivel joint is not necessary.

My preferred combination is a 3" extension up front (that's connected to the spark plug socket) and a 10" wobble extension that's connected to the ratchet. To connect the 2 extensions, I prefer using a 3/8" to 3/8" wobble connector. This combination provides just enough angling for clearance while maintaining a "direct" feel without too much "looseness."

i just jack her up, talk off the drivers side wheel, lay on the ground or work from the wheel well and hit each spark plug one at a time. it's just a biotch when their tight as balls.... but alil elbow grease will do the trick. lols.

update as of feb. 2011, there doesnt seem to be ngk plugs for 09s at sparkplugs.com, you guys know anything about the other brand listed??

i just jack her up, talk off the drivers side wheel, lay on the ground or work from the wheel well and hit each spark plug one at a time. it's just a biotch when their tight as balls.... but alil elbow grease will do the trick. lols.

I found using a long extension helped for front leading and trailing plugs.

update as of feb. 2011, there doesnt seem to be ngk plugs for 09s at sparkplugs.com, you guys know anything about the other brand listed??

Use the 2004,5,6,7,8...they are ALL the same for ALL series RX-8's...R3, 2004-2010,2011.

There is No change...

Use the 2004,5,6,7,8...they are ALL the same for ALL series RX-8's...R3, 2004-2010,2011.

There is No change...


thanks, makes sense, didnt look for the S1 when I had a look at the site

going to be making good use of this thread soon. checked with my local dealer that i go to frequently due to the stack of free oil change coupons i have and figured i would just get my plugs changed there since it would be nice of me to buy something every once and a while and they quoted my $441 just to change the plugs (parts & labor) :eek: completely insane! that being said, i just bought some plugs & coils and plan on doing it myself to save about $250!

Here's another "thank you" to the folks who started this thread. I read through this thread first, and did the plug change last weekend. It went without a hitch, since I was prepared with a universal joint and my two longest extensions. The second photo shows how useful those tools are :).

I was surprised how ugly the old plugs looked! This is with less than 30K on the odometer. The car definitely idles more smoothly now.

I'm changing my plugs this weekend and I'm going to try and index them. Anyone has done this and knows the correct direction for indexing? Does it have to point towards the intake similar to piston engines or is it different because the chambers are sealed and sparks are not open to intake?

I guess I want to know if anyone has played with indexing and has possibly dynoed the result.

I'm going to say that indexing for us will not make any difference.

So i went out to take a look at my plugs.. and look what i found on the tip it was inside the spark plug wire .. dont know if it was their for a reason or on accident. lets just say mazda technicans were the last ones to touch the plugs... hmmmm.. took it off cleaned the plugs and got the junk out the wire.. took out for spin and noticed alot more low end power... better idle..NICE :SHOCKED:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f399/boogiedownblake/SDC12947-1.jpg

Great Scott! What is that, bubblegum?

yeah thats what it looked and felt like..

ok this might be a dumb question but...

NGK plugs from AAP, what's the difference between the 6701 and 6700? I'm guessing i need 2 of each for trailing and leading?

Thats the difference, one is leading and the other is trailing and yes you need 2 of each. Once you get them they clearly say which ones they are in the model one ends in -T and the other ends in -L.

... and the engine block has nice cast 'L' and 'T' by the 'plug sockets as well. Almost idiot proof. ;)

Thats the difference, one is leading and the other is trailing and yes you need 2 of each. Once you get them they clearly say which ones they are in the model one ends in -T and the other ends in -L.

GREAT!!! I did this job and the idle dropped down to 0.8, Thanks Tony Orlando.

But, it's not easy to take those plugs out, and I'm not sure I tied enough for all plugs :(.

Hopefully you used some anti-seize on the new plugs then, and they should be much easier next time. I know when I removed one plug to check it the factory plugs didn't seem to have any on them.

I'm not sure I tied enough for all plugs :(.

???
Do you mean you are not sure you tightened the plugs enough? If you do not have enough mechanical background to know if you installed the plugs correctly, have a mechanic check it for you.

Here are my Rx-7 Burq9T's. Only 3210 miles with a BHR Ing and 8 lbs of boost. These are the $6 copper plug. So after running this model for 2+ years, I decided to bit the bullet and purchase the NGK's that are made for the 8. All trailing of course.
Base idle smoothness has returned and response feels the same.
But look at that center electrode!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Kbhk-XylX80/TeUIqiWU2LI/AAAAAAAAEpI/gk7LeS21fug/s912/IMG_3717.JPG

Here's another "thank you" to the folks who started this thread. I read through this thread first, and did the plug change last weekend. It went without a hitch, since I was prepared with a universal joint and my two longest extensions. The second photo shows how useful those tools are :).

I was surprised how ugly the old plugs looked! This is with less than 30K on the odometer. The car definitely idles more smoothly now.

BTW, after a couple tanks of gas following the plug change, I have definitely noticed better gas mileage. I'm doing just over 21 mpg now, which is a record for me in this car :).

Good DIY, saved me $300 today!!!

Hi,

I've been lurking for a while, first post. I've gone through about 5 pages of this thread so far.

I tried changing my plugs out at about 30k using the procedure on the first page. Jacked my car up, took the driver's side wheel off, got in there and changed them out. Went smoothly, no issues. Started the car up, sounded great. More power, better idle, the works.

I took it out for a drive, and it was all great. I stopped by a local Ralph's for some food, and that's when the trouble started. I go back to my car, and had a hard time starting up. I finally got the car started, and it was awful! I had to keep the clutch down half of the way. Unsteady idle, MAJOR loss of power, the engine just didn't want to stay on. It must've died at least 3 times on the 1.5 mile drive back from Ralph's.

I checked out the plugs the next morning, and one of the trailing plugs' ceramic was cracked. I ordered a replacement from Amazon, installed it, and...same issue. Hard start, low/unsteady idle, and a knocking sound from the engine. Does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong? This is the first time I've ever tried to do this, so I'd really appreciate any help. The dealership told me it'd be $90 for a diagnostic, so I'd like to exhaust my DIY options before heading over.

Thanks!

Although most plugs come with the proper electrode gap it's always a good idea to check them.

If one plug was defective perhaps the whole set is?

Coincidentally your coils may be going bad and/or the plug cables?

I think it's time to finally do this project, but I figured I'd do the wires and coil at the same time. Can somebody tell me exactly what I need to order? I went to BHR and got a bit confused:

http://blackhaloracing.com/?page_id=60&category=8

They have the big kit which has some extra parts I don't understand, then they have plugs, plug wires and wires for coil. But they don't have the coil separately? Should I just get the kit and plugs and be done with it? I guess I just want to buy the minimum here but I'm not sure what that is.
Thanks!

Huey52 - They weren't cracked, but I didn't think to check the electrode gaps.

How would I check the coils/cables? I was going to take it to the dealer and just hope for the warranty. Is there something simple I'm overlooking?

You can't go wrong with the complete BHR coils/cables/plugs kit. High quality at a fair price.

I think it's time to finally do this project, but I figured I'd do the wires and coil at the same time. Can somebody tell me exactly what I need to order? I went to BHR and got a bit confused:

http://blackhaloracing.com/?page_id=60&category=8

They have the big kit which has some extra parts I don't understand, then they have plugs, plug wires and wires for coil. But they don't have the coil separately? Should I just get the kit and plugs and be done with it? I guess I just want to buy the minimum here but I'm not sure what that is.
Thanks!

The coils and cables aren't typically warranty items unless found defective relatively soon after new purchase. The RX-8 coils are weak with most only getting 30k of good service from them, but the cables are of average quality.

You can use a timing light and an ohmmeter on the coils. See linked TSB.

'course if you want to be assured of reliable long term coils BHR kit (GMC Yukon coils) is the way to go.

Huey52 - They weren't cracked, but I didn't think to check the electrode gaps.

How would I check the coils/cables? I was going to take it to the dealer and just hope for the warranty. Is there something simple I'm overlooking?

Huey52 - Thanks! You were right, it was the ignition. I just got it back from the dealership and ordered the BHR ignition set.

The dealership told me that the coils were already failing. My guess is that the strain of running the engine without one plug (cracked) probably made things worse. They said that the coils for one rotor had stopped working entirely, and so that chamber ended up getting flooded since there was no ignition going on there. They offered me quite the deal - $1075 to get the coils, plugs, and wires changed.

Yeah, no. That's not happening.

Thanks for the help, Huey52. :)

You're welcome, but thanks really due to BHR for giving us a value-add option!!!

Huey52 - Thanks! You were right, it was the ignition. I just got it back from the dealership and ordered the BHR ignition set.

The dealership told me that the coils were already failing. My guess is that the strain of running the engine without one plug (cracked) probably made things worse. They said that the coils for one rotor had stopped working entirely, and so that chamber ended up getting flooded since there was no ignition going on there. They offered me quite the deal - $1075 to get the coils, plugs, and wires changed.

Yeah, no. That's not happening.

Thanks for the help, Huey52. :)

FYI, just did mine (2006 RX8 GT 59000km). Followed guide though it was pretty straight forward. Taking the wheel off makes it EASY. My jack does not fit in the place I wanted to jack so I jacked on the pinch with wood, pushed a stand under and then relocated the jack and then stand to the frame. Also, you may think you can remove all 4 from the wheel well but it's much easier to listen to the guide and go from underneath the car for the other 2. Everything was clearly labelled. Changed the oil while I was at it. Took just under a hour for everything.

I ordered mine from sparkplugs.com (at the advice from somewhere near the front page of this thread). About half the price as locally for me. Also ordered spare K&N air filters and oil filters.

For people interested, here are my old plugs. I was happy to see the previous owner had changed them at least once (RE9BT are a newer model than the original trailing plugs but the leads remain the same design). First picture is both Leads and #2 is both trails.

http://imgur.com/a/r4O0M

To fix any power/idle issues with the rx8 with stock coils and you want the stock coils to last a long time, it is simple.

lower the gap on the plugs around .005 of an inch on what ever brand plugs you want to use that fit based on stock specs. the stock gap of .048 is fine but, most do not realize that the gap opens up slightly and will stress the coils as the gap is rather large for an NA engine.

by reducing the gap with the new plugs, it gives them room to 'grow' to around what the stock gap setting is and allows for the slight build up of carbon to not interfere with the voltage requirements needed to fire the plug.

Keep your plugs clean/replaced and the car will be performing great with stock coils or aftermarket systems as well.

FYI, just did mine (2006 RX8 GT 59000km). Also, you may think you can remove all 4 from the wheel well but it's much easier to listen to the guide and go from underneath the car for the other 2.

I disagree. All you need is a u-joint for the socket wrench, and the back plugs are very easy to remove through the wheel well. No reason to get under the car to remove them.

Best way to support the car is a floor jack under the main crossmember, then place jack stands at the factory jacking points.

a u-joint or a wobble extension is your friend, not only with the plugs but with any project on this car

a u-joint or a wobble extension is your friend, not only with the plugs but with any project on this car

amen to that. I went out and bought one with an extention a long time ago and now, it takes me longer to get the car ready than it does to actually take out the plugs. Just remember the antisieze on the threads and it will be a piece of cake every time....that and a tq wrench to ensure you do not over tighten them and mess up the threads down the road.

a u-joint or a wobble extension is your friend, not only with the plugs but with any project on this car

second the wobble extensions and you really only need them for the rear ones.

Granted this thread is now 15 pages long, but universal/wobble joint sockets were discussed and pictured early on. Interesting how some things have to be relearned, even in the same thread!

I guess to "Search" we should also append "Read."

:lol: it's starting over, that's all.

Getting to them from the top is like fighting in a phone booth. Don't bother there's not enough room.

You can get the rears out easily from under the car though.

Dear all, Im a noob and I searched most of the S.Plugs DIY threads and ppl suggested to use anti seize when changing plugs. I was about to change them this weekend too but found something very interesting from NGK.

It's a tech. bulletin telling us NGK plugs are special coated and not recommend to have anti seize put onto the threads......

http://www.ngkplugpro.ca/content/contentfiles/pdf/NGKSP-0907-1R-Anti-SeizeonSparkPlugs.pdf

I sent an email and try to further confirm with some expert there, and below is the reply.

I am not trying to be a smart Axx but like oil discussion its your car and do it however you like. Just want to share the information with you :wink2:

Cheers KY


*****

Hello Ken

Please do not apply that to our plugs, they come with a plating that acts as the release agent and require no anti-seize. This will also skew torque readings when torqueing plugs.

Thanks and have a nice day

Jason Norwood
NGK Spark Plugs ( USA) Inc.
Technical and Training Specialist - Aftermarket Division
46929 Magellan Drive
Wixom, MI 48393
Office: (248)-926-7107
Fax: (248)-926-6938
Email: jnorwood@ngksparkplugs.com
ASE Certified




-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 1:35 PM
To: Info
Subject: NGK Form Mail

**** Contact Form & Tech Info Feedback ****

Email From:
VehicleType: car
Make: Mazda
Model: RX-8 6MT GT
Year: 2004
Engine Type: Genesis Rotory
Comments: Hello there, I ordered a set of plugs (2x6700, 2x6701)and about to change it this weekend. Before I do this I would like to confirm with you if i should put copper base anti seize onto the thread? I read an article and NGK NOT suggesting to do so.

http://www.ngkplugpro.ca/content/contentfiles/pdf/NGKSP-0907-1R-Anti-SeizeonSparkPlugs.pdf

Please kindly advise, thank you.

Regards
Ken
When: 8/30/2011 1:34:34 PM

END OF REPORT

*****

^ Good info. About time they started doing so. And it's true that various greases do skew torque settings. More so in other engine components, some greases are actually formulated for accurate first torque and others to facilitate re-torquing.

Some of my oem plugs were not the easiest to remove and I doubt they used any anti seize. Iused it when I changed my plugs and have had no issues at all. I will continue to use it because I dont want to be one of the people who has a extremely hard to get out spark plug when I change them again.

Some of my oem plugs were not the easiest to remove and I doubt they used any anti seize. Iused it when I changed my plugs and have had no issues at all. I will continue to use it because I dont want to be one of the people who has a extremely hard to get out spark plug when I change them again.

My original factory plugs came out easily at 35,000 miles, and I'm sure the factory doesn't use any anti-seize when assembling new engines (there would be no need). I've always followed the NGK recommendation on this, and never had any problems with plug removal. I would be more concerned about over-torquing the plugs because of the extra lubrication.

I guess you got lucky with your plugs but most of mine did not come out smoothly at all. I'm not really concerned about over torquing you can feel when it begins to tighten down on the washer thats on them and then just go a little bit past that. I've only driven maybe 2500 miles since I put my plugs in but they are working fine.

Thank you Tony! with your instruction i changed the plugs, coils and wires and baby is running like new again!

I am following NGK's instruction and did not put anti seize onto the thread. Lets see what is the result when i change my plugs 30000 miles later.

Thank you again Tony :>

Just bought an Rx8 2004 with 72k miles. Love the car. Interior and exterior great. It drove awesome for about a week and then it started choking when I try to give it the gas. As I wait for someone to bring me a bigger wrench I wanted to post what I found during the spark plug change that I'm in the middle of.


The back end tips are rusted very badly. The 2nd spark plug wire I pulled off pulled the entire metal connector tip OFF of the spark plug. I'm not sure yet whether the spark plugs were causing my issue but I'm feeling ALOT more confident now that I see the plugs are completely destroyed.

Good luck getting the plugs out. Hope they aren't seized. I assume you're replacing the wires as well? What about coils?
If plugs, wires and coils don't resolve your issue (if they are that bad, they should,) next to look at would be the cat. Similar symptoms from a clogged one (power dies under at all heavy throttle, massive gas mileage hit.)

The plugs were all fouled up so badly. One of them was rusted so badly the tip broke off with no force applied. I went to advanced auto and bought a Spark plug socket that fits these plugs and a 9" extension. Was able to get the plugs in and out without going under the car (Since I had the driver wheel off). I will be changing the coils and plug wires next week but low and behold I cranked her up after just changing the plugs and she runs great! Problem solved!

Changed my plugs today, idle is much smoother. I was having a little trouble starting and the plugs seemed to help on that front too. They were pretty nasty...Thanks for the write-up.

I did plugs and coils a few weeks ago, had no issues doing the plugs but had more of a issue getting the intake tube off. The cat felt much smoother through the revs and more power down low except for the past 2 weeks power seems down over all. Still need to do wires and airfilter, I just hope the cat isnt failing.

I have no idea how many miles were on the plugs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/evilnissan/IMAG0153.jpg

I did plugs and coils a few weeks ago, had no issues doing the plugs but had more of a issue getting the intake tube off. The cat felt much smoother through the revs and more power down low except for the past 2 weeks power seems down over all. Still need to do wires and airfilter, I just hope the cat isnt failing.

I have no idea how many miles were on the plugs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/evilnissan/IMAG0153.jpg



Wow that is amazing pictures...

So now i have enough for the rest of my life with this bottle...:yesnod:

But wow read the label... Its some good stuff. :SHOCKED:

Im sure the RX8 will not get that hot to test this stuff out...:git:



:git::celebrate