Changed my plugs this morning (pics enclosed!)
09-19-2011, 01:07 PM
#1
Changed my plugs this morning (pics enclosed!)
Not too shabby for 39k miles...
Only took about 20 minutes to do it. Just cranked the wheel to the right, and got all four from the wheelwell with:
And here's Henry. He obviously couldn't care less about my spark plugs.
09-19-2011, 01:26 PM
#2
Damn those things are cooked. Notice any difference since you changed them? I changed my coils/plugs about two weeks ago and didn't notice much difference really. Slightly smoother idle. I also took my wheel completely off to make things easier, but also takes more time.
Nice cat by the way
Nice cat by the way
09-19-2011, 06:14 PM
#5
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With 39K please measure the gap and see how much it opened up. I noticed the engine response when I changed mine and smother idle. What type of driving did it get and premix?
Last edited by Old Rotor; 09-19-2011 at 06:17 PM.
09-20-2011, 01:31 AM
#6
I'm at work all night, but I'll try and remember to measure the gap when I get home in the morning.
I've had the chance to log a few miles on it, and there's a noticable improvement. Starts a little quicker, throttle response (particularly at low rpm) is improved, idles smoother.
I'm a bit surprised at the difference. I have seen plugs that looked much worse on piston engines that didn't affect the performance whatsoever. Apparently, these rotaries are a bit more sensitive to it. (This is my first rotary.)
I just bought the car 8 weeks ago, so I don't really know what type of driving it got. With only 39k, it obviously didn't get driven often. But the owner didn't live in the city, so I'm sure that every trip was not short. And I know he wasn't shy about hitting the redline. The fact that he insisted I hit 9k rpm several times on the test drive, was one of the factors in me deciding to buy this from him.
And there has been no premixing........ Yet. I plan on starting soon, once I get all my ducks in a row about it. (i.e. What kind of premix, where to purchase, easy/consistant way to do it without pumping my own gas, etc...)
I've had the chance to log a few miles on it, and there's a noticable improvement. Starts a little quicker, throttle response (particularly at low rpm) is improved, idles smoother.
I'm a bit surprised at the difference. I have seen plugs that looked much worse on piston engines that didn't affect the performance whatsoever. Apparently, these rotaries are a bit more sensitive to it. (This is my first rotary.)
I just bought the car 8 weeks ago, so I don't really know what type of driving it got. With only 39k, it obviously didn't get driven often. But the owner didn't live in the city, so I'm sure that every trip was not short. And I know he wasn't shy about hitting the redline. The fact that he insisted I hit 9k rpm several times on the test drive, was one of the factors in me deciding to buy this from him.
And there has been no premixing........ Yet. I plan on starting soon, once I get all my ducks in a row about it. (i.e. What kind of premix, where to purchase, easy/consistant way to do it without pumping my own gas, etc...)
09-20-2011, 01:46 AM
#7
Funny story about buying the plugs...
I went to AutoZone and told the guy I needed plugs for my RX-8. He looks them up and then turns the monitor to me, saying "Looks like you have two choices. Both are NGK, but one is a 'Trailing' version and the other is 'Leading'."
I tell him that I'll take two of each. He gives me a deer in the headlights look and says "What?" I explained that's what it takes. Then he rings them up and again, kind of just stares at his monitor. He then said "It says the total is $80, that can't be right. Let me go check on that." I told him that it was correct. He commented that he'd never sold plugs for that much, and then asked what Leading and Trailing meant. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I told him the RX-8 used a rotary engine, and that it's really cool, and that he should look it up on YouTube how they work.
He was a really nice guy, so I hope I don't make him sound like a complete moron. I wouldn't doubt this was the first RX-8 owner he'd ever helped, as they are pretty scarce around here.
I just love how unique these things are. I was hoping he was going to ask how many cylinders, since I still get a kick out of that.
I went to AutoZone and told the guy I needed plugs for my RX-8. He looks them up and then turns the monitor to me, saying "Looks like you have two choices. Both are NGK, but one is a 'Trailing' version and the other is 'Leading'."
I tell him that I'll take two of each. He gives me a deer in the headlights look and says "What?" I explained that's what it takes. Then he rings them up and again, kind of just stares at his monitor. He then said "It says the total is $80, that can't be right. Let me go check on that." I told him that it was correct. He commented that he'd never sold plugs for that much, and then asked what Leading and Trailing meant. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I told him the RX-8 used a rotary engine, and that it's really cool, and that he should look it up on YouTube how they work.
He was a really nice guy, so I hope I don't make him sound like a complete moron. I wouldn't doubt this was the first RX-8 owner he'd ever helped, as they are pretty scarce around here.
I just love how unique these things are. I was hoping he was going to ask how many cylinders, since I still get a kick out of that.
09-21-2011, 02:41 PM
#9
I went to AutoZone and told the guy I needed plugs for my RX-8. He looks them up and then turns the monitor to me, saying "Looks like you have two choices. Both are NGK, but one is a 'Trailing' version and the other is 'Leading'."
I tell him that I'll take two of each. He gives me a deer in the headlights look and says "What?" I explained that's what it takes. Then he rings them up and again, kind of just stares at his monitor. He then said "It says the total is $80, that can't be right. Let me go check on that." I told him that it was correct. He commented that he'd never sold plugs for that much, and then asked what Leading and Trailing meant. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I told him the RX-8 used a rotary engine, and that it's really cool, and that he should look it up on YouTube how they work.
I tell him that I'll take two of each. He gives me a deer in the headlights look and says "What?" I explained that's what it takes. Then he rings them up and again, kind of just stares at his monitor. He then said "It says the total is $80, that can't be right. Let me go check on that." I told him that it was correct. He commented that he'd never sold plugs for that much, and then asked what Leading and Trailing meant. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I told him the RX-8 used a rotary engine, and that it's really cool, and that he should look it up on YouTube how they work.
Also, it's quite nice to not have to buy plugs online anymore after discovering they carry them.
09-21-2011, 06:47 PM
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09-21-2011, 07:15 PM
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09-21-2011, 09:22 PM
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09-22-2011, 03:07 AM
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"It says the total is $80, that can't be right...
The kid's not alone being unfamiliar with rotary plugs. At 33K I sprang for my dealership's 30K service, which included checking the spark plugs. I figured I's ask them to just put in my spare set of plugs rather than put the old ones back. My regular service writer was out the day I brought it in, so the Nissan writer in the next cubbyhole checked me in. He looked mystified, and asked why did I want to change the plugs so soon, since these days platinum plugs lasted 60k or 70k.
Granted this guy is on the Nissan side of a Mazda-Nissan dealership, but you'd think he'd have learned something from watching whatever rolls in. That kid at Autozone sounds like a much better learner.
Ken
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