91vert

My car is idling like ****, and I wanted to pull the plugs today and take a look at them.

Is it easier to just get to them from the top of the engine?

I thought I read something out here once that somebody got to them really easily through the front drivers side wheel well.

I did a search and couldn't find what I thought I had read before.

snap-on

Take the drivers front wheel off and move the inner fender cover.

You will need a long extention but it is the easiest way.

IMHO

91vert

Thanks......going to go do it now!

flatso

is anything easy to get to on this car?

WHealy

I know when I took mine to the dealer to check to make sure my ECU was up to version (couple months back) they pulled my plugs. Mainly because they wanted to see what a set of plugs looked like when the car wasn't flooded. They put it up on a lift and simply reached in with and extended socket to pull them out. Nothing else was removed. (I realize not eveyone has a lift)

flatso

wonder if you can get at them if you use a ramp?

tpryor

I changed mine from the top, with no issues. The only "iffy" one is the bottom front plug, as it is (almost) up against the motor mount.

Total time was about 15 minutes...

snap-on

It really is easier if the front tire is off.

Unless you can get all the way under the car.

flatso

what tools did you use

ext and socket size?

beachdog

When Chevy came out with the V6 "X" body FWD cars (CItation) you had to unbolt the entire engine from the motor mounts and raise the engine 4-5 inches to get to the plugs on the rear bank.

Taking off a wheel is nothing.

tpryor

Standard three inch extension, standard 14mm sparkplug socket, standard socket wrench on all but the bottom front plug. Then, no extension, put the socket on by hand, then attach the socket wrench to it to tighten.

jdl

gas cap?

beachdog

Did you change yours for flood/change of heat range or misfire/rough idle? My dealer tells me that my idle and slight misfire is normal and I'd like to know if the plug change will address this or I need to point them elsewhere.

red_rx8_red_int

Just remember the plugs are not the same between leading and trailing.

tpryor

No, mine were changed (by me) because my dealer had installed the "hotter" plugs back when the bulletin came out to prevent the flooding issue, even though mine had never actually flooded (they are just fabulous about keeping me up to date with all the newest updates for the car).

As it turned out, the hotter plugs (in the hotter climate) were causing detonation at almost every throttle setting, so I changed them back to the "standard" plugs. Since the dealership is 160 miles away, and it wasn't a big deal, I just did it myself in the driveway.

tpryor

AND, I LOVE the little "burble" at idle, as well as the popping on decelleration. Adds to the personality of the car.........

flatso

the plugs are expensive aren't they

91vert

Close to $100 I think......

tpryor

Approx. $40 each, from the dealer. Racing Beat has them for about $36 each.

M-ster

is the 'burble' a normal thing on the 8??
I've a similar experience which I've posted here but have got mixed comments.

Anyway, when I was down at my mechanics to check on the plugs, they had the car up on the ramp, and plugs are all the way down on the engine and right in to middle of the chassis, I'll be quite surprise if one can reach the plugs from the engine bay.
The original spark plugs were NGK and with embedded tips. From the sound of it, I think they are quite expensive!

tpryor

First, every rotary I have ever heard has a version of the "burble" at idle, so I HAVE to beleive it's normal. Mine has always been there, but in varying degrees depending on which software version I was at (currently "L").

Second, not only did I reach them from the top, the front of the car was on ramps! I had put it up there to try from the bottom, but ultimately the top proved the faster way. I could NOT find a way to get the spark plug wrench on the plug (front bottom) that's in the way of the motor mount while under the car.

They are about $40 each, or $36 (or so) each from Racing Beat.

91vert

I jacked mine up and popped the wheel off. I removed the little piece of rubber flashing and had a wide-open view to all 4 plugs. Just used a long extension and my spark plug socket has a unviersal built into it. They were totally simple to get to and remove.

This HAS to be the easier way than going from the top. I probably would have had some bleeding knuckles and probably busted something if I would have tried from the top.

Oh.....by the way....the plugs visually looked fine, and the car still idles shitty. Had just a little bit of brown crust on them, but I cleaned that off with my dremel tool with a wire brush attachment. Not fouled by any means. I was surprised to see how wide the gap is on these plugs! When I took the first one out, I thought that was the problem with it running so crappy, then I realized they were all like that. The little electrode seems to stick up from the bottom of the plug at about a 25 degree angle. Wierd.....never seen any like that before. I thought they would look more like the 2nd / 3rd gen RX-7 plugs.

tpryor

I'll try that next time. It never occured to me to try an EASY way, as I don't feel a sense of accomplishment unless I'm bleeding when the job is done.....

Thanks for the tip.

beachdog

Anyone know the torque spec for tightening the plugs?

snap-on

Tightening torque
12.8¾17.7 N·m {131¾180 kgf·cm, 114¾156 in·lbf}