spark plugs and anti-seize..
 

*(this isn't so much "i need help" as it is... "i wanna kill previous owner..")

gas mileage has gone to shit... 13mpg last 2 tanks... so i order up plugs and wires and take a day off from work to install said items...

front rotor... plugs slide out nice and easy... leading plug on front electrode rusted off in wire boot..... following plug... carboned up.. but easily removed...

rear rotor.... leading plug would only turn out mayyybe 2 turns.... following plug came out easy as pie.... run to parts store and buy a can of PB blast.. start spraying and gently working plug in and out.... now i am getting ~4 full turns but then it seizes... spray more... run it back in... wait 10mins.... go back and work somemore....

i am PRAYING that a. don't break sparkplug in half *(being gentle as possible)... b. don't have to helicoil this bitch when i am done....

i hope tonight at approx 2am while previous owner sleeps *(i have had this car for 3weeks) a elf goes into his room and kicks him in the dick....

people... do yourself a favor and USE ANTI-SEIZE when installing new plugs... dissimilar metals ya know....

finally done.... serious BS....

but found the source of my bad mileage.... car runs MUCH MUCH better....

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its actually kinda funny...there are two schools of thought here. People say that NGK recommends NOT using antiseize on these particular plugs because they have a special coating on the threads. I swear I read that on here once, but I cannot for the life of me find it on any NGK documentation.

lol... NGK is giving horrible advice....

NGK recommends not using anti seize because it's easy to overtorque the plug and run into the same problem, flattening the crush washer and locking the plug.

i have never used anti seize and never had any problems. we're talking well over 10,000 plugs changed. most of the time i'm changing the plugs i installed years down the road and have never had one seize up, but i have run into plenty that were overtorqued or long past their lifespan that were frozen to the blocks.

why would NGK give that advice? probably because they have had numerous reports of it being an issue versus the reverse of installing the plugs dry, torquing them properly and changing them at recommended intervals.

ever removed a plug from a factory car with anti seize on the plugs? didn't think so. billions of cars produced that need to be covered by the factory warranty, you'd think if it was a problem they would use that method but they don't, none of them.

Your wrist is the best anti-seize for spark plugs I believe. A snug + 1/4 turn is what I always did. Tightening them further is just asking for trouble, regardless of if you use anti-seize or not. I have never used anti-seize on the plugs and I have never had a problem removing the plugs, engine hot or cold.

I googled "ngk iridium anti seize". One of the first links was to a pdf "Five Things You Need to Know About Spark Plugs." They claim that anti-seize acts as a lubricant, changing torque values and increasing the chances of over torquing and breaking a plug.

I always use anti-seize on plugs. Also a torque wrench. Before I learned about anti-seize I'd put a drop of oil on the threads.

Ken

i actually once heard from a 7 owner that you need to be VERY VERY careful not to put more than a little dab of AS on a rotary plug as the heat around the plug gets hot enough to cause the AS to harden leaving deposits in the plug hole.

I lol'd
:rofl:


on topic:I always use anti seize, just a quick dab and then once it's snug add a 1/4 turn.

yeah ... but who kicks someone in the dick ? I actually don't think it would hurt that much :rollingla

i used to be a LEO *(11 years and i quit 14yrs ago..)

for 10.5yrs of that i taught defensive tactics and a few other classes *(weapons retention etc...) i saw a cadet .. a female who was all of 5'1 and 100lbs kick another instructor.... she "shouldn't" have made contact... and he should have been able to block.... BUT... he missed ... she didn't and got him right in the head of the kawk.... he squealed like a stuck pig.... poor SOB... she dead centered the head ...

poor bastard spent the rest of the day with a baggie of ice pressed to it... kinda whimpering...

he limped for about 3 days... said it was bruised for a week and a half....


positive note tho.... he relearned to block.....

i always put anti seize, the nickel kind, it has good conductivity and can withstand high enough temp on rotary

i always tighten plugs with the hand tight and another 1/4 turn or less apporach, my hands will tell me if its tight enough, breaking a plug there is not fun

According to NGK, it's 1/2 to 2/3 of a turn after contact. That's with a new crush washer. I suspect there's no spec for a used washer, since you're not supposed to re-use them.

Ken

NGK recommends no anti-seize for new plugs, but used plugs are another situation, as the factory coating is probably perished and contaminated, so anti-seize might be useful. I'm wondering if the OP's car had used plugs re-installed without any anti-seize...

That said, I never re-use old plugs, so this is not an issue for me. Per NGK, I don't use anti-seize on new plugs, and every 35,000 miles the plugs come out very easily.

I don't believe anti seize was used..

Those plugs were also very old.... Possibly were re installs...

i've never used anti-seize on a spark plug, it seems like it causes more problems than it solves.

if your OCD makes you put anti seize on, or you live in some horrible place that has snow/salt/hurricanes, then a LITTLE dab is all you need

RIWWP is right. You don't need it due to the presence of oil in the plug inserts when plugs removed. Hand turn em in then ratchet until that secondary squeeze stops, about 2/3 turn and your done. It really is all in the feel.