Change Your Plugs!

[eddie95]

I recently bought a 1995 ford explorer eddie bauer and it has been a good vehicle so far. It hasnt ever run real smooth though, it didnt seem to have a lot of power and it didnt get good gas mileage (18mpg avg for half and half city/highway). Well I decided to change my plugs and wires just for the heck of it.

First of all, it isnt as hard a job as people say. You can easily get out the plug in the passenger back from under the hood with a little patience and removing the air intake hose. But dont even attempt the job until you get a universal joint for 3/8 in. I got a set of three (all drive sizes) for 4 bucks at menards.

Well, i got the first one out and it was original..... and IT HAS 120thousand miles on it! So I replaced them and now it runs like brand new. It starts and idles as smooth as any new vehicle. I am also getting 20+mpg and more horsepower. This was all done for under 75 bucks for wires and ngk platinums.

 

[SoNic67]

First of all, it isnt as hard a job as people say.

Well, the ones that say that is a hard job are the ones that had rusted blocks, from nothern US. Just because you didn't have that "luck", don't generalize that it is "easy".
Penetrating fluid was applied 2 days in a row before attempting. Repeat the broken plug 3 times per each side...

 

[RangerX]

eddie, props on getting the Ex running well!
Sonic,..Holy CRAP!! I've never seen anything like that! Also, can't you get in big trouble calling Virginia a Northern state!?!

 

[BrianDye]

Mine were original at 160,000...

 

[SoNic67]

Also, can't you get in big trouble calling Virginia a Northern state!?!

This is the first car that I bought that was registered previously in Michigan. Didn't know better. Now - I won't even look at one from a state in rust belt

 

[drlower]

those of us who live in the rust belt figured out that changing plugs is yearly for us so they dont have time to rust. also lots of broken bolts and busted knuckles up here.

 

[LBarr2002]

When I got my '92, it had 5 recently changed plugs and one original at over 200,000 miles... I guess that one was so hard to get to they just never changed it...

The whole electrode was gone. I wish I would have taken pictures of that.

 

[drlower]

my dad has a 15 year old blazer with the original plugs that he keeps asking me to change, but im afraid to touch them as i know ill be drilling those out after 15 pittsburgh winters.

 

[eddie95]

Well, the ones that say that is a hard job are the ones that had rusted blocks, from nothern US. Just because you didn't have that "luck", don't generalize that it is "easy".
Penetrating fluid was applied 2 days in a row before attempting. Repeat the broken plug 3 times per each side...

That does look really bad. But my vehicle is from michigan and it has more than its fair share of rust on it. I guess your right i had good luck with the block.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Mine were original at 160,000...

Snowball's plugs were original at 230k...

...but they didn't look like Sonic's- holy CRAP!!!

 

[yavapaires]

Anti sieze

For about $3-$4 you can buy anti sieze. Apply just a small amount to the threads on your plugs before installing them. Works great on both cast iron and aluminum heads. What we used to do in the Volkswagen shop, was to run a pencil across the threads to help keep them from pulling the threads out of the head.

 

[SoNic67]

I am pissed at Ford that they didn't use nickel-plated plugs and/or antiseize. Also the half-treaded design (used for automated installing) acted like a smooth gap that traps the salt (and rust).
The ones that went in after that, where Autolite XP iridiums, nickel plated and with antiseize.

 

[nismotunedgtr]

I bought a 96 Sport with 192k and it had the original plugs and wires. It started hard, especially hot. Idled like poop, if I stalled it (lol) it would take forever to get it started again.

Pulled the wires, saw the paint on the top of the plugs and they were original. None of them had any electrode left. What a difference plugs made lol

 

[GRNMACHINE]

My originals lasted 15= years, granted only 66k miles but that is a long time. Replaced with Autolite Platinum and anti-seize. Original plugs and wires did not look bad at all.

And agree with all the others, WoW Sonic, I have never seen anything like that, good job getting them all out and replaced!

 

[SoNic67]

Not so good after all. at the last one, my remover tool broke and I had to have that head pulled and send to a machine shop. Now, 400$ latter, I know NOT to use cheap tools.

 

[Red Delta]

D'oh! (I'm sure the language you used was a tad stronger)

Not so good after all. at the last one, my remover tool broke and I had to have that head pulled and send to a machine shop. Now, 400$ latter, I know NOT to use cheap tools.

 

[SoNic67]

I should know better than using a 24" breaker bar on that chinese remover... Oh, well, stupidity costs

And yes, I won't ever buy a car/truck from "up there". No matter how cheap it is.
PS: Rear drums and cable where looking similar inside - a compact mass of rusted metal.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Yikes!!!

 

[eddie95]

my gas milage went from 18 to between 21 and 22 after this