Changing Spark Plugs
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get a paint tinting syringe and use that to suck it out
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I already made a little device with 2 straws, a plastic cup and some parcel tape, worked really well actually and it stopped any oil from getting near my mouth. Will get the remains out tomorrow with a rag and get those new sparkys in. Its gonna be v. awkward getting the back ones out, those holes are so damn deep!
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long extension bar, i though i would have that problem but very easy in the end
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The mx3s are know for having bad Valve cover gaskets, in fact they are crap.
If you pull your plugs out and they are drwoned in oil, (Usually the rear ones) please dont panick. We all have this problem specially if you are prone to flooring the car. you have two choices: taking the valve covers off and replacing the gaskets for new ones, or you can re use the old ones and use locktite liquid gasket to seal the gasket around the spark plug holes.We have replace valve cover gaskets for new ones only to find out that within 2 months they are leaking again. So now we always use the liquid gasket just to reinforce the spark plug holes, this is the weakest point.
If you are driving around and you start to smell burning oil, this is probably the most common cause, you're rear valve cover gasket will leak from the backside and the drops of oil will run directly onto the rear exhaust manifold, so again dont panick, its not the block.
Over filling the block with oil is Bad….really bad as the other meassages explain....always fill on a level surface and always check the level when the block is cold, like first thing in the morning.
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They are also known for having spark plugs that are a bitch to get out!
Been tryin for the last hour and I've got 4 out, but then realised I can't even reach the middle back one with the tool I'm using! Grrrr…
I just tried to order a foot long one and my cards been declined, so I'm gonna have to ring round a few friends and hope someones got one!
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yep, you will need a good socket set and two extensions, otherwise as you know you will not reach.
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Is it bad for the engine to drive the car with 4 new iridium plugs and 2 old plugs?
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Its not bad, but its not good either. If you have to drive to get to somewhere, where you can change the plugs, dont go above 400rpms. As long as all the plugs are from the same heat range you cant do any damage, but still irridiums have a much stronger spark than your old plugs, giving you an unbalanced combustion. try to get them chamged as soon as possible. Try going down to your local garage and explain the situation, do a bit bowing and a bit of groveling and they might lend you the correct tool :-)
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I'm not gonna risk it, but its so annoying not being able to drive the car, especially after I've just got the new exhaust fitted! :x
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i bought halford socket set think was 14 quid. included extension bar spark plug socket and angle attachment. all of these were all i need
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I have one of these:
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50935051/Spark_Plug_Sleeves.jpgand its only a few cm short :cry:
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think the problem the may be the angle adaption is on the bottom. also the bend could damage the port for the plug
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nah, its been ok for 5 of the plugs, but its just a little too short for the middle back one. If only i had my toolkit here i could prob bodge something up, but i left it back at uni :(
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I cannot believe how much of a bitch this job is turning out to be…
OK, so I went searching for a socket to take the remaining plug out yesterday, my mums friend whos a farmer managed to get one, but she didn't listen and got the 14mm, not the 16...
Then I found another friend who had a few toolkits who said he'd lend em to me, so I got a lift to his and got the toolkits thinking I'd be sorted, but no 16mm socket and the only one that was a close fit wasn't deep enough!
So I called the farmer guy my mum knows and we drove over to get the 16mm socket for the long reach ratchet he gave me. Although he didn't have one with a 1/2" drive that i needed, he made a custom one by welding a few bits together. I thought this would be the end of my problems, then I got back and although it was the right size socket, it was too big to fit in the chamber! I managed to dig out an old shitty file and after about an hour of filing down the metal it finally fitted.
I took out the remaining plug, went to put the new one in and it wouldn't turn properly, so I had a good look at it and realised that just this one plug was the WRONG FITTING! :x
I can't believe it, as when I originally ordered these plugs in march off ebay, the guy only sent 4, so I sent him about 10 emails and in the end had to call them up to get them to send the remaining 2 plugs and now theyve fucked that up too!! What IDIOTS! I'm so pissed off, this means I won't be able to use my car for another 2 days.Ontop of all this, I've lost one of the rubber bits on the end of the leads, so I've just wasted another hour looking for that with no success! ARRGGHH!!
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but just had to get that off my chest. Does anyone have a spare lead, or just the rubber bit on the end that they could send me through the post?
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sorry, no luck with te lead here, but I have to say reading your post it started off sounding a lot worse than it is. For a moment there I thought you had meant that someone had rammed the wrong fitment plug into your block and cocked up the thread! thank god that's not the case!
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@blackmoth, give me your adresss via pm mate, I will send one rubber out to you as soon as I have the adress, got loads of the poxy little things lying around. And dont worry about it too much its only there to stop moisture build up. the lead its self has a hat on it that prevents most of the moisture reaching the plug anyway.
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that'd be awesome mate… You probably know exactly what i want, but just to confirm, its the thing that should be on the end of here:
But wait…are you in holland? Thing is I really wanna get my car going asap and I dunno whether I can wait a week or whatever for postage...
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No worries mate, just about every car has one of these rubber bits and some motorbikes aswell, just ask around any scrapyard. Or ask at your local garagge for an old lead.
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I can't really get to the local garages, as I have no car :(
Also, none of the breakers will send it to me, maybe it's too small for them to be bothered with. If anyone on here can source one I'll send em a few quid via paypal…
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OK, I should be sorted now, had to spend £9 for one spark plug though :x and another £6 for the lead!
Ah well, I just want my car back, so I don't car right now…I have it booked in for MOT on Thursday, can't wait till its back on the road.
