Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first!

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Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first!

Post by Mazda Rotary Parts »

A few days ago we had a customer asking why his 3500 mile engine he bought from us had a water leak from a spark plug !.

He sent the picture attached and only when we looked closely you could just see the the spark plug was at a very slight angle.

Now curious , I then went further and cut up a Rotor Housing using an industrial band saw and found the the water gallery runs very close up behind the Leading Spark Plug .

As many will know you cant get directly onto the lower plug on the rear rotor and I had seen people strip the threads before on this one.

This guy had cross threaded the plug on entry, then just animaled it in and cracked the housing :roll: and chances are the plug will snap trying to undo next time.

Moral, of the story is "Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first before fully tightening "!
I
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Spark plug.jpg
Spark plug.jpg (143.54 KiB) Viewed 4337 times
Rotor Housing.jpg
Rotor Housing.jpg (130.2 KiB) Viewed 4337 times
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untakenname (Tue Oct 03, 2017 2:03 pm) • warpc0il (Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:58 pm)
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Re: Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first!

Post by bunch1980 »

Thanks for info yet to do mine but have swapped out on bikes before and start by hand or even a bit of hose over end if recess was deep if cross thread it would stop turning and you would not damage thread!
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warpc0il (Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:58 pm)
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Re: Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first!

Post by warpc0il »

and don't be tempted to then tighten the plugs with a long straight extension through the access hatch.

None of the plugs are directly pointed at the hatch so, even if you've started them by hand and then are properly located, the force from your tool will be offset and most likely crack the ceramic. The resulting damage may not be immediately obvious but the plug will immediately or prematurely fail in service.

A universal joint or a "wobble" extension will allow the socket to remain square on the plug while you tighten, only a 1/2 turn from finger-tight.
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bunch1980 (Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:25 am)
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Re: Make sure you put your Spark Plugs by hand first!

Post by warpc0il »

@Clive I saw the picture before I read the text and thought "That's a pretty impressive little knife he's used there" :lol:

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