ok im planning on attempting changing my spark plugs tomorow morning, and yes i have never actually changed spark plugs, but should i use a torque wrench or just tighten them down with a ratchet? i dont wanna crack the porcelin when im crankin them down. and if i should use a torque wrench what are the factory specs?

fyi i have a 300 motor

 

heres some good solid old school advice.........

take your plugs out one at a time.....remove one, replace it,label it, go on to next.....this will let you read the plugs for each cylinder without getting them mixed up...

NEVER start the new plug in with anything other then your fingers......a short piece of hose can be pushed over the end of plug to help you reach any hard to get areas...slow and easy here is the rule, you want to avoid possibly cross threading the head....

if you have compressed air, blow out the area around the old plugs before removing...

if the plug has a compression washer on it, tighten it finger tight then give her one full turn extra with the ratchet.... you will never "crank" down on a plug.....if no washer, then finger tight, and about 1/4 to 1/3 additional turn should be fine....

you wont actually be putting any stress on the porcelain, a proper spark plug socket will have a rubber insert to hold the plug true to the socket, but isn't really necessary with a good deep well socket if your careful......

good luck and have fun working on that truck......dont be afraid to tackle bigger and bigger things as you gain more experience and confidence !

..................let us know how them plugs look !

 

Just go easy with the plugs, maybe sprayin em up over night with WD or PB blaster would be a good idea. I just use the ratchet to make em tight, I think the new plugs will say like 14flbs on the box, I might be wrong. Get a good set of platums so you dont have to change em again for like 100K lol. Also get yourself some antiseiz to put on the new plugs so if you ever take em out again, they will come out.(we have rust issues down in NJ lol) ALSO, do the wires, cap, and rotor while your at it.

 

^^^^ Do NOT get the platinums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!^^^^^^

I cannot stress that enough!!! These old I 6 engines will run like crap using pretty much anything other than just the plain jane old copper plugs. Autolite or motorcraft will work fine. Dont waste your money on platinums

 

Sometimes you simply cannot reinvent the wheel, even if it involves a super conductive, flux capacitor driven, defribulating pinpoint laser spark

so anything other than copper is a waste unless u have an upgraded ignition system and higher compression engine then id suggest accels silver tipped racing plugs that are like $10 each

 

Make sure you put a little oil on the threads of the new sparkplugs it will make them go
in easier and when it is time to change them they will come out easier.

 

I use the Motorcraft, and I would highly recommend a little anti-seize on the threads....... done it for years on this motor.... these motors like new regular plugs only.
Pretty easy to get to also, I actually just changed mine yesterday, along with the distrubitor cap and rotor button, pvc valve and some vacume lines....

 

I've never had a problem with AC Delco plugs. But I give my engine a full tune up [plugs, wires, cap, rotor, oil, etc.] every 2 years so I don't worry about getting the particular brand.

As for tightening them down, I wait until there's contact with the head, then just snug them down. As others have said you can't really "crank down" on them, because even if you don't break the porcelain, it makes it a real PITA to get them out.

Good luck.

 

thanks to everyone!

i know alot in theory of engines and stuff but i lack in the mechanical expierence, as this truck was my daily driver for many years and my dad didnt want me to "screw sometin up" so my brother in law would normally do i and i would help

im just hoping the rain holds off long enough!

 

this isnt the same kinda do and help as what me and my big bro does is it?

i do all the work while he drinks the beer and screws off lol

then he takes all the credit

 

i wish! that sounds like a good deal for him haha

my brother in law pretty much tells me its my truck and i cant do that haha

 

I have Motorcraft Single Platinums in mine and it runs just the same as it did on the coppers I took out. What exactly is the poor running condition I should be looking out for? They were only like 70 cents more per plug over the coppers.

 

For some people the plugs foul out quickly, and alot of other people get a rough idle condition. I had the rough idle when i put platinums in my old 95, and they only lasted about 20k

 

Anti sieze is good but just a Dab, maybe a stripe 1/8th inch wide and just in the threads. Do not cover all the threads or the porcelain. Too much on the threads will waste it. On the porcelain may short them out. I finally used up my first tube of anti sieze after about 15 years. Just a dab will do ya.

Get some silicone spark plug grease and grease the inside of the rubber boots of the plugs, and even the distributor boots if you like. This will make the next time you pull the plug wires much easier. Make sure the metal contact at the end of the wire snaps onto the plug or into the distributor cap

Good idea to do one plug and wire at a time. Too many times I have swapped a plug wire to the wrong plug, duh.

Look at the plugs and sniff them. Should be light brown coating and maybe hot oil smell. Gas smell probably means too rich, oily looking means oil past the rings or seals or maybe too cold a plug. They should all look similar. Get yourself one of those spark plug charts. Helps diagnose plug issues. There are pictures on the web.

If you have room get yourself a plug boot plier set to gently pull plug wires. NEVER yank or pull the wire, always pull the boot.

Check the inside of your distributor cap for dust and especially carbon tracks. Carbon tracks are black cracks or "lightening bolts" on the plastic inside the cap. Too many or too big means you have a short inside the cap and need a new cap.

Check the gap on the plugs with a guage. I like those snap guages that look like a big coin with gap numbers on them. A feeler guage is also the old standard. Sometimes factory gapped plugs are wrong or someone dropped them.

I like plugs that look like they are chromed to resist rusting in wet climates.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson