I was checking my owner's manual for plug changing mileage intervals. It said 5 years or 100,000 miles. Never saw a time limit on plugs before.......why? Do they corrode or gas foul?

Are these plugs(SRT6) 16mm? Was going to buy the recommended socket and saw there were various MB sizes.

Oh, what brand plugs do you guys use? Thanks!!!

 

The center electrode wears down.

 

That happens to all of us when we get over 60, John

 

Funny

 

we are seeing OEM plugs covered in rust/corrosion and getting seized into blocks due to them not getting proper anti seize from the factory. it is a scary scenario to get them out once they bind up on the way out after being in there for over a decade. we end up screwing them back in and running the car to get it warm before reattempting the problem plugs (we had 3 bind up on the last car we did). don't forget the anti seize on the new plug threads.


we have the MB special swivel socket to allow reaching all the plugs, even with the torque wrench, it is a very nice tool and saves such a headache.

 

Ouch! That does sound scary. My X-fire is 12 years old and I have no idea if they have ever been changed. I've owned the car for the last 5 years. I'm in the middle of the Breather Cover fix....figured I'd change 'em now. I'll cross my fingers.

So again, I want to buy that special swivel socket but ebay shows various sizes---which one?

Which brand plugs do you guys like? Manual shows Bosch and NGK.

 

NGK laser iridium is what we run on all our m112k (your srt6) and m113k cars


the swivel sockets we carry on our ignition page. they are also available cheaper as an add-on to our ignition kit (plugs/wires/gapper)

 

Wings,


Are the heads on our cars aluminum?

 

That's a good one...thanks.

 

yessir, well it may be an alloy but mostly aluminum

 

Wings,
Thanks for the reply.

 

Question for you Needswings: Do seized plugs bind from the start or seize up after you get them on their way out of the hole? In other words, how will I know to stop before I damage the threads (and the need to run the car to heat them up)? I already have the coil packs removed and waiting for plugs and the MB socket to arrive in the mail. I don't wanna screw this up! These plugs could've been in there 12 years.

 

the seized plugs in question start unscrewing and then bind up half way out.

 

To help prevent this, I usually squirt some kind of lubricant or penetrating fluid on the threads once the plug is loosened a turn or so. Don't wait until it gives you trouble. Penetrating fluid will run down into the threads that are not exposed yet, helping to prevent the binding.

James

 

I'll give that a try James.

 

I have always used ngk vpower , nitrous an boost now just boost 62mm pulley 20psi 21 on a cold night,I do have them gapped down to 0.32

 

I don't know why they stated 100k before changing, thats to long in my opinion on something that is a sports car. I change the ones in my viper v10 every 30k or earlier.

I did change the ones on the srt6 I didn't run into any binding issues because whoever had the car before me apparently had them changed at about 105k and I didn't realize that. I changed them again at about 140k.

 

Finally changed the plugs after 13 years, (50000) miles. The car really didn’t run badly, all the old plugs looked good and were still close to specs at .040 - .043. No problem pulling the old plugs. Regapped the new plugs to .034 and the car seems to have better and smoother speed from zero to redline.
original plugs

 

If the suggested gap is 1mm (.039”) why would you go to a much lower gap size, just wondering.

 

Ha, you caught me! Utilizing my “photographic memory,” I was installing plug #10 when I realized the Crossfire called for a plug gap of .39 NOT the .034 my faulty memory came up with. Wanting to justify not having to redo all the installed plugs I googled spark plug gapping and found enough information,(right or wrong) to justify leaving them at .034. Driving fast and furious for the last 2 weeks the performance is great. I haven’t a clue on the longevity of my mistake but i’m willing to risk it thinking I wont have the SRT for the next 13 years that the 1st set of plugs endured.