Spark plugs
 

Forgive me, I have searched and can not seem to find a simple DYI for SP removale. Read that tires must come off, anything else or is that all there is to it?

Hi,

You don't actually need to pull the Tires.

Raise Car securely.

Using a 6mm (?) Hex Bit (or Allen Wrench), remove the 2 screws holding the CoilPak to the Valve Cover. Twist slightly while extracting the CoilPak (if inexperienced, do one CoilPak at a time to avoid mixing them up).

Using a 5/8" Long Spark Plug Socket (or a normal one with extention), remove old Plug.

Install new Plug and torque it to 26 ft. lbs.

Re-insert CoilPak and push it til it clicks

Reattach screws to Coil Pak and torque to 6-7 ft.lbs.

It's also a good idea to run your finger in the hole to insure that there is no Oil on it indicating a leaky Spark Plug Tube 'O' ring - replace as necessary.

Also, stick with OEM Plugs, there is no advantage, but a possible disadvantage, to using Aftermarket Plugs. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

After reading this I'm starting to second guess the point of having the dealer do my spark plugs as part of my 30K service.
I still need an oil change and brake flush and a once over inspection but I hardly think it merits the $900 fee. I'm thinking I'll do the air/pollen filter and spark plugs me self. The only reason I was leaning toward the dealer was to have the records which so far indicate that only Porsche mechanics have touched my car.

what's a good source for OEM plugs?

Hi,

Call NAPA, they stock em and no S/H. I wouldn't put much stock in only Porsche Mechanics wrenching on the Car. Bye and Large, they're OK, but they have their share of Knuckleheads as well. This is so easy, it doesn't pay to have someone do it - took me 20 min. I think and I know it's done right! Good Luck!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

What Jim said (especially about sticking with the OEM plugs) but the hex bit is 5mm (to answer the question marks). John linked my site and I show how to replace them with the wheels off but you don't have to take the wheels off in order to change the plugs. I do a brake inspection at the same time so it's just easier for a fat guy with fat hands to reach in through the wheel well. :rolleyes:

I have the OEM part number for the Bosch plugs on my site if you want to look around and find them online.

When I did mine five clicked and one no matter how many times I tried to re-insert it wouldn't make(or maybe I couldn't hear) the clicking sound. If the CoilPak wasn't installed correctly it wouldn't it have triggered a CEL?

Definitely remove the tire. It makes it much easier to see what you're doing - you don't have to phyically get under the car if the tires are off.

Thank you-great advise
 

Thanks to you folks, job was done in a falsh, great info, I feel like a dunce asking the question now. I used the (7) heat range plugs, no anti seeze, and found one damaged 0 ring on one of the tubes. Not sure what my dealer would have charged, but I don't think it would have been cheap. Thanks again!

what brand of anti-seize should be used?

got it
 

did not use ant-seize or seeze, although the seeze is much cheaper

Hi,

This has been debated. No anti-seize s/b used IMHO, though there were opposite views proferred. Porsche does not use it, nor does the Dealer Service Manual recommend it...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

One thing I noticed when using anti-seize is my radio reception goes down and interference goes up. It happened to me on both P-cars so I don't think it was a coincidence.

how about cleaning in there with simple green?

Hi,

Cleaning where? The Sparkplug Tubes? No! No! you don't want any condensation building up in there...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Hi,

Interesting observation. Did you use normal Anti-Seize or Hi-Temp Anti-Seize?

OEM Plugs are Resistor Plugs designed to reduce Radio Interference. A Normal Anti-Seize would tend to work as an Insulator while a Hi-Temp (with it's high metallic content) would work as a Conductor, either could interfere with this property of the Plugs...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

After reading Jim's instructions I'm AMAZED. Last week I was at the STEALERSHIP for an alignment and asked how many hours of labor is needed to change sparkplugs. DRUM roll.......2 hours. I kindly passed...

It's an easy D.I.Y. , just follow Jim's(MNBoxster's) instructions and you can do it in 1-1.5 hours tops.

Hi,

Yea, if you're tapping a cold one in-between each Plug. Takes me 20 min. tops.

I label each CoiPak using Masking Tape 1-6 and remove them all at once. Then switch tools and remove all the Plugs at once, then insert all the new Plugs, torqueing each one, then replace the CoilPaks and torque them.

I jack up one side of the car and place a jackstand under it, this allows me to get under the car with a creeper, and I do have a long 5/8" Sparkplug Socket and a Speed Wrench which helps. And I use a Black & Decker cordless Ratchet to remove the CoilPak Screws which helps, but even using ordinary handtools, it should take no more than 30 min...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Hey Jim,
You seem like the kind of guy that believes that there is nothing better than stock. I like that. I don't practice that myself, but I like and respect that a lot. I actually listen to much of what you say before I go and do fool-hardy things to my car. Hehe... No seriously, I appreciate the advice. It keeps me from doing stupid things! :cheers:

I swear whenever I start a project I make it a project within a project. I started to change the spark plugs and found the CoilPaks dirty,so I cleaned them,found dirt lodged in other areas around the working area,cleaned those as well. If I didn't clean everything while I was under there it would have taken 30 minutes or so now that I think about it. :p

I cannot think of way that high-temp anti-seize between the plug's common terminal and the engine could interfere with the series resistance of the spark plugs. Can you please educate me?

Hi,

You're most probably right, but using a Hi-Temp AS w/ high metal content (usually Copper) can effectivelty increase the surface area of the Ground or Common terminal with the Head by making contact (via a brige through the AS) to the back side of the threads. Would this interfere? I don't know, but I am just postulating a possible cause to the Lister's observations. This is why I said that it could (possibly) interfere.

An Insulator (regular AS) probably would interfere with such a function. The Spark would still be OK due to the high voltage involved which would readily overcome any added resistance...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. But, I'm not actually against modding a car. I have done so many times.

But, for a Street Car, I think keeping it Stock has some advantages. Many Aftermarket Parts haven't been as rigorously tested as the OEM Components and may not offer as long a service life. Also, many Aftermarket components are universal, designed for a multitude of cars and not for one specific application. A lot of them are mainly Hype with gains not measurable or quantified. Then, often a replacement part is not available if the Supplier goes away, and if you needed to modify the car to include the Aftermarket part, you may not be able to reverse it to re-fit the OEM part later. It may make the car harder to sservice or diagnose.

So far as Anti-Seize, I use it when called for, but have found that it's not required in all applications. If you properly torque the plugs, and change them regularly, there should be no need for it.

For Spark Plugs, the differences between the various materials used are miniscule. Most Performance Spark Plugs using rare or exotic metals are universal and usually offer only a reputed longer Service Interval, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. They s/b changed regularly, or at least inspected, which amounts to the same thing. Also, there is no Temp Range Standard between Manufacturers, so you could get plugs that perform differently so far as Heat Management is concerned and this could be bad longterm to the motor.

But, the Head was designed with a specific Plug in mind with regard to thread length, Tip extension into the Combustion Chamber and Electrode orientation. This is one reason why you should always torque your Plugs - so they maintain the design depth and orientation (relative to Flame Front travel) as the engine was designed to optimize. If these Super Plugs were actually as good as their makers claim, why doesn't any Manufacturer captitalize on these gains and install them OEM in the first place? That's all why I recommend the OEM Plugs...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I'll go ahead and answer my own question since RF transmission and reception happens to be the area in which I make a living. Using a conductive anti-seize on the threads of a spark plug can in no way cause increased radio interference.

I'm going to print this out and show it to my the service manager if he says spark plug is a two hour job. You know I understand charging more per hour for specialized labor but charging more hours as well is really dishonest.
I'm amazed this isn't subject to some laws.
and of course if they get busted they simply charge more per hour to charge for the fewer hours.
All these Porsche profits is starting to make sense now...

I'm in a similar situation (E.E.) and I agree completely. Anti-seize has nothing to do with radio interference.