Given the reputation for difficulty in removing old, original spark plugs from aluminum heads, I'm wondering if there is any value in using a penetrant such as PB Blaster on the plugs ahead of time?

What is recomended, if anything, to apply to the threads of the new plugs prior to instalation?

anti-seize brotha, works wonders when it comes time to replace them.

PB Blaster; you are on it man! I wouldnt even try it with out some. Try to clean out the spark plug hole first with some compressed air. Either an air compressor or get some Canned Air. That way you wont get junk down into your combustion chamber when you pull the plug out and the PB Blaster drains in!

 

Take it easy on them. Those old insulators can be brittle! Don't want to snap one off down in there. Watch how you apply force to the socket wrench. A lot of times when you are applying heavy force to a socket driver or breaker bar (especially if you have an extension on the driver) the hole thing can kinda twist and a lot of the force goes against the sides / edges. Try and stableize the drive socket / extension and keep it straight up and down. This will keep the force where it should be, torque aplied to the whole thing; not to one side. Otherwise you risk applying too much force to the sides of the spark plug and breaking it off down in there. This is also how you avoid rounding off the edges of bolt heads and nuts.

 

First plugs I pulled out of my Legacy were sooooooooooo bad. They came out however and what I have written here is what I learned Ballitch has an excellent suggestion also. Apply some anti-sieze to the threads of your new plugs when you install them.

 

Good luck !_!

Most, if not all, of the spark plugs I've ever put in have a metal gasket and no penetrant will ever get past it to the treads.

 

Remove them on a hot engine and use some anti-sieze like ballitch suggested when you replace them.

Yeah, remove when warm, and apply some copper grease on the threads of the new plugs. And torque them to 15Nm-20Nm. Which is not much, so don't over do it if you don't have a torque wrench. Just tighten until they resist or feel "firm".

Yeah, remove when warm, and apply some copper grease on the threads of the new plugs. And torque them to 15Nm-20Nm. Which is not much, so don't over do it if you don't have a torque wrench. Just tighten until they resist or feel "firm".

 

I know on NGK's it says right on the box how to properly torque them down with out a torque wrench.