Changed out my spark plugs today and the spark plug located on the passenger side closest to the bumper, had no gap. Sorry i don’t know which cylinder is which, after a quick search I just found the firing order and not a diagram to tell which cylinder is which. No I didn’t drop it when I took it out. Is there a potential issue here? Negligence from the factory? Anyway, spark plugs are changed and within a 20 minute drive (10m each way), my KCLV is higher than its ever been at 23.3. The battery was removed to get the two spark plugs closest to the cabin, reflashed my tune after battery installation, so I was at 15 degrees of timing. Just wondering if anyone had this issue too.

 

The plug looks like it was dropped into the hole when it got installed and it closed the gap. I am always extremely careful not to let the ground electrode hit anything when installing plugs. They're not terribly soft, but if you hit them right, you'll get just what you see here.

 

Are you saying whoever did it prior was negligent? I was careful when I put the new ones in, magnetic spark plug socket is a life saver. I looked at the top of the plug and you can kind of tell it was hit on the top right corner. My car has never felt sluggish. There has never been weird noises or anything within the engine that draws concern. Could this have caused some issues I should look for? I’m reading some pretty crazy stuff on the internet.

 

Yes, more than likely the previous installer was negligent.

Don't believe most of what you read on the Internet about things like this.

Magnetic sockets are OK. I like to use vinyl tubing because it gives a really good feel and won't let you cross thread the plug where a socket and extension might.

 

THanks for the replies. Most of the issues people were talking about came with performance issues like misfiring, detonation. To my knowledge, I was not receiving any of that. The overall wear on the plug didn’t seem too bad and did not have much fouling. All in all, the car is running better as of now.

 

"Vinyl tubing" - can you expand on this (i.e. size, where to buy, etc.)?

 

Lowes or Home Depot sell this stuff by the foot. Take a sparkplug with you and stuff it in the tube. You're looking for a very snug fit and thicker walls for better rigidity. It's generally pretty cheap. 3/8" ID seems to be a pretty good start for me. Just be sure you have a long enough piece before you start, and if necessary, heat it up a little and get it straight to avoid banging the electrode on the way in.

 

Thanks Lance.

 

I've always used something like this: Spark Plug with Rubber Gasket Insert for Spark Plugs

 

I dropped a plug with one of those once. Never again. Plastic tubing is cheap. 16mm deep well sockets work great for tightening a 16mm hex. I take them out with a magnet after I get them unthreaded.

 

For the Porsche, I used a swivel sparkplug socket that also has a magnet. Great little piece and made the sparkplug change possible without lowering the engine. I hope it works when it's time to do the F. Hopefully it won't be as tight as in the Porsche.

 

Not even remotely close. You can drink beer and change the plugs in the F. I wouldn't recommend it on a Porsche - at least not the Cayman I was working on.

 

Thats a wonderful idea! I love it! Thanks