Spark plugs

[VTAOFFROADER]

Hi everyone... my name is will... im new to all of this... sorry if i have a lot of questions...

The other night my dad thought that he could be the expert on his engine... but he was takin off his spark plugs when the engine was hott... now i cant get the last spark plug off...

is it messed up totally or are there ways around it??

 

[FastCat]

There's two things it sounds like he did wrong, but neither means anything is messed up, the plugs are just in really tight now.

First, putting spark plugs in a hot motor isn't usually a problem unless you overtighten them in the first place, and when the motor cools and the metal contracts, they are super-tight. Plugs should only be snugged up, and then add at MOST a 1/8 turn. There's no reason to Conan them on, and you can strip the threads in the head if you do.

Second, you should always put a dab of anti-seize on your plug threads so that no corrosion develops between the dissimilar metals (aluminum head, steel plug threads) causing the plugs to bind.

If the plugs are on super tight now, you're just going to have to Conan them off. If you are really new to mechanic'ing, make sure you know which turn direction tightens and loosens. It helps to remember "Righty-tighty, Lefty-loosey".

 

[VTAOFFROADER]

hmmm...

well my dad got out there and tired to fix it by himself... the spark plugs wouldnt even turn at all... so we had to get it towed to someone that knows how to fix it... but i want to thankyou for that advice that you gave me!!!

There's two things it sounds like he did wrong, but neither means anything is messed up, the plugs are just in really tight now.

First, putting spark plugs in a hot motor isn't usually a problem unless you overtighten them in the first place, and when the motor cools and the metal contracts, they are super-tight. Plugs should only be snugged up, and then add at MOST a 1/8 turn. There's no reason to Conan them on, and you can strip the threads in the head if you do.

Second, you should always put a dab of anti-seize on your plug threads so that no corrosion develops between the dissimilar metals (aluminum head, steel plug threads) causing the plugs to bind.

If the plugs are on super tight now, you're just going to have to Conan them off. If you are really new to mechanic'ing, make sure you know which turn direction tightens and loosens. It helps to remember "Righty-tighty, Lefty-loosey".