To al with tapping from engine bay.... arching sparking plug

[DeTwizzle]

This is just to inform anyone that thinks they may have a tapping lifter(shims), clogged valve, crack in the manifold.... replace your spark plug insulators. After much pain and agony, I finally found out the the reason my vehicle was choking when trying to accelerate after much maintenance was due to arching spark plugs off the block, and it was also causing a horrible tapping sound.

The insulators are about $35 dollars from Toyota... yes expensive, but worth it if you think that you have serious engine problems. I had only changed my spark plugs 9 months ago, but I never removed the insulating sleeves that go down into the block. Even after discovering the problem and pulling the sleeves it was non-apparent. The only clue was 9 months of ruff running's before the CEL threw a cylinder #3 miss-fire. I first noticed it after going to Utah, and while going over the passes, at about 2.5-3k rpm I noticed that every once in awhile the engine would slump for just a second(loose power), and then normal. It would mostly happen with load on the engine at 2.5-3k but then it started to choke while pulling away from a stop light, and the while driving to work and trying to get up to 70mph. It would basically fell like the rev limiter was bouncing @ 3K rpm in 5th gear.

All in all, change out your insulator sleeves every 2nd TB change, or 170-200K mileage wise... trust me, it's worth it. Yes, the sleeve that goes into the block and is what the spark plug sits in( it is rubber).
:bluejump::bluejump::bluejump:

 

[DeTwizzle]

Im gonna bump this bc I keep reading about ppl with high mileage that are starting to get misfire codes... if you're one of these ppl experiencing this, you should probably read this. I thought that I may have had a cracked cylinder or a much more serious problem, but it was just an arching spark plug. Probably something everyone should check out before considering a rebuild or new engine...

 

[Gerdo]

Are you talking the rubber plug end of the three spark plug wires? New wires come with these.

Or are you talking the three coil pack to sparkplug rubbers?
Are these replaceable without buying new coils?
Do you have a part number?

Nice find and thanks for passing it along.

 

[DeTwizzle]

Hey Gerdo,
Not the rubber capping "thingy" that you place over the spark plug when you get new wires, but it is a sleeve that slides into the block of the engine. It is actually what the spark plug slides into when you change your plugs. Once they get old and dried out they tend to crack and the spark plug will arch off the block through these nearly invisible cracks. I will see if I can pull up a part #.
The tell tail signs are a tapping sound from the engine and if you inspect your spark plugs, there will usually be black streaks running the length of the spark plug on the porcelain.

 

[Gerdo]

So they are the tube that is in the valve cover, right?
Do you have to remove the valvecovers to replace them?

 

[DeTwizzle]

Nope you dont need to remove the valve cover. And yes, the tube that slides down into the valve cover.Once you remove the spark plug, you will notice that there is a sleeve that it sits in, just take a flat head screw driver and slowly work it out of there. I believe that they might only be on the side with the coil packs... which I believe is cylinders 1,3,5. My CEL code was for a misfire in cylinder #3 when I discovered it.

 

[cordrayj1]

could you not slide a fiberglass insulator sleeve around the boot when you plug it back on to the spark plug? that should/would do the same i would think . . .? i know, i know, not OEM. just a thought

this is a very interesting thread though

*** i just checked a few things, and i think i just had a brain fart... fiberglass isnt an electrical insulator im assuming.

 

[nissanh]

Are you talking about this?

 

[cordrayj1]

i think he is talking about the actual sleeve thats inside wall of the valve cover after you pull those out during a spark plug change.

 

[DeTwizzle]

^ Yes. And nope, that comes as part of the new wires like Gerdo mentioned. Like I said, I think they might be only on the passenger side of the engine when looking into the engine bay. Or the side that the coil packs are on. I wish I had a camera when I pulled mine, but it was broken.

 

[DeTwizzle]

The dealership list it as a 'spark plug boot' part # 702450. As stated above it believe there are only 3 since they are on the side of the engine with the coil packs. Hope this saves a giant headache for someone, it def would have for me.
Changing fuel injectors is annoying.:toilet:

 

[nissanh]

I changed spark plugs like 2 hours ago. Since I do not have any miss fire, I think I am OK.

But thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Gerdo]

Are you talking about this?

So it's the rubber boot (like the large rubber part on the wires) but on the coil packs. Right?

 

[bitchaaz]

I'm confused. Are you talking about the rubber boot that comes with a new set of wires or a coil pack? That doesn't go nowhere near the block as you originally have said. You actually bumped your own thread because no one responded to it?
You don't necessarily need to buy the whole wire set or coil pack to get a spark plug boot. They sell them seperatley you know. 5 bucks at Vato zone or even 12 bucks for NGK at Rock auto. Heck, Rock auto also has a pack of 3 Denso's if you a brand snob. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?carcode=1388707&parttype=10150. Just think. you could of replaced all 3 for what you paid for one. I'll hold on to my cents.

 

[sportscarfan]

Hi guys, I'm trying to track down some suggestions on a tapping sounds I'm hearing recently...
I'll pull the coils/boots/plugs out on the pass side to have a look, but can anyone describe this sound better?

I have 2 different engine RPM dependent sounds that are intermittent - describing sounds is always difficult, but one is a ticking (which very well could be spark arc) and the other sound is more hollow like tapping on a plastic box. I can only hear either sounds from inside, the engine runs smooth/fine but fan noise etc. drown out the noises when trying to pinpoint under the hood.

 

[Gerdo]

A friend of mine had some tapping and he found out the one of his sparkplugs was loose. He tightened it up and all was good.
Inherently the valves will tick some.

 

[sportscarfan]

Thanks Gerdo, I'll do some actual wrench turning and report back...I've been reading threads found on the subject for an hour, this one seems the most plausible.

Update - All parts related to removing pass. (coil) side spark plugs, including the plugs looks great. Still need to check drivers side.