Emperor Ming Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Changing the plugs is not difficult but it is fiddly slightly awkward and time consuming. To get to the plugs there are several items that need to be removed. The strut brace, front cover and intake tubing. Strut Brace Loosen off the two locking bolts - 24mm spanner - (They both turn the same way as one end is a reverse thread.) then back off the strut brace tensioner. Turn this a few times to loosen off the brace and then undo the three nuts and one bolt on each end of the strut brace and lift the brace off. If you dont back the tensioner off first the brace pushes itself onto the stud each end and wont pull off!! - I know I did it!! With the strut brace off taking off the front cover is only 4, 8mm bolts and the intake tube is one bolt on top of the plenum and two jubilee clips Now comes the awkward bit. Each plug has its own individual coil pack on the top of the plug cap. This is bolted to the rocker cover with an 8mm bolt and gets its power from two wires connected to the pack by a simple click on connector. Fortunately it is quite a big connector and easy enough to get off with a little squeeze. The easy way to do it is to remove the bolt that holds the coil pack to the rocker, pull up the coil pack and release the connector. the coil pack can now be removed whilst the plug is replaced. The back plug on the right hand bank - as you look at the car from the front - and the middle plug on the other bank have small brackets that get in the way of removal. The one covering the back plug can be bent out of the way enough to remove the coil pack but the other one has to be removed. (Only one bolt and easy to get to) As you are removing the plugs there are several parts of the wiring loom that seem to be in the way but gently pulling them to one side or the other allows the items to be removed. I replaced the iridium tipped plugs with platinum tipped ones for no other reason than they were the ones that all the books recommended for standard useage. The plugs I took out - after 22000 miles - were still in good order but showing definate signs of wear. My car had seemed ever so slightly rough on tick over and this seems to have cleared up but it is too early to say for certain. Allow a couple of hours for the first time and get yourself a 24mm spanner, a small plug socket with a decent extension and a normal tool kit and its a job any half competant spanner man can tackle. Ming the Smooth running Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Ming Why did you replace iridium plugs with platinum - what boo told you that was a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 boo==book ; edit filter is offline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Ming Why did you replace iridium plugs with platinum - what boo told you that was a good idea Checked the user manual that I down loaded from here and that gave the code of the platinum plug. Checked with several retailers both on line and local traders and they all listed the platinum plug. Bought the platinum plug and only when I checked what was coming out did I realise that it was the iridium plug. It was not a concious 'I will swop those for these ' thing Ming the Sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Seeing as you're a man of tools and will be changing regularly its prob.OK - tbh your 'outers' look fine to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Since I drive like the old man that I am - well most of the time - then I am sure that they will serve me well. Just checked the service manual AGAIN and it gives PLFR5A-11 the P being for platinum?? Do you not think that they are up for the job? Ming the puzzled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I recognise the NGK code (kinder), I use one-step colder being FI without the P LFR6A1X get mine from www.spark-plugs.co.uk at about £10 each Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 BTW to answer ... sure they're fine but will just need changing more often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/tech ... _plugs.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 so the service manual actually specifies a "wrong part" ?? that's what I get from a UK service manual revised November 04. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Dunno about that mate - I just followed the advice for my FI kit from Vortech. However since the recommended change interval for stock is 60k miles (or something like that) I would be surprised if a platinum plug would last that long wouldn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Maybe there has been a change though - the latest press release specifically mentions iridium plugs http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=34363 Seeing as they only cost about £8 each on spark-plugs.co.uk and I don't think anyone would dispute have a higher spec. I would use them whether I was FI or not .... plug change is 54k miles BTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 OK for the avoidance of doubt, I have done some digging and the stock plug is indeed platinum and is changed every 54k miles - so I was incorrect in one of my assertions above (the one), I am sorry I stand behind the others though and your removed plugs look tickety-boo to me There is however a lot of evidence that iridium does have a benefit and is in fact cheaper - which is amazing to say the least, here is a post and note the contributions from sharif, pretty much anything he says on 350zs is good advice http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193978 So Ming, you have indeed replaced like for like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 Cheers Guys Allthough the pictures I took do not show it - I am crap with digital cameras - the ones I took out had 'signs of wear'. I agree that they were in good condition and would have lasted many more miles. They were the right colour indicating a healthy engine but they were not as good as the ones I put in. My point was that the car, being second hand, was of unknown providence and as such it was a precaution. The importer has changed the oil and filter BUT I am going to change them both as well so I KNOW they are right. Oil should last 8,000 miles but I will change mine in half that. The same with plugs. i can forget all about them now for my life with the car. I also have six spare iridium plugs SHOULD I need them! Ming the Cautious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Good points above and I agree you can never change your oil TOO often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidbaker8130 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Good points above and I agree you can never change your oil TOO often Once every five miles might be considered "too often" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Tell that to a Nitro dragster team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidbaker8130 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Tell that to a Nitro dragster team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 Slightly off topic but has any one seen the size of the oil filter. Looks like it belongs on a honda 50 moped I have had 1300 cc cars with bigger filters MUCH bigger filters. Mine gonna get changed OFTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ming the now VERY cautious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 PS The slightly erratic tick over - and I do mean ever so slightly - has smoothed out so something I did has made a difference. Exhaust seems to sound a little more urgent as well Ming the Happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidbaker8130 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Slightly off topic but has any one seen the size of the oil filter. Looks like it belongs on a honda 50 moped I have had 1300 cc cars with bigger filters MUCH bigger filters. Mine gonna get changed OFTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ming the now VERY cautious I think I'm right in saying that the Micra uses the same filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathys Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Ming, just to confirm, the spark plugs you took out were Iridium or was that just a thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 24, 2006 Author Share Posted September 24, 2006 Ming, just to confirm, the spark plugs you took out were Iridium or was that just a thought? Definately irridium as it said so on the plug if I remember rightly.?? Ming the Helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 stock plugs are platinum and ming replaced them with the same.... re-read the thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathys Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 I did now and I read some posts down that the stock ones are platinum. However, Ming didn't seem to remember correctly either : Definately irridium as it said so on the plug if I remember rightly.?? Ming the Helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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