Spark Plug removal and replacement Pictorial

Hi,

I did a "Pictorial" for - Spark Plug removal and replacement with the link here:

This is a very easy procedure and there isn't any reason to pay someone to do this for you.



Ride safe,

JeffR

Just reviewed the spark plug pics. Invaluable information. Thanks for taking the time for these write ups. I'm looking forward to reading more. Where do you buy your parts and accessories? Thanks Jeff.

Wow, thank JeffR, another fine pictigram.

Thanks for taking the time to show us just how simple some work is on the 'Wing.'

Hi JeffR,
And thanks for the great maintenance procedure. I have one question though. That "protective cap" you had to remove would be left on for a "normal" spark plug and spark plug wire that pushes on here in the states... Does the long electrode that you indicated just "push on" like the average spark plug wire terminal would ? ? I wouldn't imagine that it screwed back on or you would have mentioned it.

Thanks

All,

Thanks for the compliments and I hope it helps. It is really a easy thing to do and I would hate to hear of others paying to have this done.

RNoodle,

I buy my stuff at the local Honda shop. They are a smaller shop with nice people so I try to give them my money. I also bought my SWing there too.

DickO,

The protective cover that I showed on one pic is just to keep the threads from stripping ..I think. I forgot to take it off one plug and then installed the plug, and then found out the electrode wouldn't fit over it for some reason. So when I removed the plug I found the cover that needed to come off. The electrodes just snap on when you push them down.

Hope this helps.

JeffR wrote:

All,
The protective cover that I showed on one pic is just to keep the threads from stripping ..I think.

Actually, some years ago the "protective cover" is what made the difference between the American industry and the rest of the world. The American plug wires had a terminal that fit the larger screw on cap, the rest of the world had terminals with an imbedded stiff (springy) wire that gripped only the threaded portion of the fixed electrode.

I haven't had an American car for so long, I have no idea if this is still the case, but all spark plugs still have the screw on caps. :flower:

Yea!! I changed the spark plugs, thanks to your pictorial and instructions! And my wing that was running rough and starting poorly and idling irregularly is now running smoothly. Jeff, you do a great job here. Thanks again and again. Dan

Just a small pointer, when removing the plug inspection flap on my 2001, instead of screws, I had 2 very tiny plastic trim clips. Be very careful as it's easy to leave the body behind when you pull out the pin. I nearly lost one.

Would a little copper grease work ok?

Terry,

that is a good suggestion to use Antizeize on the threads. The reason I don't use it is because I had my engine made out of solid gold, so I don't need to worry. It seems gold is a good investment now.

bigbird wrote:

JeffR_ wrote:

The reason I don't use it is because I had my engine made out of solid gold, so I don't need to worry.

Your engine would weigh 7.14 times as much if it were gold instead of aluminum. Your engine would literally weigh half a ton if it were solid gold, and be worth 24 688 000 USD.

Yeah, it's nice to be rich and flaunt it too.

When should I be considering changing the Spark Plugs?

My SW seems to be running fine at 12,000 miles. Amazing that you can save so much on gas by riding a SW that you can swap to a gold motor.

Thanks for the clear instructions for changing spark plugs. Wish the Honda Shop Manual was as precise. Thanks again.

Vince

Thanks JeffR for the pictorial and bigbird for the reminder to use antiseize on the threads. These are the kind of things that help everyone. Last week I watched my neighbor change sparkplugs on a VW and one of the sparkplugs slipped out of the socket and was down in a deep well. Out came his little extendable magnet and presto out it came. I picked up one of those extendable magnets for a couple of bucks and have found it very handy. Especially for that part that drops and always rolls under something. Also I would reccomend laying a shop towell over the area after removing the spark plugs. Not that any fine mechanic would ever have anything drop into a cylinder. Of course a fine mechanic would have the new plugs gapped, treated with antiseize, cap removed, and ready to pop in when the old ones came out. Me, I'd probably have to make a trip to the auto parts store to buy the plugs and antiseize that I forgot and the store would probably be closed.

HiYo,

I'm glad it was able to help you out. It is easier to follow than the manual.

When I put together most threaded parts I usually turn the part I'm installing backwards until I feel it click, then turn it the right way. It seems to help me keep from cross threading.

model28a wrote:

When I put together most threaded parts I usually turn the part I'm installing backwards until I feel it click, then turn it the right way. It seems to help me keep from cross threading.

I use the same technique too, rarely get a cross threading problem.

Process worked like a charm for changing my plugs - or should I say plug! I got the plug on the 'left' out/in just fine - but not the one on the 'right' (facing forward). My right ignition wire does did not have enough slack to pull out the insulator from the spark plug well. Seems as if there is some type of clamp deep down holding the wire so that it does not get pulled too far. Am I going to need take a bunch more parts off the bike? Or is there some neat trick that I can try? Can the 4-inch extension in the well be separated from the wire? Thanks for the pictorial as it helped immensely!

Just guessing from memory (which is not always to be trusted these days), I believe that I had to remove the plastic panel on the one side to be able to move the spark plug wire to gain enough slack to remove the wire from the plug.

It surprised me. Usually Honda thinks these things out much better.

Thanks Jeff

Do you have other pictorials?

philblumenfeld wrote:

Thanks Jeff

Do you have other pictorials?

There are a plethora of helpful pictorials. Just click on pictorials at the top of this page or on the forum page and browse until eyestrain sets in. Also I've heard that JeffR has some "special pictorials", but that's for another forum.

Yes, there are other pictorials. But they would be considered in bad taste, such as me installing a car tire, high performance parts, and of course using 'dino' oil.

Hell-o
I did change the plugs, oil and filter today. Got the scooter all cleaned up as well

Leon Grigg wrote:

Hell-o
I did change the plugs, oil and filter today. Got the scooter all cleaned up as well

But, did you get to do any riding?

great vid i just found out i am going to have to maintain my own wing even tho im not mechanicly inclined. your vid was easy to see and easy to follow great job. now i just have to get her done.

"Hi Yo" wrote:

Leon Grigg wrote:

Hell-o
I did change the plugs, oil and filter today. Got the scooter all cleaned up as well

But, did you get to do any riding?

Promised to de-bug mine tomorrow! Maybe, well no! Not if the weather is fine.

JeffR;  a note to add my name to the long list of the thankful for you pictorial on spark plug replacement. Thanks !

Followed your pictorial (along with the other plug changing comments on the forums)  for the change yesterday.  It certainly helped make it an easy and fast job! The new plugs sure made the S'wing run even more smoothly.  I'm at about 16,500 kms and expect the plugs I removed were the original on this 2005 bike. I'm the 3rd owner as far as I know.

I have been having low idle issues which have brought on stalling before the bike is warmed up.  I had hoped the plugs, as my first move on tackling the problem, may help.  There was no difference other than running more smoothly.  Then, I added a small amount of sea foam and went for about 130 kms today,and pushed her hard ... well hard for me at least,  with the fastest I've had her going in the 2 years I've had it. About 120+ kph at one point.  (Got tired of the cars passing me !! :lol!: )  Anyway ... the idle problem has lessened with each additional start-up.  Not back to normal - but not getting any worse either. I will fill with premium tomorrow and try again.  Hope I'm on the road to normal idle and no stall out upon starting.

Mike

Mike,

I'm glad the Pictorial helped you as well. The manual just makes things more complicated so I thought I would take a few pictures and make a few pictorials. I'm glad your bike is running better since the SWing is a very enjoyable ride. I still miss my SWing at times when I ride even though I really enjoy the CTX. They are really very comparable rides in so many ways.

My manual said to hand tighten plugs and then add 1/2 turn. I found it too hard to go an entire 1/2 turn. 1/4 seemed pretty tight to me and then I added a bit more but still I worry that I overtightened it? Any thoughts? Thanks Dan btw, it runs great

I added a bit more but still I worry that I overtightened it? Any thoughts? <<<< A torque wrench takes the guess out of it. I MIGHT guesstimate steel to steel like my old tractors but steel to aluminum gets the torque wrench every time.

Tighten plugs till feel it bite then quarter or half turn , not critical as long as they are secure. If you think you have over tightened loosen off and tighten again.

What tappit? Oil changes require removing the oil drain plug which is a tappit cover.

The oil drain plug is called the "tappit". Just be careful that you don't strip it when you remove it.

On the old British bikes, the last one I did was on a Triumph, you had to adjust the tappets ,which  have been replaced by cams. The large cover plate was  the tappet cover. The story is that there were a lot of tappet covers left over so, it seems Honda used them for the drain plug on the Silver wing. Probably why my old Triumph ring spanner fits perfectly.

I remember someone posting on here the the tappet/tappit drain plug was Honda's way of using up all the old surplus tappet covers left over from their old inline four engines. The annoying thing about them apart from stripping the corners if you don't use a 6 point socket is because of it's size you can't replace them with one of those very useful motorcycle steel sump plugs fitted with a magnet.

JeffR wrote:

The oil drain plug is called the "tappit".  Just be careful that you don't strip it when you remove it.

Sorry Jeff,
I thought the subject was removing and replacing the spark plugs. Must be the stage in my life. I get confused a lot.

Easyrider,

I just went up to the very first post and edited the comment about the tappit out of the post. It is for changing the oil and I didn't notice that I put it in there. This thread is about spark plug removal and I'm not sure why I put the 'tappit' comment in there. I also didn't notice others posted about it as well. I guess I'm getting old. Thanks for catching this and asking.

For those like me, who have never used a torque wrench to install a spark plug:

From the Bosch Spark Plug brochure:
Correct installation of spark plugs without torque wrench: Screw in spark plug by hand until it is seated in the cylinder head. New spark plugs with flat seats are then screwed in by a further 90° (approx.) using the spark plug wrench. Spark plugs with conical seats are screwed in by a further 15° degrees (approx). Used spark plugs are screwed in by hand until seated and then screwed in by a further 15 degrees (approx.)

Hi Jeffr,

Thanks for that info. Just a small point - for metric people, the spanner needs to be 10mm (not 17mm).

Oliver

Just a small niggle but my Honda MM gives 12 lb.ft. as the torque figure for spark plug instal.

I was just reading all the post on spark plug removal and its great info , I must have missed it but what spark plus did you use , having a hard time finding what plug and number to look for . thanks Bill

NGK CR8EH-9 seem to be the most available or Denso U24FER9. Plug gap 0.8-0.9 mm. I fitted NGK Iridium equivalents which are basically fit-and-forget although plug access on the Swing makes swapping-out a breeze compared to other makes

thank you very much ericclapham, my swing is at 17,300 miles so I will be doing the plugs this week. Bill

Just reviving an old thread....so to speak !

When I replace my spark plugs on my bog-standard 2001 SW, I always leave the screw-on electrode piece in place. The plug caps fit over the top OK....or do they?????

Should I remove the screw-on covers from my plugs?

I thought this was a throw-back to different plug caps having different fittings. Leave them on for one type of cap, take them off for a different type of cap???? But which type of cap do I have?

On or off? which is it? Somebody help. Have I been running my SW all this time without a proper contact between the plug cap and the plug electrode?

Off bud, if you leave the cover on the supressor cap sits on top of the plug, rather than gripping the thread & getting a good 'mechanical' contact.

IIRC The "cap" on Denso Iridium plugs I installed was not removeable. So I'd say that if the plugs you are installing have optional removable caps then they should remain ON.

Tim

Oh boy, now I'm confused.

With regard to The Bern's comment, that's what I was thinking. Is it making proper contact with the top of the plug?

Cosmic Jumper, that's interesting. I'm using Iridium plugs but the screw top is removable.

BTW, I'm referring to the 'cap' as the insulated cover containing the HT lead, which goes over the plug into it's hole. I refer to the electrode as the 'top connector' of the plug, the bit which screws onto the top. I think I'll try both methods and see which fits the best. I must admit, with the top connector ON it doesn't 'feel' as though it's connecting properly.

Thanks for your comments, I'll let you all know how I get on using both methods. My old Honda CB250 G5 was so much simpler. I must be getting old !

You are correct, sir. My mistake. The Iridium plugs came without the screw-on "top connector" (terminal). And that screw-on terminal is not needed with the Silverwing spark plug caps. The spark plug cap pushes directly on to the threaded terminal of the spark plug. Dunno what I may have been thinking in that earlier post.

Gett'n old sucks.

Tim