Lone Ranger

Makes episode #3 of spark plug removal and install for me :D In a sadistic sort of way I think I am beginning to like it. Not. Anywho, I wanted to examine each one for possible cracked insulator. They all looked good, ground straps were light grey which if I remember right is indicative of a proper mixture and consistent firing. But the dealer shop had obviously also pulled them and inspected, which they should do, but they had apparently used a LOT of generic anti-seize, had it all over them on the seal down shank just above the threads. Cleaned them each off and sparingly applied the good copper based stuff. Checked gaps on each again, actually a few were a wee bit wide according to the gap check I was using at .050. Also, I think they must have used Dielectric GLUE on the boots, because they were a bear to pull off-- I thought I was going to separate the terminal from the wire on the #7 one. No excuse for that. Spread a very light smear of dielectric grease around each plug's ceramic to avoid that problem again whenever.

At first I was let down upon the test drive. Felt different, in the wrong way. Stopped and checked and noticed that the throttle cable adjustment had been thrown off apparently when I had the ASR unit moved out of the way for the driver side plug work. The mark I had made on the cable at the coupler with the sharpie permanent marker showed the cable from my recent adjusting session where I had found the sweet spot for it had migrated inside the coupler, causing some excess slack in the throttle. Adjusted it out to the mark, and it drove right from thence on. I had done this in a grocery store lot and while I had the hood up some kids in a V6 Mustang went by and made a derrogative remark about 'Vettes, in a joking way though :lol:

Short version: the plugs were okay and in my mind it idles better now ;)


[Modified by 95_C4_convertible, 5:33 PM 3/31/2002]